Serrano Chile

Posted on by patiadmin

Mexican cooking authority Diana Kennedy has said that the Serrano chile has the shape of a bullet. One could say that it tastes like one too! Serranos are spicy. However, as with most chiles, you can pump down the heat by removing the seeds and veins.

They have, like the Jalapeños, a dark and deep green color, shinny skin and a small and thin stem.  However, Serranos tend to be on the smaller side and are much thinner and appear longer.

It seems to me, Serranos have a fuller and more flagrant flavor than the Jalapeños. Don’t buy them if the have wrinkled skin or brown or black spots.

serrano 1

Pickled Jalapeños: Basic Recipe

Posted on by patiadmin

Pickled Jalapeños are a very popular garnish, topping or side for plenty of Mexican foods like tortas, tacos, quesadillas, grilled meats, rice, beans, tostadas… just to name some. So much so, that in many Restaurants, they are placed in the center of the table along the side of salt, pepper and a breadbasket. Many people nibble on them right out of the bowl… They are popular in Mexican Pizzerias too!

You can make your own or buy them already bottled or canned at the stores. They are so intensely used, that there are plenty of brands that carry them as a regular product. Taste does vary considerably from one brand to another, so try a couple, and see which ones you like more.

There are many variations to homemade Pickled Jalapeños. Many cooks macerate them first in coarse or kosher salt, which I also do. This pumps down the heat from the chiles and liberates some of their liquid to start the pickling process.

The ones I tend to make at home the most are the more traditional type, in which the chiles, carrots, onion and garlic are first fried in oil. Minutes later they are accompanied by a combination of spices, and a mild home-style vinegar (or a combination of rice vinegar with the stronger white distilled vinegar), salt and sugar.

Other versions add more vegetables to the mix, such as precooked small potatoes, cactus paddles, green beans and cauliflower. You should feel free to add any other ingredient that sounds interesting to you. There are some versions that even add pieces of corn (absolutely scrumptious!)

One of the wonderful things about pickling, is that aside from not being complicated, it brings out certain characteristics of the ingredients you are working with in an unusual way and it also prolongs their life in that stage.

This recipe makes a big batch, because they are likely to go fast, and also because it takes a bit of time to make them, so I like to make a larger amount. They will last ages in the refrigerator if they don’t go as fast as I predict.

NOTE: I don’t typically recommend the use of gloves for cooking, but since this recipe involves cleaning quite a few chiles, you may want to use gloves. If you don’t and your hands burn a little, wash them with warm water and soap, or rub them with a spoonful of oil, or soak them in a bit of milk, sour or heavy cream or ice cream. Any of those methods should take care of it, as they help dilute capsaicin the somewhat oily substance which contains the heat in chiles.

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4.67 from 6 votes

Pickled Jalapeños (with Carrots and Onions Too!)

Pickled Jalapeños are a very popular garnish, topping or side for plenty of Mexican foods like tortas, tacos, quesadillas, grilled meats, rice, beans, tostadas… just to name some. So much so, that in many Restaurants, they are placed in the center of the table along the side of salt, pepper and a breadbasket. Many people nibble on them right out of the bowl… They are popular in Mexican Pizzerias too!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 day 15 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: carrots, jalapeno, onion, pati's mexican table, pickled, Pickled Jalapeños, Recipe, Vegetarian, vinegar
Servings: 15 cups
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds jalapeño chiles rinsed, sliced and seeded
  • 3 pounds carrots peeled and diagonally sliced
  • 1 pound white pearl onions or large scallions white and light green parts only
  • 4 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 15 to 20 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup safflower or corn oil
  • 2 cups white distilled vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 cups unseasoned rice vinegar

Instructions

  • Rinse the Jalapeños, remove the stems, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. (Since there are quite a few chiles to clean you may want to use gloves). Place them in a large mixing bowl. Rinse the carrots, remove their tops, peel and diagonally slice into about 1/4″ thick pieces. Place in the large mixing bowl along with the Jalapeños. Peel the pearl onions of the outer dry skin and add into same bowl. Sprinkle all these vegetables with the salt, toss around and let them sit for about an hour.
  • Place the white distilled vinegar in the blender along with the water, peppercorns, cumin seed, whole cloves, bay leaves, thyme, oregano and brown sugar. Puree until smooth.
  • In a large, deep and thick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking, for about 2 minutes. Carefully add the salted vegetables, reserving their juices, and fry for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring here and there, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic cloves, and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Carefully add the vegetable reserved juices, along with the white distilled vinegar mix and the rice vinegar. Let it all cook for about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
  • Place in a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator. I like to use glass jars. For some reason they seem to taste even better. Let the vegetables pickle for at least a day before eating. They will keep for months, if you don’t finish them before…

Pickled Jalapeño Kind of Gal

Posted on by patiadmin

I am not one to carry a bottle of hot sauce in my bag wherever I go. I do have an uncle that proudly does. Wherever he travels, his Tabasco sauce eagerly jumps out of his bag and splashes its somewhat flavorless heat on whatever food it happens to come across. Yep, fancy restaurants too.

