The New York Times: A Taste of Passover, With a Mexican Accent

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“Patricia Jinich teaches regional Mexican cooking at the Mexican Cultural Institute here. But at the Lubavitch Center recently she showed about 70 Jewish women how to cook for Passover.

She made gefilte fish in a Veracruz sauce of tomatoes, pickled peppers, olives and capers, and spoke of how her Polish grandfather loved to wrap fresh, warm tortillas around gribenes (chicken cracklings with fried onions) with a side of guacamole.

Some of the women were in long dresses, with their heads covered. Ms. Jinich, 37, had on a Mexican huipil blouse with red and green trim under her chef’s jacket.

Still, she said, ‘The Yiddische mama and the Mexican mama have lots in common.'”

Click here to read the entire article. Check out the recipe for Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup.

Avocados

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The smooth, soothing, creamy qualities of Mexican avocados are the perfect combination to the richly flavored and sometimes spicy Mexican food. My favorite avocados are the Hass variety and for some reason… I like the Mexican ones the most (!) They tend to be larger, meatier, creamier and just more luxurious than others.

Though many people think of avocados as vegetables, they are fruits…

Since they are harvested green (mature but not yet ripened), in some stores you may find them when they are not ready to eat. If the skin still looks green and the avocado feels firm to the touch, they probably need 3 to 6 days of ripening. You can bring them home and place them in a paper bag or newspaper in a warm area of your kitchen to speed up the ripening process. You can also just leave them outside of the refrigerator. They are ripe and ready to eat when the skin is almost completely black and the avocado gives in a bit if you gently squeeze it. Once ripe, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week if not opened and about one or two days if opened and covered with plastic wrap.

Ancho Chile

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The Ancho chile is a stellar ingredient in Mexican cuisine. It is probably the most used dried Chile throughout Mexico and no wonder why: Its flavor is unmatchable.

The Ancho is the Poblano Chile that has been ripened to a deep red and then dried. This concentrates the already exuberant and fruity flavors of the Poblanos.

It is wide, chubby, wrinkled and very pliable, different from other dried chiles. It has a deep reddish brown skin, with a bit of shine, which sort of imitates its flavor as well. Deep and rich, sharp and fruity, it has a hint of bittersweet notes and a resemblance to the flavor of prunes. It is very mild in heat.

Ancho chiles can be easily found in grocery stores throughout the US. They are typically rinsed, seeded and then toasted and/or soaked or simmered in hot water.

Tex Mex or Mex Tex: Take Two

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Talking about American foods enriched by Mexican ingredients, I can’t leave out those tasty, juicy and smoky Ancho Chile hamburgers. My mother used to make them for our birthday parties as me and my sisters grew into teenagers. We felt more hip having funky burgers instead of kid sized tacos. Plus, they were a hit with our friends.

They are a snap to make and for the Mexican spin you just need to prepare a seasoning paste with Ancho Chiles.  Anchos, being ultra mild and somewhat fruity with a hint of prunes, make an instant click with the meat.

My mother used to mix half veal and half beef, when making hamburgers, meatloaf or meatballs. It works out well, but it is not necessary. She used to serve these hamburgers with the traditional American trimmings: sliced onions, tomatoes, fresh lettuce, ketchup and mustard.

But when I was reminiscing with my friend Andrea about these Mexicanized American dishes, she suggested we try a citrusy mayo spread. What a surprise! That tangy spread makes these tasty hamburgers bounce off the walls out of happiness…

I wouldn’t dare call this hamburger traditional Mexican food, although the recipe has been in my family for more than four decades. When you think about it, once an ingredient or a dish of a country enters another country and becomes accepted, it gains a life of its own.

I don’t think there ever is a right or wrong take in the kitchen (Diana Kennedy may just be aiming at me with a rifle now… ). It seems to me that it is all fair game as long as you get to know your ingredients and how to use them. And of course…there has to be a worthwhile and delicious result.

