Shredded Flank Steak with Potatoes in Green Salsa

Posted on by Pati Jinich
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4.43 from 7 votes

Shredded Flank Steak with Potatoes in Green Salsa

Shredded Flank Steak with Potatoes in Green Salsa recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 1 “Born in The Kitchen”
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: cilantro, corn tortillas, jalapeno, pati's mexican table, potatoes, serrano chiles, steak, stew, tomatillos
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds flank steak cut into 3- to 4-inch chunks
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Half of a white onion
  • 3 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 10 black peppercorns optional
  • 1 pound tomatillos husks removed and rinsed
  • 1 garlic clove peeled
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano chile or to taste
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped white onion
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves and top part of stems
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 pound baby red potatoes if they are not so small, halved or quartered to be bite size

Instructions

  • Place meat in a soup pot or large, heavy pot along with the bay leaves, half an onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt and black peppercorns. Cover with water up to 2 inches above top of the meat. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 50 minutes to an hour, until the meat is thoroughly cooked and soft. Strain, reserving 3 cups of the meat cooking liquid. Once the meat has cooled enough to handle, shred it into pieces.
  • Place the tomatillos, 1 garlic clove and chiles in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook until the tomatillos have changed their color from bright green to pale green and are soft and thoroughly cooked but not coming apart, about 10 minutes. Drain and place in a blender or food processor, adding only one chile to begin. Add the onion, cilantro and salt to the blender and puree until smooth. Taste for heat, adding more chile until you have the desired amount of heat.
  • Heat the oil in a large casserole pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, pour the salsa into the pan, along with the potatoes and cook, partially covered, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 to 6 minutes. Toss in the shredded meat and pour in 2 cups of the meat cooking liquid. Stir and cook uncovered for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely cooked through and soft and the stew has thickened considerably. Add more cooking liquid if the sauce is thickening too much.
  • Serve with a side of warm corn tortillas.

Notes

Guisado de Carne en Salsa Verde

Salsa Macha

Posted on by Pati Jinich

Salsa Macha is a very thick and unusual salsa that comes from the state of Veracruz. Located along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, it has been for centuries, a gateway for waves of immigrants from all over the world into Mexico (like my paternal grandparents).

Veracruz, being such an important channel for exchange and always immersed in flux, has seen some of the most interesting combinations of ingredients, cooking techniques and traditions. Salsa Macha is an example.

It is made by frying dried chipotle chiles (mainly the morita kind) in a generous amount of olive oil, along with garlic cloves. The last two ingredients courtesy of the Spanish conquest, for sure. Then it is seasoned with salt. Some versions add fresh chiles such as serranos or jalapeños into the mix. Many times peanuts are added and sesame seeds too.

This one here, is my preferred version, and I take the liberty of adding a joyous amount of vinegar and some brown sugar or piloncillo to balance it off. This combination pleases me so much, that I spoon it on crusty bread with much joy.

Since it has a lot of olive oil, the chile paste will sink to the bottom after it rests for a few minutes. You can choose to stir it up and eat it well combined, or you can let it settle, and use the flavored oil.

salsa macha
p.s. The name is a funny one, because macha, is the femenine of the word macho. So it can translate as being a masculine female salsa. Macha can also translate as brave, so you can take your pick!

salsa macha
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4.78 from 9 votes

Salsa Macha

Salsa Macha is a very thick and unusual salsa that comes from the state of Veracruz. Located along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, it has been for centuries, a gateway for waves of immigrants from all over the world into Mexico (like my paternal grandparents).
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: brown sugar, Chipotle, garlic, Peanuts, Sesame Seed, vinegar
Servings: 3 cups
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces dried chipotle chiles stemmed, seeded torn into pieces, about 1½ to 2 cups
  • 2 1/2 cups olive oil
  • 1/3 cup raw unsalted peanuts or unsalted other nuts you may prefer such as pecans or pine nuts
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar

Instructions

  • Set a large heavy skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the garlic cloves. Stir and fry for about one minute, until they start to gain color. Add the chipotle chiles and peanuts, stir and fry for about two minutes. Add the sesame seeds, stir and continue to fry for about a minute. Remove from heat. Carefully transfer all the contents from the skillet into the jar of a blender. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
  • Add the salt, sugar and vinegar. Process until smooth, starting with low speed and building up to high speed. Pour into a container, let cool and refrigerate if the salsa will not be used that day.

Potato, Sweet Potato and Granny Smith Latkes

Posted on by Pati Jinich

A Mexican immigrant cooking Thanksgiving and Hanukkah on the same night in the cold Eastern region of the United States may sound a bit odd to some. For me, it turns out to be an unexpected opportunity to bring all my pieces together. Which has my mind reeling about the just as unexpected possibilities for the menu.

See… ever since I can remember, I have felt like I am treading between worlds. The Mexican. The Jewish. The immigrant in the U.S. Not from here, not from there. Yet, as time goes by, the different parts of my identity feel increasingly solid, in all those worlds and their intersections. It turns out that where those intersections make the most sense is in the kitchen.

I admit, though, that I am a hopeless romantic. That’s why every year when my husband asks what I want for my birthday, I say: the most passionate love letter, ever. Haven’t seen it, since he has seen me everyday in one way or another for the past 17 years. So, when my birthday comes close, I offer to pack my bags and leave, just to pretend… so he can write that super duper passionate love letter.

Potato, Sweet Potato and Granny Smith Latkes with Salsa Macha and Fennel Crema
That romantic nature of mine may be why little things mean a lot to me. Remember when 12/12/12 happened? I was wild about the beauty of the 1,2,1,2,1,2 pattern and the chances of that happening again being zero. Of course, realists immediately pointed out the fact that every single day in the calendar will never, ever, be repeated again. Yet, it is the highlighted uniqueness of the 1,2,1,2,1,2 pattern that brings us the opportunity to realize just how precious that day, and any other day, is.

No surprise, then, that I am beyond ecstatic about Hanukkah and Thanksgiving happening at the same time. The chances of that happening again are so few and far in between (the next time, in 2070, it will be pretty likely that neither I nor Daniel will be here, so that is another reason for getting to that love letter) that it allows us to see these holidays under a different perspective: an enhanced sense of light, an expanded feeling of gratitude, a new vision of  what sharing at the table can mean, a new chance to continue to build bridges, and what’s best, we can eat it all along the way.

One dish that I came up with, for this once in a lifetime meal, are these Potato, Sweet Potato and Granny Smith Latkes.

Potato, Sweet Potato and Granny Smith Latkes with Salsa Macha and Fennel Crema

It is a recipe that has no fuss. It lets these three ingredients shine through and, at the same time, complement each other with the help of a bit of ancho chile  powder and true cinnamon. You can choose to eat them just like that, on their own, or you can serve them with a thick, chunky, fresh and citrusy Fennel and Lime Crema or with this rustic and nutty Salsa Macha.

Here’s a thought: you can do what I do. Eat them on their own as I am cooking them, and then eat them with both the Crema and the Salsa Macha once they are at the table.

sweet potato and granny smith apple latkes
Print Recipe
4.20 from 5 votes

Potato, Sweet Potato and Granny Smith Latkes

One dish that I came up with, for this once in a lifetime meal, are these Potato, Sweet Potato and Granny Smith Latkes. It is a recipe that has no fuss. It lets these three ingredients shine through and, at the same time, complement each other with the help of a bit of ancho chile  powder and true cinnamon. You can choose to eat them just like that, on their own, or you can serve them with a thick, chunky, fresh and citrusy Fennel and Lime Crema or with this rustic and nutty Salsa Macha.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Keyword: Antojo, chile, Jewish Mexican, Potato, Recipe, Salsa, Vegetarian
Servings: 16 to 18 latkes
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds russett potatoes about 2
  • 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes about 1
  • 1/2 pound Granny Smith apples about 1
  • 1/2 cup grated white onion about 1
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
  • 2 large eggs well beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder preferably, but may substitute with another dried ground chile powder that you may have handy
  • Pinch ground ceylon or true cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • Fennel & Lime Crema optional
  • Salsa Macha optional

Instructions

  • Wash and peel the potatoes, sweet potatoes, apple and onion and grate them, placing them as you go, into a large bowl filled halfway with ice water. After you are finished, let it all sit for a few minutes and thoroughly drain with a strainer. Wrap all the grated ingredients in cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and wring energetically, squeezing out as much liquid as you can.
  • Transfer to a bowl and combine with eggs, ancho chile powder, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and flour. Mix well.
  • Fill a large, heavy casserole or skillet with ½ inch of oil and place over medium-high heat. After 3 to 4 minutes, test the oil by adding a teaspoon of the mix. If it bubbles happily all around the edges, it is ready. Working in small batches, to not crowd the casserole, spoon latkes of about 3 tablespoons each into the hot oil. (I use large serving spoon or my hands and shape them in flattened ovals.)
  • Cook until the first side is crisp and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes, and flip to the other side, letting it crisp and brown as well, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Once you are finished, you may keep them warm in a 250-degree oven, or you may cover and reheat later on.

Notes

Tortitas de Papa, Camote y Manzana Verde

Fennel and Lime Crema

Posted on by Pati Jinich

This is one of the quickest recipes that I have come up with.

It was just as quick to come up with it, as it was quick to make it.

It was sheer craving: I imagined it to accompany the Potato, Sweet Potato and Granny Smith Latkes, but you can use it to complement so many other things.

fennel and lime crema

It just mixes the already salty and tangy Mexican Cream with the crunchy chopped fennel bulb, fragrant fennel fronds, fresh-squeezed lime juice and salt.

Hey: You may also use it as a vegetable dip, why not?

fennel and lime crema
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4.34 from 3 votes

Fennel and Lime Crema

This is one of the quickest recipes that I have come up with. It was just as quick to come up with it, as it was quick to make it. It just mixes the already salty and tangy Mexican Cream with the crunchy chopped fennel bulb, fragrant fennel fronds, fresh-squeezed lime juice and salt.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: fennel, lime, mexican crema, pati's mexican table
Servings: 1 cups
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Mexican style cream
  • 1/2 cup finely diced fennel bulb
  • 1 tablespoon fennel fronds chopped
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste

Instructions

  • In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Done!

Notes

Crema de Eneldo y Limón 

Bricklayer Tacos

Posted on by Pati Jinich

A taco is a beautiful thing.

One of the most satisfying, versatile, exciting, and downright honest foods I can think of.

Plus, there is no need or mood a taco can’t tackle.