Now I know… Mexicans have the reputation of loving to eat everything with chiles. I admit this to be true. As Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, Spanish priest, defender of indigenous people, and chronicler of early colonial times said in the XVI century: Without chiles, Mexicans do not consider they have eaten. Hmmmm… the same can be said today. With the caveat, that it’s not just the heat that we crave.

Most Mexicans are picky chile eaters. Since we have so many varieties, and such varied and distinct ways to use and prepare them, we can exquisitely discriminate how and what we pair them with. We love their different flavors, textures, fragrances and personalities. It is like considering different kinds of fruits. So my uncle is more an exception than the rule.

All this to say, without any excuse, that although I am not a hot sauce bottle kind of woman, I am a pickled Jalapeño kind of gal.

But I do have my limits… just like reasonable limits most pickled pickles kinds of people have. They may eat a pickle with different kinds of sandwiches; how about a schnitzel with mashed potatoes; it sounds good with a thick and juicy veal sausage with sauerkraut; and of course a fresh bagel with lox… But it would be surprising to see pickled pickles kinds of people eat them with a bowl of Spaghetti Marinara.

Pickled Jalapenos 2(Photo of Jalapeños, carrots and onions macerating in kosher salt in pickling process)

I don’t want to judge, people should eat whatever they want along whatever pickle or salsa they want. But it does make sense to have some guidelines to help us define and enjoy the world we live in. So no pickles with ice cream for me. And no… my pregnancies were not an excuse for that either.
Yet, it was really funny to see the surprise on my friends faces when we walked into a Pizzeria in Cape May about a month ago, after I asked the Pizza man if he had pickled Jalapeños as a side or as a topping. His face was not only as surprised as my friends’ were, but it also gave me the quick and definite answer. NO! (which really felt like an are you crazy woman?).

So there you go, if I were to move to a part of the world where there are no pickled Jalapeños, or fresh Jalapeños to pickle, I would bring my own (along with a can of chipotles chiles in adobo sauce and a jar of homemade salsa verde).

When Mimi and David, a couple of our surprised friends, invited us to their house for a homemade Pizza party this coming Saturday I asked “what can I bring, please?”. But then, I couldn’t help but say “instead of the salad… can I bring some homemade pickled Jalapeños?”. Ok, that wasn’t very polite of me..

PIckled Jalapenos 2(Already pickled Jalapeños in their glass jars, ready to go to our friends’ house)

Let me please explain: Pickled Jalapeños may not work with everything, but they do work on an incredible number of things: sandwiches, tortas, quesadillas, as a side to scrambled eggs, enfrijoladas, grilled meats, rice.. I could go on… Oh! My Colombian friend Tamara, just as plenty of Mexicans do, nibbles on them right out of the jar.

The important thing here is that they are spectacular over Pizza. So much that Pizzerias in Mexico typically offer them as an optional topping.

As promised in my last post, here’s my favorite way to pickle your own Jalapeños. They tend to be pickled with other vegetables like onions, garlic and carrots, which is what I typically do. There are other versions that add other ingredients like previously boiled baby potatoes, green beans, cauliflower and cactus paddles… Wonderful as well! Feel free to play with the ingredients that wink an eye to you.

One of the wonderful things about pickling, is that aside from not being complicated, it brings out certain characteristics of the ingredients you are working with in an unusual way and it also prolongs their life in that stage.

This recipe makes a big batch, because they are likely to go fast, and also because since it takes a bit of time to make them, I like to make a bigger amount. They will last ages in the refrigerator if they don’t go as fast as I predict. And next time you eat Pizza, give it a try! If you don’t want to make them, there are many brands in most supermarkets that sell them already canned and delicious.

NOTE: I don’t typically recommend the use of gloves for cooking, but since this recipe involves cleaning quite a few chiles, you may want to use gloves. If you don’t and your hands burn a little, wash them with warm water and soap, or rub them with a spoonful of oil, or soak them in a bit of milk, sour or heavy cream or ice cream. Any of those methods should take care of it, as they help dilute capsaicin the somewhat oily substance which contains the heat in chiles.