Print Recipe
4.50 from 2 votes

Ancho Chile Mexican Hamburgers with Lime Aioli

Talking about American foods enriched by Mexican ingredients, I can’t leave out those tasty, juicy and smoky Ancho Chile hamburgers. My mother used to make them for our birthday parties as me and my sisters grew into teenagers. We felt more hip having funky burgers instead of kid sized tacos. Plus, they were a hit with our friends. They are a snap to make and for the Mexican spin you just need to prepare a seasoning paste with Ancho Chiles.  Anchos, being ultra mild and somewhat fruity with a hint of prunes, make an instant click with the meat.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: ancho chiles, beef, chile, hamburger, lime, lime aioli, mayonnaise, Recipe, veal
Servings: 8 burgers
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the burgers:

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground veal
  • 1 1/2 cup white onion roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 4 ancho chiles rinsed, seeded and soaked (explanation follows)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground, or to taste
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • safflower or corn oil

For the lime aioli:

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • Juice of 1 lime about 2 tablespoons
  • 1 teaspoon grate lime rind
  • 3 garlic cloves pressed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the garnishes:

  • 8 hamburger buns
  • yellow mustard
  • ketchup
  • 2 red tomatoes sliced
  • 8 iceberg or romaine lettuce leaves rinsed and dried
  • 1/2 white onion sliced

Instructions

  • Rinse the ancho chiles. On a chopping board, make a slit down their side and take out all of their seeds, veins and stems. Place the cleaned chiles in a small bowl and cover with 1/2 cup boiling hot water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Places chiles in the blender along with the soaking liquid, onion and garlic, and puree until smooth.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and veal. Add the chile mixture, two lightly beaten eggs, salt and pepper. Mix until it is all well incorporated.
  • Heat the griddle or pan over medium heat until very hot, about 6 to 8 minutes. Brush some oil on the griddle or pan.
  • With your hands, mold the patties and place them on the hot griddle or pan. Cook for about 4 to 6 minutes per side, depending on how well cooked you like your burgers. I like them medium-well, so it is about 5 minutes per side for me.
  • Place the garnishes on the table so that everyone can choose to their liking.
  • To make the lime aioli, place everything in a mixing bowl, and just mix it all up!
  • If you want to make this hamburger into a cheeseburger, Monterey jack is a great companion. Just place a slice of cheese on to the burger once you flipped it and let it melt as it finishes cooking.

Notes

Hamburguesas con Chile Ancho y Aioli de Limon

Tex Mex or Mex Tex

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“Can you think of an American dish that has been Mexicanized?” My friend Andrea asked. “It has gone the other way around, no?” I responded, thinking about Tex Mex and the complaints from Mexican food aficionados about Mexican food being Americanized in the US.

But the other way around? As I swam through my childhood memories in Mexico City I was startled by how wrong my natural response had been. Of course there are Mexicanized American foods, and plenty!

Where to start? How about those incredible hot dogs my three older sisters and I used to eat at El Galan (translates to the hunk) hot dog stand. We got into so much trouble with my father because of them. As soon as my oldest sister could drive, we stopped on our way back from school to eat one, and why not two, and why not three hot dogs con todo, with all the trimmings.

We were so full by the time we sat down in front of those homemade meals my mother had planned for us, that we could barely fit a bite into our mouths. My father angrily gave us a weekly hot dog allowance and asked my mother not to cook for a couple weeks.

The scheme didn’t work.

We compromised.

We would only eat them on Fridays.

These hot dogs were soooo Mexican. El Galan, drizzled some oil on his hot plancha or griddle. He then threw in some chopped white onions, pickled jalapenos, and tomatoes. Then, as they sizzled, he would squirt some ketchup (with some secret ingredient we still can’t figure out) and yellow mustard and mix it all up.

He threw a slice of cheddar to crown that delicious mess, he let it melt, and then shoved it into a soft hot dog bun. A steaming hot sausage then sat on top. If that wasn’t enough, if you said you wanted your hot dog especial, or special, a couple of crispy bacon slices found their way into that party.

Right now, I would give up all that is in my refrigerator to have one of those.