You are hungry and have but one peso in your pocket? Eat a Taco de Nada. You pass a tortillería on your way home? A Taco de Sal will hold you off until you get there. A deep hangover ails you? Go for Tacos de Barbacoa with Salsa Borracha. Did you say you have a broken heart? A pair of fully stocked Tacos al Pastor will be your most effective rebound. You are home with a cold? Soft chicken tacos dipped in fresh crema will make you all better, no doubt about that. Need to feed your teen kid and his buddies before they head out? Crispy Potato and Chorizo Tacos dressed with shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco and Salsa Verde will make them happy and fill them up. It’s lunchtime and you are on the road? If you are in Mexico (or somewhere with a large Mexican community), you will find someone with a huge basket selling Tacos Sudados to go. Planning a backyard party? Tacos de Carnitas will kick it off, without you even saying a word.

I could write an endless post on all sorts of tacos and all they can do for you… But, if you want to feed your family a generous, satiating, and super tasty weeknight meal, make them bricklayer tacos. Step by step instructions follow below. But as I cook, let me quickly reflect on The Taco.

bacon for bricklayer tacos
Start with a large casserole or skillet and fry some bacon until crisp.

Whenever I teach Mexican cooking, I never fail to say that the food of a country resembles its people. The taco, the most emblematic of Mexican foods, fully embodies Mexico and its people. Through the gazillion different kinds of tacos that have existed, we can explore the evolution of Mexico and the identity of Mexicans. The stories told by each taco, linked to one another, holds us Mexicans (and Mexican food lovers) together.  I am getting a tad too philosophical about tacos, I know, but just think about the possibilities.

meat cooking in the bacon

You don’t need to add any other fat.  You will add tender pieces of tenderloin or sirloin straight into the bacon fat. Sprinkle with salt nd pepper, and let the meat brown without fully cooking.

There is no exact date on when the taco came to be. It existed before the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, in pre-Hispanic times, for sure. There is anthropological evidence that it was thousands, not hundreds of years, before the Spanish conquest that people in Mexico were eating tacos (even if they weren’t called that). Indigenous people had domesticated corn and found a way to make it fully nutritious by way of the nixtamalization process (where corn is shucked, dried, cooked in slaked lime or ashes, hulled and ground) and turned into a malleable dough to be used in a thousand different ways, including tamales, drinks, all sorts of patties and that flat bread we call tortilla.

adding onion and jalapenos to the bricklayer taco filling
Add onion and jalapeños.

Now, how long since has the tortilla been used as an edible plate, or torn into pieces to scoop up food as an edible spoon, or held in hand to wrap a filling to munch on? I am guessing more years than you probably are. The filling could have been cactus paddle or iguana, who knows.

adding garlic to the bricklayer taco filling
Add garlic and cook for less than a minute, until garlic is fragrant.

The first documented tacos appeared in the “Truthful History of the Conquest of New Spain” (1520), by Bernal Diaz del Castillo, a conquistador. He reported a taco feast, enjoyed by Hernán Cortes and many of his commanders, where many kinds of fillings were eaten wrapped in tortillas. Friar Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish ethnographer, also wrote about many different kinds of tortillas based on corn (different colors including yellow, blue and white; small and large; thin and thick) during the time of the conquest, in his “General History of the Things in new Spain.” It wasn’t until the Spanish arrived that the flour tortilla came to be, as they are the ones who introduced wheat.

charred tomatoes
Add chopped roasted tomatoes. This is how they need to look, charred, juicy and mushy.

According to Jeffrey M. Pilcher, Mexican silver miners invented the taco, but he is most likely referring to the word. The word taco also refers to any small piece of material that can fit into a hole or gap, such as the pieces of paper wrapped around gun powder that were used to extract precious metals from ore, in that same shape. Workers in Mexican silver mines in the 18th century called their meals Tacos Mineros. Though there may be a link to the shape of the other kind of “tacos,” we know for a fact that edible tacos have existed for thousands of years before those.

chopped charred tomatoes
Did I say chop up the tomatoes?

So yes, indeed, there are Tacos Mineros, but there are also tacos for and of absolutely EVERYTHING else, including the Tacos de Albañíl, or Bricklayer-style Tacos, that I am here showing you how to make. They’ve been baptized as such, for they are quick to prepare, very filling and need nothing else to be added on the side or on top.

They can also be prepared on site in a comal and  can use any kind of available meat, as long as it is cut in small bite size pieces. Tacos de albañíl sellers can also be  found near construction sites. Just walk around Mexico City, or come over on a weeknight as it is also one of my family’s favorite fast meals. And you get to pick what kind of tortilla you want, flour or corn.

adding charred tomatoes to the bricklayer taco filling
Add to the mix and cook for a few more minutes.

Soft taco, crispy taco, hard shell taco (wish I didn’t have to say Taco Bell taco but we can’t ignore they have in a way helped to spread the word), puffy taco… I hope you add these Bricklayer-style Tacos to your collection of taco recipes.

finished bricklayer taco filling
You are done. Set it on the table.

Wait, you don’t have a taco recipe collection? Make this your first one!

bricklayer tacos
Warm up your choice of tortillas, corn or flour. And let everyone have a go!

bricklayer tacos
Print Recipe
4.67 from 6 votes

Bricklayer Tacos

I could write an endless post on all sorts of tacos and all they can do for you… But, if you want to feed your family a generous, satiating, and super tasty weeknight meal, make them bricklayer tacos. Step by step instructions follow below. But as I cook, let me quickly reflect on The Taco.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: bacon, beef, corn tortillas, flour tortillas, garlic, jalapeno, onion, Recipe, Taco, Tomatoes
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces bacon sliced
  • 2 pounds beef sirloin or tenderloin cut into 1-inch pieces
  • To taste kosher or sea salt
  • To taste freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups white onion slivered or sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 jalapeno chile sliced, seeding optional, or to taste
  • 1 pound ripe Roma tomatoes
  • Flour or corn tortillas

Instructions

  • Place tomatoes in a baking dish and under the broiler for 6 to 9 minutes, until charred, mushy and juices have begun to run. Once cool, roughly chop, but don’t discard the juices.
  • Heat the skillet, add the bacon and cook until it is crisp and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the meat and season with salt and pepper and sear for about 2 minutes per side.
  • Add in the onion and jalapeño and let them soften for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and before it browns, in less than a minute, add the chopped tomatoes. Stir here and there and let it all season for about 4 to 5 minutes.
  • In a skillet or comal, set over medium-low heat, heat the tortillas. It will take about 1 minute per side. Place the tortillas in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or cloth napkin.
  • Serve along with the tenderloin tips; guests can fill the tortillas with the amount of filling they desire.

Notes

Tacos al Albañil

Tortillas: Make Flour Tortillas at Home

Posted on by Pati Jinich

There are so many ways that you can have and enjoy tortillas de harina at home. You can make them the traditional way, the fast-track-modern way (if you have an electric tortilla maker such as the REVEL), or buy them ready made at the store. Different from corn tortillas, which rule Mexico’s south and are made with a base of nixtamalized corn, flour tortillas rule Mexico’s north and are wheat flour based. The latter also have an element of fat (either lard, vegetable shortening or oil) and are milder, sweeter and softer.

Sometimes both kinds of tortillas, flour and corn, work interchangeably for a dish, say cheese quesadillas or chicken tacos, and may depend on the preference of the eater. However, beware, there are other times when either the flour or corn tortilla should be the prime choice. Take Chilorio, it needs to be tucked in a flour tortilla. Yet any kind of enchiladas, enfrijoladas, or casserole must, REALLY MUST, be made with corn tortillas because they withhold the sauce much better than wheat flour ones, and sweetness may be uncalled for.

I have been surprised with how many requests I’ve received from people on how to make “good tasting,” “authentic homemade,” “white flour” tortillas, being both, that one can find them already made at the stores practically all over the US, and that it is time consuming. That, being said, the feel and taste of a homemade tortilla de harina does happen to be a galaxy away from a store bought one. So, if you can spare the time, and you like playing with your hands, give them a try.

As you will see, the trick is not only in the right amounts of ingredients, it’s also in the kneading and mostly in the cooking: don’t over cook them or they will lose ALL their appeal.

Of course, once you master the technique, you can flavor them with ingredients like fresh or dried chiles, tomatoes and even nopales. You can also experiment with making them using whole wheat flour, though I do prefer the plain, original taste.

homemade flour tortillas

homemade flour tortillas
Print Recipe
4.58 from 7 votes

Homemade Flour Tortillas

There are so many ways that you can have and enjoy tortillas de harina at home. You can make them the traditional way, the fast-track-modern way (if you have an electric tortilla maker such as the REVEL…), or buy them ready made at the store. Different from corn tortillas, which rule Mexico’s south and are made with a base of nixtamalized corn, flour tortillas rule Mexico’s north and are wheat flour based. The latter also have an element of fat (either lard, vegetable shortening or oil) and are milder, sweeter and softer.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Course: Antojos, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: flour tortillas, Recipe, tortilla
Servings: 18 to 20 tortillas
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 pound all-purpose flour or about 4 cups
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 2/3 cup vegetable shortening or lard
  • 1 cup lukewarm water

Instructions

Traditional Version:

  • In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and vegetable shortening with your hands until incorporated. Slowly incorporate water to the dough, until it can come together into a ball. Transfer to the counter and knead for about 2 to 4 minutes, until it is smooth like play dough. (You may do the same process in a food processor, pulsing until dough is incorporated!)
  • Divide into 18-20 ball shaped portions. Set them on a floured board or plate, cover them with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 25 to 35 minutes.
  • Heat your comal, or ungreased cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. On a floured surface roll out one of the balls with a rolling pin, rotating 5 or 6 times until you get a 6 to 7 inch circle. Lay tortilla on the already hot comal or skillet. You will hear a faint sizzle. After 30 to 40 seconds, when there are brown freckles on the bottom side and there is some puffing up in some areas of the tortilla, flip over. Cook for 30 to 40 seconds, until the other side is freckled and the tortilla puffs up, again, like pita bread. Don’t overcook, or they will become crisp and stiff (and lose all their appeal).
  • As they are ready, place in a tortilla warmer or clean kitchen towel. If you will not eat them within the hour, wrap them in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Reheat in a hot comal or skillet.

Fast-Track-Modern Version:

  • If you have an electric tortilla maker, such as the REVEL, instead of rolling them out with a rolling pin, place your flour dough balls in the tortilla maker, press for 1 to 2 seconds. This will roll and precook them; you will hear the hiss. Finish them off for about 30 seconds on each side on the comal or skillet, where they should also puff.

Easiest version:

  • Buy them already made at the store!