Pickled Jalapenos main
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Pickled Jalapeños (with Carrots and Onions too!)

Pickled Jalapeños may not work with everything, but they do work on an incredible number of things: sandwiches, tortas, quesadillas, as a side to scrambled eggs, enfrijoladas, grilled meats, rice.. I could go on… Oh! My Colombian friend Tamara, just as plenty of Mexicans do, nibbles on them right out of the jar. The important thing here is that they are spectacular over Pizza. So much that Pizzerias in Mexico typically offer them as an optional topping.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 day 15 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Recipe, Vegetarian
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds jalapeño chiles rinsed, sliced and seeded
  • 3 pounds carrots peeled and diagonally sliced
  • 1 pound white pearl onions or large scallions white and light green parts only
  • 4 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
  • 15 to 20 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup safflower or corn oil
  • 2 cups white distilled vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 cups unseasoned rice vinegar

Instructions

  • Rinse the jalapeños, remove the stems, slice in half and scoop out the seeds (since they are quite a few chiles to clean you may want to use gloves). Place them in a large mixing bowl. Rinse the carrots, remove their tops, peel and diagonally slice into about 1/4" thick. Place in the large mixing bowl along with the Jalapeños. Peel the pearl onions of the outer dry skin and add into same bowl. Sprinkle all these vegetables with the salt, toss around and let them sit for about an hour.
  • Place the white distilled vinegar in the blender along with the water, peppercorns, cumin seed, whole cloves, bay leaves, thyme, oregano and brown sugar. Puree until smooth.
  • In a large, deep and thick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking, for about 2 minutes. Carefully add the salted vegetables, reserving their juices, and fry for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring here and there, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic cloves, and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Carefully add the vegetable reserved juices, along with the white distilled vinegar mix and the rice vinegar. Let it all cook for about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
  • Place in a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator. I like to use glass jars. For some reason they seem to taste even better. Let the vegetables pickle for at least a day before eating. They will keep for months, if you don't finish them before...

Notes

Jalapeños en Escabeche

Jalapeño Chile

Posted on by patiadmin

This is probably the most well known fresh chile outside of Mexico. It is extremely popular inside the country as well. It looks a bit similar to the Serrano chile, and can be used interchangeably, thus they are many times confused. They are both dark green, with a shine to them, and carry a small and thin darker stem.

However, the Jalapeño is larger, bigger, rounder and chubbier than the Serrano. Ironically, it is milder in heat and has a lighter taste. Just as most fresh chiles, its heat can be pumped down by removing the seeds and veins. Similarly as other fresh chiles, don’t buy them if they have wrinkled skin or dark brown or black spots.

Continue reading “Jalapeño Chile”

The Washington Post: Welcome to Pati’s Table

Posted on by patiadmin

“You know how some people just light up a room? In Patricia Jinich’s case it’s more than just a smile, although hers is spectacular. Its her unique combination of grace, modesty, passion and energy that does it. She also happens to have quickly become one of my favorite cooking teachers in the city. When I finally made it to one of her classes…”

I am packing my own Torta…

Posted on by patiadmin

Some people get motion sickness when they travel. Some people get hungry. I am among the latter.

The minute I step on whatever will transport me from one place to another, my mind swims through related food memories… and I just have to eat. So since I know I will have a craving for something other than a moist, soggy, chewy and never-ever crunchy baguette from the Amtrak train, and after being so spoiled with the food from El Chepe Train, I am packing my own Torta.

Torta (according to me…): A satisfying and delicious, self contained, easy to transport, edible package filled with tasty ingredients that just love to schmooze together.

I guess we owe a big part of the Torta to the French, since the bolillo or telera bread used to make them, is the Mexican adaptation of the French Baguette. Brought to Mexico City in the 1860s by Emperor Maximilian’s troupe of cooks, its use quickly spread out throughout the country. Maximilian ruled over Mexico’s very own, very last and very short-lived European Monarchy. Although it was unfortunate politically (he ended up executed for one thing…), it was blissful in a culinary sense.

When it comes to Tortas, I have eaten a fair share of variations. There are outstanding long established Torta stands and shops where I grew up, each with a peculiar signature twist. Moreover, my father is famous in our food-centered family for making blow-your-mind-away ones (his favorite has sardines, Mexican avocado, white onion and pickled Jalapeños).

But I think the best Torta I ever had (sorry Papi…) was in the state of Michoacán at the home of Diana Kennedy. Aside from an outstanding Torta maker, she is also one of the most respected authorities in Mexican cooking, and a woman whose books I have happily swallowed whole.

I ate Diana’s Torta almost ten years ago, when I was a production assistant for a PBS cooking series based in Texas. I traveled with the production team to different locations in Mexico, as each show focused on the foods of a specific region. There was of course one show about Diana and the food from Michoacán, her beloved and adopted home. She prepared many dishes to feature on the show and by the time lunch came, she assembled a Torta for each of the by then desperately famished members of the crew.

It tasted like a little piece of Michoacano heaven.

The bread, if freshly baked that day, doesn’t need to be toasted. Most of the ingredients Diana used were brought from the nearby Pueblo that morning, including the fresh cheese and the farm style ham. She had homemade refried beans and pickled Jalapeños which I think were the biggest treat of it all.

Pack my own torta 1

Here is how I assembled mine for today, in memory of Diana’s:

I sliced the bolillos in half, but since I bought them yesterday I toasted them slightly. On one side I spread home made pinto refried beans (I had leftover from sopes I made last night). On the other side, some fork smashed slices of avocado. Then went a layer of queso fresco or fresh cheese and one of smoked turkey (what could be found in my refrigerator), slices of tomato, onion, a very generous spoonful of Mexican style cream and a layer of homemade pickled Jalapeños, so packed, it seemed like a Torta wallpaper.

Right before adding the top half, I sprinkled a bit of salt, a habit I got from my father. It seems to help the flavors from all the ingredients shine through.

NOTE: For the bread you can use bolillo, telera, Portuguese rolls or small baguettes. the refried beans as well as the pickled Jalapeños can be homemade or there are excellent brands of already made ones at the stores.

Pack my own torta main
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4.34 from 3 votes

TORTA

Some people get motion sickness when they travel. Some people get hungry. I am among the latter. The minute I step on whatever will transport me from one place to another, my mind swims through related food memories… and I just have to eat. So since I know I will have a craving for something other than a moist, soggy, chewy and never-ever crunchy baguette from the Amtrak train, and after being so spoiled with the food from El Chepe Train, I am packing my own Torta.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Antojo, Avocado, bolillo, cheese, chicken, ham, mexican crema, mozzarella, Oaxaca cheese, onion, Pickled Jalapeños, queso fresco, Recipe, refried beans, Sandwich, telera, Tomatoes, Torta, turkey
Servings: 1 hungry traveler
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 2 bolillos teleras, Portuguese rolls or small baguettes
  • 2 tablespoons refried beans
  • 1/2 ripe Mexican avocado peeled and sliced
  • 4 slices of queso fresco or fresh cheese farmers cheese, Oaxaca or Mozzarella
  • 4 cups to 6 slices of turkey ham or 1/2 cooked shredded chicken
  • 1 sliced and seeded tomato
  • 2 to 4 thin slices of white onion
  • 2 generous tablespoons of Mexican or any Latin style cream
  • Pickled Jalapeños homemade or storebought to taste ( Jalapeños en Escabeche/Vinagre)
  • Salt to taste optional

Instructions

  • Slice the bolillos in half lengthwise. If not fresh, toast them slightly for a couple minutes. On one side spread a tablespoon of refried beans and on the other mash 1/4 of an avocado with a fork. Top the base half with a couple slices of cheese, 2 or 3 slices of turkey, a couple slices of tomato and onion.
  • Drizzle a tablespoon of Mexican style cream and crown your package with as many pickled Jalapeños as your heart desires. Sprinkle a bit of salt if you want. Place the top half and slice the Torta horizontally.
  • Eat it or wrap it up so it may travel along with you.

Unforgettable Rice from El Chepe

Posted on by patiadmin

I wish each day had ten more hours so I could tell you about so many dishes already.

This is how behind I feel in all I want to share: Six weeks ago our family came back from the Copper Canyon in Mexico. I took notes, pictures, short videos, interviewed cooks, planted myself in their kitchens until forcefully uprooted by my husband, and ate like a mad woman from any interesting sounding dish, which was practically everything (partly with the purpose to come and tell you all about it…).

Then we came home, and life got in the way… I took longer to launch this site because I wanted to add more sections. By the time it was ready, so many weeks had gone by, I was eager to share more recent food excursions from my kitchen.