Notes

Tortillas de Harina

Do You Want it Red or White? Mexican Style Gefilte Fish

Posted on by Pati Jinich

My paternal grandmother, Bobe, used to make two kinds of gefilte fish every Friday: white or traditional and red or a la Veracruzana. The moment you sat down, she made you choose, “which do you want mamele, white or red?”

Invariably, after you chose, she’d ask, “you don’t like the way I make the other one?”

She’d barge in, make room on your plate and serve you the kind you hadn’t picked, right next to the one you had chosen. She’d wait for you to taste it and tell her how good the one you hadn’t chosen was. Then, she would eat right off your plate.

Having come from tiny shtetls in the polish countryside, both her and my grandfather arrived in Mexico so very young. Mexico gave them an opportunity to start a life away from pogroms.

They worked hard and made a simple but good life for themselves. Though they were humble, and without much savings, every Friday they had a bountiful table full of food for their three grown children and their families – all together there were ten granddaughters. Nope. Not a single grandson!

Mexico also brought so many flavors to Bobe’s traditional foods. At the table there was petchah (chicken foot jelly!) that could be garnished with a salsa verde cruda, gribenes (chicken cracklings) tucked into warm corn tortillas and a heaping spoonful of fresh guacamole, the crispiest potato kugel, a stew that always had falling apart meat and a soupy prune or carrot tzimes. To finish, it was her prized chocolate babka spiked with Mexican canela.

Yet, nothing beat her Mexican-style gefilte fish, aka the red one.

The red is different from the white in so many ways. The white, or traditional, is made by combining ground fish filets, white onion, carrots, eggs and matzo meal and shaping them into patties that are poached in a stock made with the head, tail, and bones of the fish. It is refrigerated, covered with this same fish stock, which turns gelatinous as it cools (a delicacy if you have the acquired taste!). It is served cold. The red has the same fish mixture, but it is poached in a thick and spiced up tomato sauce enriched with capers, green olives and mild pickled peppers. It is served hot. Everyone in my family is wild about it.

The red sauce is called Veracruzana because it comes from the state of Veracruz, which geographically seems to embrace the Gulf of Mexico. The Veracruzana sauce is traditionally served over large fish, and its flavors showcase the intermarriage of Spanish and Mexican ingredients that took place throughout the years of Spanish colonization. It was through the port of Veracruz that most European immigrants came into Mexico, like my Bobe.

One hell of a cook she was, with her treasured jar of shmaltz in the refrigerator ready to be scooped out and used on almost anything. She was as generous in her cooking as she was in life. After my parents divorced, when I was an early teen, she would put money in my backpack or my jacket, without me noticing, every time I visited. She knew I didn’t want to take it, as she didn’t have any extra to give out.

I never had the chance to serve Veracruzana, the red gefilte fish, from my kitchen to my Bobe. She passed away, just a couple months ago, and oh man, I wish I had. She would have been so proud. She would have probably asked me, “why, mamele, you didn’t like the white?”

My gefilte fish will always be for you, Bobe. And just so you know, I always make the red and the white. I miss you so bad.

Mexican Style Gefilte Fish
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

Mexican Style Gefilte Fish

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Jewish, Mexican
Keyword: capers, carrots, fish, flounder, Jewish Mexican, ketchup, matzo, olives, pepperoncini, Recipe, red snapper
Servings: 20 patties
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the fish patties:

  • 1 pound red snapper fillets no skin or bones
  • 1 pound flounder fillets no skin or bones
  • 1/2 white onion quartered, about 1/2 pound
  • 2 carrots peeled and roughly chopped, about 1/4 pound
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup matzo meal
  • 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper or to taste

For the red sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
  • 1/2 cup white onion chopped
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 3 cups fish broth or water
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper or to taste
  • 1 cup manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos
  • 8 pepperoncini peppers in vinegar brine or more to taste, chiles güeros en escabeche
  • 2 tablespoons capers

Instructions

To prepare the fish patty mixture:

  • Rinse the red snapper and flounder fillets under a thin stream of cool water. Slice into smaller pieces and place in the food processor. Pulse for 5-10 seconds until fish is finely chopped but hasn’t turned into a paste. Turn fish mixture into a large mixing bowl. Then place the onion, carrots, eggs, matzo meal, salt and white pepper into same bowl of the food processor. Process until smooth and turn into the fish mixture. Combine thoroughly.

To prepare the red sauce:

  • Heat the oil in a large cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, and let it cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent. Pour the crushed tomatoes into the pot, stir, and let the mix season and thicken for about 6 minutes. Incorporate 3 cups water, 2 tablespoons ketchup, salt and white pepper. Give it a good stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer while you roll the gefilte fish patties.
  • Place a small bowl with lukewarm water to the side of the simmering tomato broth. Start making the patties. I like to make them about 3” long, 2” wide and 1” high, in oval shapes. Wet your hands as necessary, so the fish mixture will not stick to your hands. As you make them, gently slide each patty into the simmering broth. Make sure it is simmering and raise the heat to medium if necessary to keep a steady simmer.
  • Once you finish making the patties, cover the pot and bring the heat to low. Cook them covered for 25 minutes. Take off the lid, incorporate the manzanilla olives, pepperoncini peppers and capers. Give it a gentle stir and simmer uncovered for 20 more minutes, so the gefilte fish will be thoroughly cooked and the broth will have seasoned and thickened nicely.
  • Serve hot with slices of challah and pickles.

Notes

Gefilte Fish a la Veracruzana

NPR Tell Me More: When Asian and Latin Food Collide

Posted on by Pati Jinich

I joined Indian-American cookbook author Anupy Singla to talk about the fusion of Latin and Asian food on NPR‘s Tell Me More, with host Celeste Headlee. I also gave them a taste of the Asian influence on Mexican cuisine with my Green Beans with Peanuts and Chile de Arbol. If you missed us on the radio, listen in right here…

For the recipe, click here.

A Taste of Barrio Chino: Green Beans with Peanuts and Chile de Arbol

Posted on by Pati Jinich

Before she died, my maternal grandmother, whom we called Lali (remember I’ve told you about her before?) gave me Gloria Miller’s Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. She was fascinated with Chinese cookery. She was also very good at it. What she loved the most were the stir-fry dishes: fast, tasty and healthy.

So, she bought herself a wok.

I couldn’t begin to count how many wok-made dishes I ate at her house during those long summers I visited her and my grandfather, after they moved to the Californian desert.

After she passed away, that wok found its way into my kitchen. I’ve cherished it. I’ve prized it. I haven’t used it! I’ve dragged it through so many house moves that I’ve also managed to lose its cord. It’s an electric wok. It’s real pretty, too. It’s hers. And in my mind, it is inseparable from her Miller’s cookbook, so I didn’t try to cook “her” Chinese dishes for years. And here and there, I’ve looked for that cord…

Fast-forward many, many years. You know I am on a continuous mission to find fascinating topics to teach for my culinary program at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC. As we planned this year’s classes, the topic came up: Asian Influence in Mexican cooking.

Map of Manila-Galeon trading route
{Photo courtesy, Wikimedia Commons}

As a former Mexican policy analyst, I am very familiar with the history of the 250 year-long Acapulco-Manila trading route, which connected China and Mexico early on. How tasty would it be to build a menu that showcased the influence of Asian populations in Mexico, and the beautiful fusions of their cuisines and ours?

The Chinese and the Filipinos were the first ones to come to Mexico, through that Acapulco-Manila trading route, which was the result of the Spaniards’ thirst for more than gold, for more than silver; it was their thirst to find what they called the “Spice Islands.” Find them, they did, in Manila.

For 250 years, huge Spanish-built Manila Galleon ships (known in Mexico as Naos de China) were the means of an incredibly rich exchange that forever changed the culture and cooking of Mexico and Asia. Through trips that lasted for more than six months and carried more than 600 people, in came silk, porcelain, exotic fruits and herbs, huge amounts of spices and new ways of preserving ingredients and cooking techniques; out went tomatoes, zucchini, corn, chiles, avocados, beans, Mexican herbs and many culinary traditions.

Spanish Galeon ship
{Photo courtesy, Wikimedia Commons}

Like many in the Chinese populations in Mexico, my grandmother was an immigrant. She moved to Mexico City from her native Austria, by boat as well, and in her kitchen, became fluent in bridging Austrian and Mexican food. Much in the same way that Chinese immigrants, have built bridges between their cuisine and Mexican food – adapting dishes to use ingredients from the nearest market (jícama instead of watercress, anyone?) and to please the tastes of their Mexican neighbors (chile peppers, please…). It seems to me that it was an understanding and solidarity amongst immigrants that inspired my grandmother’s great appreciation for Chinese cooking.

Well, not only was my grandmother fascinated with Chinese cooking, but a gazillion other Mexicans are, too. We visit Chinese restaurants and cafes, which are proliferated in Mexico City’s Barrio Chino (Chinatown) but even more in the state of Baja California. They tend to have the red lamps and paper dragons and optional chopsticks (thankfully, because as to this day, I haven’t learned to use them…embarrassing, I know) and they have coffee, if you would rather drink it, instead of tea.

This recipe for Green Beans with Cacahautes and Chile de Arbol is one of its highlights. Thanks to Miller’s basics, I could brush up on my stir-frying technique, so the dish turns out just like my grandmother liked her stir fries: tender, crunchy, fresh and full of flavor.

stir fried green beans with peanuts and chile de arbol

I added a double peanut layer, by using peanut oil, that becomes very nutty as the beans cook, as well as a healthy dose of garlic and chile de árbol. It’s become a staple at home.

And you know what? It turns out you don’t need a wok to make stir fries. You just need a thick pot that can withstand high heat and has a large surface: a la Mexican. I found out because, NO, I have not found that electric cord, and NO, I will not buy another wok. In my kitchen, it is only my grandmother’s wok that will remain king: If only in theory, until I find that electric cord…

stir fried green beans with peanuts and chile de arbol
Print Recipe
4.60 from 5 votes

Green Beans with Peanuts and Chile de Arbol

The topic of Asian influence in Mexican cooking turned out to be so fascinating to research, in and out of my kitchen, that I devoted an entire episode of my upcoming Third Season of Pati’s Mexican Table, on Public TV, to this menu. (Yey! It’s in production now. I will be able to share the sizzle reel soon, and it will air in January!) This recipe for Green Beans with Cacahautes and Chile de Arbol is one of its highlights. Thanks to Miller’s basics, I could brush up on my stir-frying technique, so the dish turns out just like my grandmother liked her stir fries: tender, crunchy, fresh and full of flavor.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese, Mexican
Keyword: chiles de arbol, green bean, Peanuts, Recipe, scallions, soy sauce, stir fry
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 pound green beans ends cut and diagonally sliced in about 2” pieces, or Chinese long beans
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
  • 4 garlic cloves minced or pressed
  • 3 to 4 chiles de arbol stemmed and thinly sliced
  • 4 to 6 scallions thinly sliced, light green and white parts only

Instructions

  • Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot, add the sliced green beans and cook, uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes until al dente, drain and set aside.
  • Combine the soy sauce, chicken broth, sugar and salt in a small bowl and mix well.
  • Heat the peanut oil over high heat in a large heavy skillet until hot but not smoking. Add the peanuts, stirring constantly, as they begin to fry for about 20 seconds. Beware, peanuts burn faster than you would think... so don't wait until they look browned. Add the garlic and the chiles de arbol, stir for about 10 seconds, and add the scallions and stir for another 10 to 15 seconds. Add the green beans, stir to combine all the ingredients and finally pour soy sauce mixture, let it all cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

Ejotes con Cacahuates y Chile de Arbol

Peanuts or Cacahuates

Posted on by Pati Jinich

When you don’t care much about something in Mexico, it is very popular to say “me importa un cacahuate” or “me vale un cacahuate.” This translates to something like “I don’t care enough” or “I couldn’t care less,” the word cacahuate being used for that “less or not enough.” That may be in regards to the tiny size of an individual peeled peanut, but ironically, cacahuates or peanuts mean a lot to Mexico and Mexicans.

Peanuts have been in Mexico’s culinary repertoire since Pre-Hispanic times. Though its origins can be traced to Southern Latin America, specifically Peru, and it is said to have been domesticated in Bolivia or Paraguay, when the Spanish arrived in Mexico they found it for sale in the street markets where it was a staple.

Used to snack on, be it raw, roasted, toasted, steamed, salted or spiced up and combined with other ingredients like in Pico de Gallo; as a thickener for Mole sauces or salsas, soups and stews; it’s oil extracted and used in and out of the kitchen; in “palanqueta” or bark form, entirely covered and hardened in some kind of a sweet and thick syrup and other sweets and even drinks! As times have moved on, the peanut not only remains central to our eating but also to our celebrating.

See me in the blue dress in the photo below?

Pati as a little girl eating peanuts

Me and my sister (on the right with the white sweater) are proudly carrying a bag of treasures gathered from a broken down piñata! Traditionally, piñatas have been filled with oranges to eat, fresh sugar cane pieces to suck, and peanuts to munch on. So, of course, kids run like crazy once the piñata breaks not to be hit hard and then run back like crazy once everything hits the floor. It is in more recent times that candy and toys have been added.

So smart to include peanuts for sure, healthy and entertaining to an extreme,  kids can spend hours cracking and peeling those peanuts. What’s more, they are incredibly nutritious. Rich in niacin, Vitamin E, fiber, proteins and many other nutrients, it is full of antioxidants and it is free, naturally of trans-fats and sodium.

Another irony is that peanuts, one of the most popular “nut” in the world, are actually not from the “nut” family. The peanut is a legume from a small flowering plant, and it grows in a really strange way: once the flower is pollinated, it gets heavier  and leans toward the ground where it pushes its heavy, woody seed underground and grows into a legume pod with beans inside, in this case, peanuts.

peanuts

The odd way peanuts grow is said to have confused the Spaniards who couldn’t figure out how the flower and legume could be in different places. In fact, the Náhuatl word given to it by the Aztecs was “cacahuatl,” meaning cocoa bean from the earth.

The Spanish and Portuguese took the peanuts to other parts of the world, including Africa, and it was by means of the slave trade that they came into the United States. No wonder some people think that peanuts come from Africa. Ingredients find a funny and fascinating way to move around the globe.

Although the peanuts were used thoroughly in Mexican kitchens before the Spanish arrived, it was the Spanish nuns that gave the peanuts a sweeter use in the convent kitchens, creating all sorts of marzipans, pastries and cookies. Peanuts were a replacement for almonds, which they had been accustomed to using in Spain.

Peanuts are a key ingredient in modern Mexican cooking, used in more and more ways as time goes by.

There is just something a little more sweet or fresh about peanuts cooked from their raw state, especially if you have monsters you need to keep busy and you need to peel a few dozens. You can look for un-shelled, raw, skinless peanuts in your local natural foods store or mainstream stores too. However, sometimes they are tricky to find raw. You can use roasted instead. You can also use roasted or raw already shelled  unsalted peanuts.

It’s best to store peanuts in an airtight container. They will keep in your pantry for up to a month or in your freezer for six months.  Do watch out though, if left unattended or not properly sealed, their delicious fresh and almost sweet taste can turn bitter, old and unpleasant.

Aside from being careful with not letting them age or get bitter if bought on the shell, you may want to start stuffing them in your own piñatas.

Hearty Bean & Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Posted on by Pati Jinich

One of the things that I’m most enthusiastic about in what I do is breaking down myths about Mexican food and also about Mexicans. One of the biggest misconceptions is that Mexican food is greasy, fatty, cheesy and overloaded in heavy amounts of condiments. Some of the dishes that crossed the Mexican border and have become popular in the US, have been re-interpreted and promoted by the US fast food industry. Yet, mega burrito bombs, nachos smothered in cheese, and sizzling fajitas with scoops of sour cream on top are things you will have a really hard time finding in Mexico.

One thing that surprises people who delve a bit more into the Mexican culinary world is how crazy we are about salads. Not taco salads, no, no, no… Wholesome salads that use vegetables and beans and grains and flowers and all kinds of dried chiles and herbs…

It may be that the Mexican use of the word salad “ensalada” doesn’t help much to spread this good information because we usually call “ensalada” when there is lettuce or leafy greens in it. This leaves out chayote en vinagre, calabacitas en escacheche (pickled zucchini salad), nopalitos, and a gazillion other salads named simply by their main ingredient.

Mexican salads are so fascinating that I dedicated an entire chapter to them in my cookbook. They tend to be easy to make, and there always tends to be something exotic or interesting going on. A hibiscus flower vinaigrette, crunchy and watery jícama, or quickly pickled ancho chiles, super crispy and sweet garnishes like caramelized pecans or peanuts, spiced pepitas, or toasted sunflower seeds, just to name some.

Salads are usually dressed up in an oil and vinegar treatment, and Mexican cooks get very creative with them. We whip up vinaigrettes quickly, either in the blender or simply shaking them up in a jar. After they are made they can be refrigerated and re-used, with just a re-shake to emulsify. Every Mexican home that I know, has their home staple vinaigrettes of choice.

Pick a flavor of your choice: say, cilantro! Fresh, grassy, strong.

cilantro

Don’t like cilantro? Pick another one, such as chives, tarragon, mint, parsley… a combination of many.

But stick with me on cilantro for this one. This is one of my regular vinaigrettes. All you do is add the ingredients in a blender, puree, done. Don’t be deterred. In less time than it takes to run to the store for a bottle, you have a tastier one made at home.

cilantro vinaigrette

You can use it in a regular green salad, over tomato and mozzarella, soaking up other cooked vegetables like green beans or asparagus and sprinkled with fresh cheese. I tried it with this combination of corn, hearts of palm and black and garbanzo beans, and we all went wild over it. So many textures, so many flavors, so many colors, so very playful.

It can be your main dish, anytime of the year, with some crusty bread on the side. It can also be a great side salad for your barbecues and picnics in the summertime.

bean and corn salad

bean and corn salad
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

Hearty Bean & Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Salads are usually dressed up in an oil and vinegar treatment, and Mexican cooks get very creative with them. We whip up vinaigrettes quickly, either in the blender or simply shaking them up in a jar. After they are made they can be refrigerated and re-used, with just a re-shake to emulsify. Every Mexican home that I know, has their home staple vinaigrettes of choice. Pick a flavor of your choice: say, cilantro! Fresh, grassy, strong.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: bell peppers, black beans, chickpeas, cilantro, Corn, garbanzo beans, hearts of palm, Recipe, red onion, red wine vinegar, salad, vinaigrette
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 1 15.5oz can black beans drained and rinsed, or 1 ¾ cups black beans from the pot , drained
  • 1 15.5oz can garbanzo beans or chickpeas drained and rinsed, or 1 ¾ cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1 15.2oz can corn drain and rinsed, or 1 ¾ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels cooked
  • 1 14oz can hearts of palm rinsed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and upper stems, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove peeled
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or more to taste

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a blender and puree until smooth. You may make the vinaigrette up to a week ahead and store covered in the refrigerator. If made ahead, whisk with a fork or whisk to re-emulsify prior to using. You may also shake it in the covered container.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, garbanzo beans, corn, red bell pepper and red onion. Pour vinaigrette and combine well. Add hearts of palm, gently toss and serve.

Notes

Ensalada de Frijol, Garbanzo y Elote con Vinagreta de Cilantro

Vinaigrette: How to Emulsify

Posted on by Pati Jinich

We’ve all heard that word here and there: “emulsify.” Why do we need to emulsify a vinaigrette? It is simple, emulsify is just a sophisticated word used for saying that you are making ingredients that would not naturally mix together, like water (or vinegar or wine or citrus juice) and oil, come together. And we do want them to come together so that when we add the vinaigrette to a salad or a dish, we’ll be able to taste their combination and not their disparate routes. If you don’t make them mix, you may get one forkful of unappetizing oil-covered greens, and another that tastes overly acidic, making your eyes squint.

To make them mix, or to emulsify, all you need to do is whisk with a fork or whisk or puree in a blender. By mixing fast, the oil breaks into the tiniest of droplets so that it has no choice but to mingle with the other ingredients. However, as it is natural, with the passing of time, the oil will separate again.

In my kitchen, as in most Mexican kitchens, most of my vinaigrettes are oil based. I usually do a ratio of 1 vinegar (or citrus or fruit juice) to 2 or 3 of oil, depending on how acidic my vinegar or juices are and if I am adding other things.

The French are keen on emulsifying with a whisk; it is effective as its many loops help achieve a faster emulsification than a fork. But the most common way to do it in a Mexican home, is to either add all the ingredients in a jar and shake it like mad, or, if there are solid ingredients like herbs, onion or garlic, for example, to puree in a blender. Forget all that mincing.

You know a vinaigrette is emulsified when it tastes homogenous, when you can’t feel the oil separated from the rest. A common vinaigrette, like my cilantro one above, when ready, will look a bit cloudy, frothy, and slightly thickened.