Yesterday, these red tomatoes reminded me of my delayed purpose. They looked perfectly ripe to become the base for that Mexican Style Rice we ate at the Chepe train (formally known as the Chihuahua al Pací­fico). It was unbelievable. Not only how good it tasted, but where and how it is made, every day.

Unforgettable rice from el chepe 2-thumb-510x342-1914
I expected to find scrumptious food along the Copper Canyon, but not aboard the train.  Used to pre-packaged sandwiches and microwaved hot dogs on the Amtrak, it was such a treat to choose from a full menu of home-style food.

As we sat on the cushy blue seats, we were amazed at how the individual place settings set on the wooden tables jumped without falling as the train rocked on the old wooden tracks.  With the light from the sun peeking through the window, the formally dressed waiters coming out of the kitchen appeared to step out from the Mexican 19th century, with charming mustaches in the like of the long gone Profirian era and all.

Unforgettable rice from el chepe 3-thumb-510x342-1916
More amazement, as they poured coffee, dancing as on a tight rope with the steaming pots at least 10 inches away from the cups they were aiming to fill. But even more amazement, after we tasted the food. Such good food on a train? I had puntas de filete with a side of refried beans, quesadillas and the best ever Mexican style rice. Even before dessert, this felt like a trip within the trip itself.

Each time, I would ask the waiter to introduce me to the cook in turn. There were not one but three cooks in a fully sized and stocked kitchen. Balancing as if on steady ground, up and down bridges, inside tunnels and around curves, they made some of the most comforting foods I can think of.

Unforgettable rice from el chepe 4-thumb-510x342-1918
Here is a tip:  when you go to the Chepe, disregard when train officers say the Restaurant is closed.  It seems to be a technique to help guests avoid long waits (or a bottleneck in the kitchen).  Go check it out yourself, there is typically no line and by the time they announce its open, the train ride may be over.  If you are not planning on going to the Chepe train soon, here is the recipe for that deliciously satisfying Mexican rice, shared by the chef in charge of the Chepe’s food and menu, Jesus Ley.

unforgettable rice from el chepe 5-thumb-510x342-1920
There are of course many variations to this dish. You can substitute fresh tomato puree for 1 1/2 cups of canned puree. Except for few rice dishes, I always add some fresh squeezed lime juice. It makes it crisp and helps the flavors of the other ingredients shine through, but it is optional.You can include the carrots and peas, exclude them or change that vegetable such as by adding green beans and red bell peppers.

And yes, that chile serrano you see in the picture is optional. You can omit it, substitute it for a jalapeño, and can add a couple more if you like. But if you are having Mexicans over, watch out: those chiles that have absorbed the flavors from all the ingredients in that pot, are the rice treasure we all hunt for.

mexican red rice
Print Recipe
4.67 from 6 votes

Mexican Style Rice

Arroz Rojo
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: carrots, chicken broth, lime, Mexican rice, pati's mexican table, peas, rice, serrano chiles, Tomatoes
Servings: 6 to 8 people
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 2 cups white rice
  • 2 tomatoes or about 1 pound, quartered
  • 1/3 cup white onion roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice optional
  • 2 parsley sprigs
  • 3/4 cup carrots peeled and diced, optional
  • 1/2 cup shelled green peas fresh of frozen, optional
  • 1 or 2 chiles serranos optional

Instructions

  • In a bowl, soak the rice in hot water for about 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain very well.
  • While the rice soaks, purée the tomatoes in the blender along with the onion, garlic and salt. Pass through a strainer and reserve.
  • Heat the oil in a thick heavy skillet (if you have one with a transparent lid, pick that one) over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the rice and sauté, stirring often, until the color of the rice changes to a strong milky white and it shows more resistance and makes a heavier sound as you stir it around, probably about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Pour in the strained tomato purée, mix it gently and let it cook until the color of the purée has darkened, thickened and is mostly absorbed, about 3 more minutes.
  • Stir in the chicken or vegetable broth and lime juice, give it a gentle stir and top with the parlsey sprig, the diced carrots, peas and serrano chiles, if so desired.
  • Let it all come to a boil, and when it does, put the cover on and reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes. Here is where that transparent lid becomes so handy, as you can see what is going on inside the pot without losing steam. You know the rice is ready when it is cooked through and tender, most of the liquid has been absorbed, but there is a lot of moisture in the pot. If the rice is not yet tender and the liquid has dried up, add a couple tablespoons more water, cover again and let it cook for a couple more minutes.
  • Let the rice sit covered for at least 5 minutes before you fluff with a fork and serve. You may also make it beforehand and reheat it covered over low heat with a tablespoon of water.