If you make a vinaigrette ahead of time, emulsify and then taste to see if it’s missing anything. You can store it in the refrigerator for later use, but just remember to give it a good shake before you pour it onto anything.

Salads are sometimes dressed with a few drops of vinegar and oil separately. But, the reward for taking the extra step to emulsify is the balance of flavors that come together and don’t reach for separate routes once in your mouth.

Sean’s Cheesy Chipotle Pork Sliders with Avocado Spread

Posted on by Pati Jinich

It was my friend Tamara´s birthday party. Her husband, Sean, an American who speaks and acts like a Mexico City native (says a Mexico City native), made the dinner for the 40+ guests. The guests were drinking, eating and laughing until their stomachs were hurting, usual for their home. Sean came up to me when he saw me walk in, gave me a plate, placed two of these sliders on and said, “You are going to like these.”

I ate one. YUM.
I said, “There’s chipotle in them!”
I ate two. OMG.
I said, “I can take that platter”, and ate the remaining four. Of course, he was grilling some more.

No, I didn’t even try his Asian tuna sliders. No, I didn’t try his regular cheeseburger sliders. No, of course, I didn’t try his vegetarian sliders. All I wanted were these Chipotle Pork Sliders. I was hooked.

After I had my fill, I told Sean I had to post his recipe on my blog, as I was sure you all would love them just like I did. He obliged, and I tested his recipe many times giving it a few tweaks (hey, you know, I can’t help myself). I added a bit of onion, garlic and oregano to the meat mix and more chipotle (come on Sean, you talk like a Mexican!). I took some of the mayo out of the avocado spread and added the refreshing chives.

It’s what happens when you share recipes: they’re not yours anymore. They’re under the domain of the recipients who can do whatever they want with them. You killed yourself to make the best-ever sandwich and you hate mustard? Well, the next person printing your recipe may think all the sandwich needs is a little, or a lot of, mustard. I know this to be true, for I’ve heard from many of you wonderful personal touches and spins on my recipes through the comments on this blog. That’s the beauty of passing down recipes!

If you don’t go head over heels over these sliders, tweak them, and go ahead, make them your very own. The underlying notes for these sliders, for me, are: meat, especially pork, and chipotle are heavenly together; the melted cheese adds a rich welcome layer (all of my boys thought so too), and the avocado spread brings in a creaminess and freshness to everything inside that soft bun, it brightens it up (one of my beastly beasts skipped the avocado part, see? oh well..).

Sean uses brioche buns, which have a light sweetness and a soft and fluffy bite. If you find them, great! If you don’t, any mini hamburger buns work just fine. And then again, you may decide to turn these sliders into jumbo size burgers.

Want to go crazy? Top with crumbles of chorizo!

Sean's Cheesy Chipotle Chorizo Sliders

Sean's Cheesy Chipotle Sliders
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Sean’s Cheesy Chipotle Pork Sliders with Avocado Spread

If you don’t go head over heels over these sliders, tweak them, and go ahead, make them your very own. The underlying notes for these sliders, for me, are: meat, especially pork, and chipotle are heavenly together; the melted cheese adds a rich welcome layer (all of my boys thought so too), and the avocado spread brings in a creaminess and freshness to everything inside that soft bun, it brightens it up (one of my beastly beasts skipped the avocado part, see? oh well..).
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Avocado, burger, chipotles in adobo, lime, mayonnaise, Monterrey Jack cheese, Muenster cheese, pati's mexican table, pork
Servings: 16 sliders
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
  • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped or pressed in garlic press
  • 3 tablespoons sauce from chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce seeded and finely chopped, more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil to grease the grill
  • 1 large Mexican avocado halved, pit removed
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
  • 8 slices Monterey Jack or Muenster cheese
  • 16 mini brioche or mini hamburger buns

Instructions

  • Prepare your grill or grill pan over medium heat. While it heats, in a large mixing bowl mix the pork with the onion, garlic, adobo sauce, chipotle chile in adobo sauce, oregano, salt and pepper until well combined. With your hands (I find it helpful if hands are wet), make 16 round patties, about 3/4-inch thick, and place them on a baking sheet or platter.
  • In a medium-mixing bowl, place the avocado pulp and mash with a fork until smooth. Combine with the mayonnaise, lime juice, chives and salt, blend well. Set aside.
  • Once the grill or grill pan is hot, brush generously with olive oil. Place the patties on the grill and flip after 3 to 4 minutes. If adding cheese, place a thin slice of cheese on the already grilled side of the patties. Cook for another 4 minutes.
  • A couple minutes before the patties are ready, place the opened hamburger buns on the upper part of the grill (or after you remove the patties, will be fine too!), and let them warm up.
  • Slather a generous tablespoon or so of the avocado spread on the bottom bun, place a patty on top, and put on the top part of the bun. Eat them while hot!

Notes

Hamburguesitas de Cerdo con Chipotle, Queso y Crema de Aguacate

Lime Squeezer or Exprimidor de Limón

Posted on by Pati Jinich

If you were to ask me what cooking tool I could not live without, I would tell you it’s my Mexican-style lime squeezer.

Limes are one of the most iconic ingredients of Mexican cooking. Not lemons, limes! To me, limes have a much more concentrated citrus punch, and I like the fresh juice. I have a deep disregard for pre-squeezed lime juice bottles sold at the stores; they taste like airplane food.

What’s complicated about squeezing a fresh lime? Nothing much really. But when you use as many as I do, this squeezer is a delight: gets as much juice as the lime has in a snap, feels heavy and powerful in your hand, and it is easy to maintain and keep clean.

My lime squeezer is as common as common gets. You can find one easily in just about any Mexican kitchen. It is made of cast aluminum, which resists corrosion from the acidic juices. It is super simple to use: open it up, place a halved lime cut side down and just squeeze the juice wherever you want it to go, directly over food or into a bowl or measuring cup. Close and squeeze the long handles that give you leverage to extract all the juice and that’s that. Since it is so big, it works with lemons too. Continue for more information and photos.

Here’s a photo of my lime squeezer…

And from the other side…

lime squeezer back view

Up close you can see the perforated bottom that strains the juice from the pulp…

lime squeezer up close view

Here it is, with a big and juicy Mexican lime half ready to go…

lime squeezer with big Mexican lime ready to squeeze

And squeeze…look at all the juice coming out!

lime squeezer with lime juice dripping out

If you have limes or lemons that are tough and resist being juiced, here’s a hint: roll the lime or lemon, pressing down firmly with the palm of your hand, on a hard countertop until the pulp is softened. This will losen it up and make it easier to squeeze.

Fortunately, cast aluminum Mexican-style lime squeezers like mine are pretty ubiquitous these days and can be found in many department stores and big box stores that sell cookware. If you run into trouble finding one there, a boutique kitchen store is a good bet, or you can look on the Internet.

You will find all kinds of lime squeezers, colorful plastic ones, round ones, electric ones, even squeezers that resemble pliers. Any of these will work, but I stand by my handheld lime squeezer. It works like new even though I’ve had it forever! What’s more, it has bigger holes than usual so more juice comes out faster. Plus, my mom gave it to me, it aged with her and now it is aging with me.

Dream Big: Tres Leches and Strawberry Jello

Posted on by Pati Jinich

Red, green, orange, blue… and all the colors you can dream up! Vanilla, cajeta, jamaica, chocolate, coffee, fruits, nuts… and just about any flavor you may crave. Smooth or chunky, creamy or foamy, heavy or light… choose any texture you like. Wait! We haven’t even gotten into shapes. Did you say your son likes Spiderman, your mom likes flowers or you want to go for a simple 2 layer design?

If you haven’t fallen for Jello, then you haven’t tried those in the Mexican repertoire. Forget about the 1950s-style-jello salads. Forget about the Jello you’ve seen people eat, or you may have eaten, in hospitals, too.

Mexican Jello is something to celebrate, to showcase, to boast about.

Gelatinas, in Spanish, many times come in individual servings with different flavors stacked in bright and colorful layers. Sold by street vendors who carry them in see through 2 to 3 tier covered stands, they are a common site in gas stations where cars wait for their turn and passersby can’t help but be tempted. Now you know why I always tagged along with my dad to fill up the tank!

It’s hard to show up at a kids party in Mexico and not see them. You will run into more sophisticated versions of them, standing tall, firm and proud at grown up parties, maybe with generous splashes of rum, tequila or rompope in their mix. There are simpler Jello creations brightening shelves at bakeries and grocery stores, too. In fact, Jello is such a big thing, that some cooks have elevated it to a complex art form with floral and abstract designs.

Most importantly, home-made Jello is a staple dessert in people’s homes. It is simple, easy to make and healthy: it can be tailored to use fresh seasonal ingredients.

The secret to this infinitum of possibilities with Jello is unflavored gelatin, which can be found in just about any grocery store: here and in China. Pick any ingredient, any flavor, and you can turn it into Jello.

Since I am going all out here, plus it is almost my son Juju’s birthday, I decided to translate one of our favorite cakes into Jello. Yup!

Remember Tres Leches Cake? Well, the first layer of my Spring-Time and Almost-Juju’s-Birthday-Jello is a Tres Leches Jello. Whole milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk turned into Jello (just follow my super simple recipe below!). The milks are quickly simmered to thicken, the result: rich, almost custardy like and so creamy.

I love serving Tres Leches Cake with strawberries, and Juju happens to be wild about strawberries, so my next layer has them. It is a Tres Leches Cake with strawberries in Jello form. Fully. And decadently.

strawberry jello mixture in cups

I have the berries swimming in a a Jello mix made with cranberry juice. It gives that layer a bright punch, a kick of refreshing tartness and more shine, which counterbalances the creamy Tres Leches layer.

I didn’t add any sugar to that fruit layer, because the Tres Leches layer has all the sweetness I think it needs. Plus, you are eating them together, one on top of the other.

Since you can do almost anything you want (no joke!) with Jello, I played and alternated. Some Jellos started with the Tres Leeches layer and others with the fruity one.

I chose plastic cups, because they are practical, you can see through, making it more colorful and irresistible. As a bonus, the servings are already pre measured. But you can choose many kinds of molds, individual or not.

Tres leches and Strawberry Jello on Tray

It’s a good idea to place all your cups in a baking tray or sheet pan, so that when you move them in and out of the refrigerator they won’t shake much. You don’t have to take so many trips either.

So you prepare your mixes, in a snap. Pour your first layer and refrigerate until it firms up, then pour the second layer and let it firm up again.  You can go crazy and make thick layers, thin layers, 2 layers or 10 layers!

Tres Leches and Strawberry Jello side view on tray

Sometimes experiments in the kitchen are a total failure and you just have to pick up the pieces and move on. But sometimes, it takes a few tries to get it right (this one took three tries!) and when you nail it, they become a treasure to share. If you feel you are onto something, don’t give up on the first try. Go for it, find a treasure and share it.

Here, this is a treasure I sought and found, and now it is yours too.

Print Recipe
4.41 from 5 votes

Tres Leches and Strawberry Jello

If you haven’t fallen for Jello, then you haven’t tried those in the Mexican repertoire. Forget about the 1950s-style-jello salads. Forget about the Jello you’ve seen people eat, or you may have eaten, in hospitals, too. Mexican Jello is something to celebrate, to showcase, to boast about.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: evaporated milk, gelatin, jello, pati's mexican table, strawberries, Sweetened Condensed Milk, tres leches
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the tres leches jello:

  • 1 cup whole milk or 2 percent
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin or about 2 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water

For the strawberry jello:

  • 2 cups cranberry or pomegranate juice
  • 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin or 2 about tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 1/2 pound strawberries stemmed, rinsed and quartered

Instructions

To prepare the tres leches jello:

  • Bring 1 cup whole milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low and allow milk to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium high to return to a simmer, then reduce to medium low and let simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl.
  • *Pour 1/2 cup lukewarm water into a medium bowl and add 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin. Stir until well combined, then let rest until the mixture puffs up (it will increase slightly in volume and appear as if it’s solidifying) – approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Fill a small saucepan with up to 2-3 inches of water, and bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Place the bowl with the puffed-up gelatin mixture onto the saucepan with the simmering water. Let it rest there, stirring occasionally, until the gelatin is completely dissolved and the mixture has a barely amber color – approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Pour the dissolved gelatin into the tres leches mixture and stir to combine.

To prepare the strawberry jello:

  • Pour the juice on to a large mixing bowl. Repeat step with * above. Pour the dissolved gelatin into the juice and stir to combine.

To layer your tres leches and strawberry jello:

  • In 6-8oz plastic cups or single-portion gelatin molds, use a liquid measuring cup or small pitcher to fill about 1/3 of the cup with tres leches mixture. Place the cups into the refrigerator until it solidifies (appears solid and does not slosh when moved), about 20 to 30 minutes. Do not put your remaining Tres Leches mix and juice mix in the refrigerator.
  • Remove from the refrigerator and pour juice mixture on top to fill about another 1/3 of the cup and add some strawberry pieces. Return to the refrigerator and let it set for about 20 to 30 minutes.
  • You are at free will to play with your combinations! You can decide how many layers (one or ten!) and how thick or thin you want to make them. You can choose which flavor you want to start with or if you want to alternate. Continue until you are done using all of the flavored mixes. When done, return to the refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap and let chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
  • If you want to use a large 8 to 10 serving mold, fill with Tres Leches mix and refrigerate until set. Then pour strawberry mixture on top along with the fruit. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before unmolding. It should be firm and not feel sticky or sag and should slide easily out of the mold with a few gentle shakes.
  • Hint: If your Jello mixtures start to solidify while you are waiting for layers to set in the refrigerator, not to worry! Adding a little at a time, stir water into the mixture until it becomes more liquid.

Notes

Gelatina de Tres Leches con Fresas

Unflavored Gelatin: How to Use

Posted on by Pati Jinich

Are you tired of the clumps and lumps when you make your own flavored Jello? Yes? No? What?! You don’t make your own flavored Jello? You should! It is healthier than the already flavored ones sold at the store and you can decide what ingredients go in it! It is tastier, exactly for the same reason; since you can choose your flavors, you can choose your own favorite ones.

Many cooks complain about the clumping when mixing unflavored gelatin with any liquid in order to be able to use it. Yet there is a fast and simple technique that provides a smooth and seamlessly effective gelatin base that will add volume and will help solidify any liquid that you may want to turn into Jello.

Note: You can find unflavored gelatin as easily as finding flour or sugar. It will be located in the baking section of your grocery store and is usually sold as a dry powder in packets or in a dry leaf form. I use the dry powder, which is most common. Make sure to buy “unflavored” gelatin.

unflavored gelatin

Powdered gelatin looks like small granules, almost crystal looking, see photo above. The first thing you want to do is hydrate the gelatin by combining it with lukewarm water in a bowl – use the amounts specified in the recipe you are preparing like this one for Tres Leches and Strawberry Jello. Stir, and you will see the gelatin granules puff up.

water and unflavored gelatin powder mixture

Stir it a couple times more, and after 3 to 5 minutes, you will see the granules absorb the water almost entirely.

puffed up water and unflavored gelatin mixture

It is all absorbed, but now you need to completely dilute those puffed up gelatin granules, so that you don’t feel them when you eat your Jello and so that this gelatin base will act throughout the entire dessert.

To do this, your second step is to heat up water (up to halfway in depth) in a small sauce pan and bring it to a medium simmer. Place your bowl with the puffed up gelatin on top (make sure that the bowl is larger than the head of the saucepan for sure), making a double boiler or water bath, and let it heat up for about 5 minutes, stirring here and there.

gelatin dissolving over heat in double boiler

Remove from heat when the gelatin has completely dissolved into a barely amber and almost clear liquid.

completely dissolved gelatin ready to add to your liquid flavor mixture

It’s ready to add to your fruit puree or any flavor mixture you’ve dreamed up.

Jello Molds or Moldes Para Gelatina

Posted on by Pati Jinich

Jello molds or moldes para gelatina are as versatile as Jello desserts themselves. Plastic, metal, ceramic, stoneware, porcelain, glass and silicone are all suitable materials for molding Jello. They can vary from multiserving ring molds to individual portions in plastic cups or ramekins (even water glasses or anything you can pour a drink onto!) or in silicon molds shaped like anything from pyramids to cartoon characters. It’s important to make sure your molds are heat-tolerant to avoid warping when using hot liquids.

I tend to make my Jellos in clear and simple plastic cups like the ones you’d see on street stands in Mexico. It is simple, fast and you can see through all the colors and layers of your creations without having to unmold the Jello. It is also great for kids because they can just eat the Jello right out the cup. Also, in a way, servings are pre-measured.

But if you want to be artistic with the shapes, aside from the flavors of your Jello creations, the newest molds are made of high-quality silicone and come in elaborate shapes.

See below all the choices I could gather for individual servings of Jello.

There are also large molds that can be used. Same applies as above. I even have one that comes from my mother-in-law’s kitchen, which was made in the 60’s especially for Jello. Yes, it’s true!  See the green retro mold below? It is plastic, in the shape of a traditional Mexican large Jello. It has a lid to cover the Jello as it sits and settles in the refrigerator, and it has a conveniently located tight-fitting lid on the top that makes it easy to unmold the gelatin as you flip it over. Both lids help keep other savory smells from the refrigerator from slipping into your sweet Jello. If you like vintage items, plastic molds are the way to go. They come in a wide variety of shapes and are fun to search for on Etsy or at yard sales, Goodwill, and antique shops.

You can also use metal round, tube or bundt cake pans. They work beautifully to make layered ring-molded gelatins too.

large Jello or gelatina molds

You should be able to find ring-shaped molds and individual-portion molds at your local cookware store. But the internet is also a great resource for more variety, especially if you are looking for artfully shaped silicone molds or retro plastic molds.

When it is time to unmold your Jello, the most important thing is to make sure your gelatin has had sufficient time to chill (at least 2 hours in the refrigerator) and is completely set – it should be firm and not feel sticky or sag. Once set, it should slide out of the inverted mold easily with a few gentle shakes side to side. If your Jello is acting stubborn and seems too attached to the mold, try either carefully running a wet small knife (with warm water) around the top edge of the mold to loosen or filling a shallow pan or sink with warm water (but not hot!) and dipping the mold in just to the rim for 10 to 20 seconds to help loosen it up.

The Chicago Tribune: Passover steeped in Mexican flavors

Posted on by Pati Jinich

“Passover celebrates the Hebrews’ flight from Egypt to freedom more than 3,000 years ago. Jews around the world will remember that exodus at sundown March 25 with a ritual dinner, or Seder. And what’s on the table will tell a story of its own, one based on faith, tradition and family.

Pati Jinich will gather her husband and three sons at their home in Drummond, Md., for a meal that reflects their story as Mexican Jews, a tiny religious minority, an estimated 40,000 people, in a country that is overwhelmingly Christian.

‘I was one of three Jews in a class of 120 kids,’ Jinich recalls in an email. But since her family was not very involved in Mexico City’s Jewish community, she felt ‘sort of not from here and not from there’…”

To read the entire article, click here.

NBC Today: Culinary Melting Pot

Posted on by Pati Jinich

It was a great morning on the Today Show making and eating Molletes! Natalie Morales helped me mix up some traditional Pico de Gallo to top the molletes; we also had an array of tasty toppings, like chorizo, bacon and sauteed mushrooms to choose from. Lish from their amazing cooking team had the fantastic idea to top one off with a fried egg to make a delicious breakfast mollete.

Watch my segment right here…

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

To get the recipes, click here.

Heritage Radio Network: Hot Grease Show

Posted on by Pati Jinich

Listen in on my interview with the sassy Nicole Taylor for her very cool radio show “Hot Grease” on the Brooklyn-based Heritage Radio Network! We had a great conversation about misconceptions of Mexican food in America and essential Mexican ingredients…and some other things: listen on!

To listen to my segments, click here.
To listen to the entire episode, click here.

Cajeta: Make it at Home

Posted on by Pati Jinich

For years, I’ve managed to turn every Mexican vacation into a working trip. As soon as I touch Mexican soil, I set up interviews, plan research tours, library searches, cooking adventures, all the while trying to tweet and instagram. And facebook, pinterest and blog too… My appetite expands outrageously as if giving me a chance to try all that my eyes can see and my mind can gather. Even with the best of intentions to relax and disconnect, they only last so long.

My family had been enthusiastic about it until recently: my husband announced last summer he’s had it. He won’t travel with me to Mexico when he wants us to vacation, together.

So when I suggested we go visit for the December holidays, he said “no, no, no Pati, you can’t control yourself there.”  I kept pursuing Mexico because I missed it so bad, seeking out a place where I wouldn’t be tempted to work. San Miguel de Allende sounded like just the spot.

San Miguel is a beautiful colonial town in the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico. It’s artsy, has a ton of history, gorgeous views of the mountains, quaint hotels and shops. There are a bunch of activities to do with the boys. But mostly, to my knowledge, it doesn’t have any regional food specialties to incite me to work. With this, I convinced him it was the perfect place to relax and, when it came to food, just enjoy it for once.

San Miguel is only a few hours by car from Mexico City, where we’d be picking up my mom who’d be joining us for a few days. It was in looking at the map to plan our drive that I noticed the city of Celeya is only a stone’s throw from San Miguel.

Oops!

Celeya is the birthplace of Cajeta: one of the most irresistible of Mexican sweets. I have wanted to go since I was like 5 years old.

Big OOPS!

I tried to contain my very desperate need to go to Celaya the first day we were in San Miguel. As I got out of bed on the second day, the escapade to Celaya was already on the works.

cajeta 1

Cajeta is a caramel-like concoction, yet more milky and silky, and with a deep, rustic and almost nutty flavor. It’s Mexico’s version of Dulce de Leche, yet we pride ourselves in that Cajeta came to be long before Dulce de Leche and we tend to make ours with goat’s milk (or a combination of goat and cow’s milk) rather than only cow’s milk and ours has a much more intricate and richer taste.

Thankfully, the dynamic woman in charge of San Miguel tourism office has friends and family in Celaya. She knew who to ask and help organize exactly where to go: La Tradicional de Salgado.

cajeta 2

The storefront has sweets made with or combined with Cajeta along with other traditional sweets. The side of the store, is reserved for Cajeta.

At La Tradicional, Cajeta continues to be made the way they started making it in 1860, which happens to be the most traditional way. They make a small quantity, which is sold immediately after, and sometimes even before, it is bottled.

cajeta 3

They have Cajeta de Vainilla (vanilla flavored and the lightest in color), Cajeta Quemada (translates to burnt and it is the darkest in color and flavor), and Cajeta Envinada (translates to flavored with wine but rather than wine it is flavored  with rum).

As the manager Andrés López explained, all Cajetas at La Tradicional begin the same, yet they don’t end the same.

cajeta 4

They all start with 40 liters of fresh goat milk poured into a gigantic copper pot and mixed with brown sugar. It is then brought to a steady simmer at 120 degrees for most of the cooking time. If it will be vanilla flavored, then vanilla extract gets added. If it will be Envinada, then a generous splash of rum goes in.  If it will be burnt, it is just like the vanilla one, yet it is cooked double the time (about 9 hours instead of 4 or 5), to achieve a much more concentrated flavor and thicker consistency: to the point where if it was left to simmer for a minute longer it would practically burn.

cajeta 5

They always use those copper pots that get cleaned after each use and gigantic wooden spatulas. No metal spoons or utensils to stir the milk, as copper is a very reactive material and Cajeta a sensitive product.

Those wooden spatulas are used to stir the milk regularly as it cooks down. The heat is left at a steady temperature to have a consistent medium simmer, adjusting the temperature as the Cajeta reduces.

They know Cajeta is ready first, by judging for the design it leaves on the wooden tool: see the waves above? They have to show up after you stir and raise the spatula. Also, the mixture has to be thicker, like caramel! Lastly, as you stir the pot with the wooden spatula, there has to be a delayed trail behind the spatula, that allows you to see the bottom of the pot if only for an instant.

cajeta 6

The Cajeta is left to gently cool. The glass jars are filled up, immediately closed and turned upside down. This creates a vacuum seal.

cajeta 7

At La Tradicional, they switched the bottle design 30 years ago. It used to be plain and round. They wanted a change that made it look a bit more dressy. I say they look pretty dressed up!

cajeta 8

We tasted all the Cajetas and so many sweets. We stirred the pots, with our heads covered in protective nets and talked to everyone in the store. We all came out with our very favorite one and Juju managed to eat an entire small jar of the vanilla kind, by the spoonful.

As we walked outside, we found a city brimming with food wonders. We ate some of the best Empanadas we have ever tried in a place that had, oh, about, 100 people waiting in line: there were about 30 different kinds! Half a block ahead we ate some outrageous Gorditas, thin and large, they were stuffed with either spicy queso fresco or Almidón (which I had never tried: the inner part of the Chicharrón). Our Celaya hosts brought Duraznos Prensados (Sweet pressed apricots) for us to try as well as Pastes (gummy-jelly soft squares) with such exotic flavors as guava and Rompope.

One of the biggest treats: see that red stand in that photo above? The woman in charge was selling Celaya made copper pots, one more beautiful than the other. After much chatting and measuring the different sizes, I bought my very own, which I carried all the way back to DC, to start making this Cajeta below, so that you can also, make your very own.

cajeta 9

Here we go!

There’s my big copper pot, but you can use any wide bottomed and tall pot. Goat’s milk (you can choose to combine it with or use all cow’s milk, but goat’s milk gives it that delicious musky flavor…), dark brown sugar (or shredded piloncillo) and Mexican vanilla.

Also, add baking soda: it helps the final sweet to not have any lumps and it enhances the brown color. This coloring effect is called a Maillard reaction, as described by Merriam-Webster dictionary, it is “a nonenzymatic reaction between sugars and proteins that occurs upon heating and that produces browning of some foods.”

cajeta 10

Bring it all to medium simmer, over a steady medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir occasionally.

Cajeta 11

After hours you can see how much the mixture has reduced and the more it reduces the more the simmer will increase even if you maintain it in the same level of heat, so you have to moderate and reduce the heat.

cajeta 12

You know when to stop, when the Cajeta has thickened like caramel, its drops take their time to let go of the wooden spoon once it is raised, once you see a delayed trail in the bottom of the pot as you gently move the spoon across the pot and you can see the bottom if only for a second, and the Cejeta leaves wavy marks on the spoon.

cajeta 13

Also, your house must be smelling like heaven by now.

cajeta 14

Let it cool, and take note that it will thicken as it cools.

Pour it all in a large jar that will hold at least three cups.

Cajeta 15

I liked these photos, so I kept taking more and more… see the color of the sun hitting the pot and the Cajeta? The light  couldn’t have been more generous that afternoon…

cajeta 16

And there you go…

cajeta 17

Cajeta is not only decadent, luxurious, with a perfectly balanced sweetness and a silky texture, it is also ideal for using with… everything! Crepes, chocoflan, to smear on pound cake, to dip fruit such as strawberries or bananas in. Wait! There’s more! You can make cute little cookie sandwiches (with Maria cookies, graham crackers or vanilla wafers, you can make smoothies and milk shakes, ice creams and glazes. The best way of all: just dip a big tablespoon and lick it off.

And now that I remember, our friends in Celaya told us about some cookies made with Cajeta called Dulce Anhelo (translates to sweet yearning). And since I didn’t get to try them, what a sweet yearning it has become. Celaya: wait for me, I will be back for more.

p.s Don’t want to make your cajeta?  Buy it at the store! There is also another way to make Cajeta starting with a can of sweet condensed milk, I will post that one with photos soon…

Cajeta Main
Print Recipe
4.67 from 6 votes

Homemade Cajeta

Cajeta is a caramel-like concoction, yet more milky and silky, and with a deep, rustic and almost nutty flavor. It’s Mexico’s version of Dulce de Leche, yet we pride ourselves in that Cajeta came to be long before Dulce de Leche and we tend to make ours with goat’s milk (or a combination of goat and cow’s milk) rather than only cow’s milk and ours has a much more intricate and richer taste.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Cajeta, Dessert, Dulce de Leche, goat milk, piloncillo, Recipe, vanilla
Servings: 3 cups
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 8 cups (or 2 liters) goat's milk you can substitute or combine with cow’s milk
  • 2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar or shredded piloncillo
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  • Place a large pot (I use my new copper one!) over medium heat. Pour milk, vanilla, sugar and baking soda, give it a good stir and let it come to a simmer. Keep it at a steady medium simmer for about one hour and a half, stirring occasionally, every 15 to 20 minutes or so, with a wooden spatula or spoon. The mix will gradually thicken and darken.
  • After about an hour and a half, the liquid will have thickened and reduced and the simmer will become stronger. Reduce the heat to medium low, to keep it at that constant medium simmer. You want active bubbling, but not over the top angry bubbles. Stir a bit more frequently, as you don’t want the bottom to develop a thicker layer.
  • You know the Cajeta is ready when: It achieves a caramel brown color; it is thick as liquid caramel or syrup, much like a chocolate syrup consistency; it envelops the back of the spoon; when you gently stir across the pot with your wooden spoon, a slightly delayed trail behind the spoon appears, revealing the bottom of the pot if only for a few seconds; as you slowly lift up the wooden spoon or spatula, Cajeta takes it’s time to drop and lastly, the sides of the pot show how the Cajeta has cooked down and if you run your spoon across that side, you get a fudgy (and delicious) residue.
  • Turn off the heat and let cool (it will thicken considerably as it cools).
  • Place in a glass jar, cover tightly with a lid. It will keep in refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Notes

Cajeta Casera

Copper Pot or Cazo De Cobre: Maintenance and Use

Posted on by Pati Jinich

During one of my visits to Mexico back in December of 2013, I bought a gorgeous copper pot from a young lovely woman in the city of Celaya. Although the most famous place in Mexico to buy copper pots is the town of Santa Clara del Cobre in the state of Michoacán, I visited Celaya to learn how to make Cajeta the traditional way. Traditional Cajeta makers consider copper pots a required tool for this craft, so Celaya has managed to make their own. And boy, are they pretty.

copper pot 1

Called cazo or olla de cobre in Spanish, Mexican cooks swear by these hand-hammered copper pots to make special things, such as carnitas for savory food, but mostly for all sorts of sweets.

This may be partly because copper is one of the most effective materials to transfer heat with even distribution as well as steady intensity, throughout its entire cooking surface. Yet since copper is a reactive metal, and most cazos de cobre are handmade and not lined with tin, copper pots are not good to rely on for everyday cooking. A copper pot is best suited as a specialty pot, for special things and special occasions. And of course, it looks beyond divine in any kitchen. You can, of course, look for copper pots that are lined with tin or stainless steel, and they in turn, need special care.

According to food science expert Harold McGee in his book On Food and Cooking, copper has a “high affinity for oxygen and sulfur, and forms a greenish coating when exposed to air.” To ensure that your copper pot is as clean as can be, that doesn’t corrode, and it maintains its pretty luster, you need to give it a good maintenance and cleaning regimen. As much as it sounds serious, it is quite easy! The woman who sold it to me taught me her method.

Before and after using it, each time, clean it with a sponge and lightly soapy water, rinse it. Then cut a lime in half and sprinkle a generous amount of grainy salt on it, kosher or sea salt will do.

Copper Pot 2

Use the salted lime to polish the pot, squeezing the lime to release the juice as you scrub along. Then just rinse and dry.

copper pot 3

You see? It’s simple!

Other methods used to maintain and clean copper pots use another acid instead of lime, such as vinegar. The Culinary Institute of America’s book The Professional Chef suggests adding flour to the acid and salt mix to make a copper cleaning paste. The flour is just added for a more helpful texture of what’s used to clean the pot.

Any method will work as long as you have an acid and a salt. The acid causes a reaction with the copper that erases the stains or discoloration and cleans it and the salt gives you the grittiness to scrub.

Tuna Minilla Empanadas

Posted on by Pati Jinich

Insanely practical, that’s what these empanadas are. Perfect to make ahead for gatherings, as you can eat them hot or not. And they are oh, so, comforting! Think of a tuna casserole in the good old style, but revamped with great Mexican flair and then flipped and turned into individual size. They withstand hours of travel and will remain delicious until you are ready to take a bite.

With that in mind, I made a full batch last Saturday to bring to a friend’s house. So thrilled were the boys, and I with the packets as they came out of the oven (crispy on top, soft layers of barely sweet dough as you get close to the middle and a rich tasting filling) that by the time we put our jackets on, and I went back to the kitchen to transfer the empanadas from the baking sheet to a platter, I gasped at the sight of the only two remaining.

Tuna Minilla Empanadas 1

Lessons learned:

1. Make a double batch.

2. If you don’t, refrain from telling your friends about the fabulous thing you prepared but couldn’t bring because you finished it before hopping in the car. They won’t like it.

A simple way to describe an empanada is a turnover-looking packet stuffed with one or another kind of filling. The story goes that they’ve existed since the Spanish Crusades as they were perfect travel food. It was the Spaniards who brought them to Mexico.

From the Spanish word “empanar,” which can translate as “the act of covering something with bread or bread dough,” aside from practical, they are also versatile. They can go from mini to giant, from savory to sweet, from a tasty appetizer or funky main meal to a sweet bite, depending on the fillings.

Tuna Minilla Empanadas 2

I can think of three things that distinguish empanadas from quesadillas. First, whereas quesadillas are made with flour or corn dough (or flour or corn tortillas) empanadas are made with flour dough. That doesn’t make empanada variations limited. Oh no. There are as many fillings and as many flour doughs as one can think of. One of the fluffiest ones are made with puff pastry, called hojaldre in Spanish.

Delightful, because as it bakes, the seemingly flat dough develops its multilayered structure: paper-thin layers of dough puff up with air, and delicious butter, in between them.

You can make your own puff pastry or simply buy it at the frozen section at the store, just be sure to thaw before you roll out.

Then make rounds. You can make them as big or as little as you like. Here I am cutting 5” rounds. Brush with egg wash (just a beaten mix of egg and water) around the edges. Then add the filling.

Tuna Minilla Empanadas 3

A second difference between empanadas and quesadillas is that it is pretty hard to find a quesadilla that is sweet, for a good reason. Whereas not only are there plenty of sweet empanadas but even when they are savory, they have a sweet element to them, like the Tuna Minilla that is going in here.

Tuna Minilla Empanadas 4

Minilla is a very popular way of cooking fresh fish and also canned tuna along the Mexican Gulf Coast, especially in Veracruz.

It is so tasty and its flavor shows the impact that kitchens in Veracruz received from it being a port of entry to the Spaniards. It has a base of cooked onion, garlic, plenty of tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, along with the capers, olives, raisins and herbs the Spaniards brought. Pretty much like the Fish a la Veracruzana style. The sauce gets cooked until moist and the flavors have been completely absorbed and combined.

You can eat Minilla as a main dish on top of rice. You can use it to make sandwiches or tortas. But my favorite way to use it is inside of empanadas. And I like to add generous amounts.

Tuna Minilla Empanadas 5

Then seal the empanadas by folding the circle over the filling and use a fork to not only decorate the edges but to seal them even better. In Mexico, many cooks know a fancy technique of decorating and sealing the edges of the empanadas so they look like encaje or embroidery. I go with the good old fork.

Tuna Minilla Empanadas 6

The third thing that distinguishes empanadas from quesadillas, is that empanadas are mostly baked. Not fried or cooked over the stovetop on a comal or skillet.

Once in the oven, the puff pastry layers do what they must… puff and puff and puff, the top crisps, the middle gets moist, and the filling bonds with the packet.

Tuna Minilla Empanadas 7

Off you go!

Tuna Minilla Empanadas main
Print Recipe
4.84 from 6 votes

Tuna Minilla Empanadas

Minilla is a very popular way of cooking fresh fish and also canned tuna along the Mexican Gulf Coast, especially in Veracruz. It is so tasty and its flavor shows the impact that kitchens in Veracruz received from it being a port of entry to the Spaniards. It has a base of cooked onion, garlic, plenty of tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, along with the capers, olives, raisins and herbs the Spaniards brought. Pretty much like the Fish a la Veracruzana style. The sauce gets cooked until moist and the flavors have been completely absorbed and combined.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Antojos
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: capers, Empanadas, olives, onion, pati's mexican table, Pickled Jalapeños, puff pastry, raisins, Tomatoes, tuna
Servings: 16 empanadas
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds chopped ripe tomatoes or about 6 roma tomatoes
  • 2 7-ounce cans tuna drained and shredded
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped raisins
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos
  • 1/4 cup seeded and roughly chopped pickled jalapeño chiles store bought or make your own, more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 3 tablespoons chopped Italian or flat-leaf parsley

To form the empanadas:

  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 1.2 pound package frozen puff pastry thawed, or homemade puff pastry

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, but not smoking, stir in the onion and cook until it is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until completely cooked, softened and mashed up and pasty looking, about 15 minutes.
  • Toss in the tuna and with a spatula or fork, mix it well with the tomato mix, making sure there are no big chunks. Add the bay leaves, sugar, oregano, thyme, salt and mix well. Add the raisins, olives, pickled jalapenos, capers, fresh parsley and mix well. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 10 minutes, the mixture should be very moist but not too watery. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Remove the bay leaves and set aside.
  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350. In a small mixing bowl beat the egg along with the water.
  • Gently flour your countertop and rolling pin and roll out one thawed sheet of pastry to about 1/8” thick. Cut out 5” to 6” rounds with a cookie cutter or anything that can act as a mold. With a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rounds with the egg wash. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of tuna in the center of each round, fold as a turnover or quesadilla to make a half moon, pushing the tuna inside of the empanada at the same time as you press the edges of the dough to seal it. Gently press the edge with the tip of a fork, this will act as decoration but also help seal the edges. Place the empanada on a lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the rounds and the second sheet of puff pastry. When all empanadas are formed, brush their tops with the remaining egg wash.
  • Place them in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until crisp, puffed up and golden brown.

Notes

Empanadas de Minilla de Atún

Puff Pastry: Basic Recipe

Posted on by Pati Jinich

It’s true you can always buy frozen puff pastry at any grocery store. But, in less than the time it takes for the frozen puff pastry to thaw, you can make your own from scratch. I have a simple recipe I learned at L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland, that is the one I turn to time and again. I just adapted it to make a larger quantity and also to give you a bit of a more detailed description.

The key to making good puff pastry dough, or any flaky dough for that matter, is keeping everything very cold (well the flour and salt are fine at room temperature). You’ll want to cut your butter into chunks while being very cold.

Begin by simply placing your flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add your chunks of butter and pulse several times (about 10 times) until the butter chunks are reduced to pieces about the size of peas. Feel free to use your hands to feel the mixture to estimate the size of the butter pieces.

Next, slowly pour in the water, make sure it’s very cold (I even put it in the freezer for a few minutes), while pulsing the mixture until a very crumbly dough forms. Here’s a photo of what your dough will look like when it’s ready to turn out.

Puff Pastry 1

Turn the crumbly dough out onto a lightly floured surface and carefully gather it together with your hands. Do not knead the dough, as we are actually trying not to form gluten strands.

Puff pastry “puffs” due to a series of rolling, turning, and folding the dough. After you’ve gathered your dough into a single piece, lightly flour a rolling pin and roll it into a somewhat triangular shape.

Now fold the two bottom ends inward to meet, and fold the top end down to make the dough resemble an envelope.

Puff Pastry 2

Once you have your envelope, turn the dough a quarter turn clockwise. Roll it out, again; this time into a rectangular shape. And fold the top and bottom edges in lengthwise to meet in the middle.

Then, fold the whole thing in half.

Puff Pastry 4

Now you’ll just turn the dough another quarter turn clockwise and repeat the whole rolling and folding process one more time. Triangle, fold, rectangle, fold, fold again and you have homemade puff pastry! Wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes and it’s ready to use.

Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Puff Pastry

It’s true you can always buy frozen puff pastry at any grocery store. But, in less than the time it takes for the frozen puff pastry to thaw, you can make your own from scratch. I have a simple recipe I learned at L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland, that is the one I turn to time and again. I just adapted it to make a larger quantity and also to give you a bit of a more detailed description.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Keyword: puff pastry, Recipe
Servings: 1 1/2 pound puff pastry
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling out dough
  • 3/4 pound very cold butter (3 sticks), cut into chunks
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 3/4 cup very cold water

Instructions

  • Place flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the chunks of butter and pulse a few times, until the butter is incorporated in large pieces (about the size of a pea).
  • Slowly pour in the cold water while pulsing until a very crumbly dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a clean, lightly floured workspace and gently push it together with your hands – do not knead.
  • Rolling and folding the dough: 1. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough into a roughly triangular shape. Use your hands to fold the two bottom tips of the triangle inward and the top down, like an envelope.
  • 2. Turn the dough a quarter-turn clockwise and roll out, again, into a rectangle this time. Fold the two ends lengthwise into the middle to meet. Then fold the dough in half across.
  • Turn the dough another quarter-turn clockwise, and repeat steps 1 and 2 above one more time, turning the dough a quarter-turn clockwise each time.
  • Wrap the puff pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before using.

The Washington Post: The Mexican Casserole

Posted on by Pati Jinich

“Every few months, my family gets together with a Latin group of friends and their families for a potluck.

This winter it was our turn. As tradition goes, the host brings the main dishes to the table and the others bring the rest. I eagerly announced my plans to share Mexican casseroles, also called cazuelas, budines or pasteles. The Mexicans couldn’t hide their joy — ‘Pati! De veras? Budin Azteca? Cazuela de Tamal?!’ — and quickly thought of other ‘very’ Mexican sides to pair with them. The Argentines and Costa Ricans tried to understand what ‘Mexican casserole’ meant and whether it was supposed to be any good…”

To read the entire article, click here.