Entrees

Citrus Chicken with Carrots and Baby Potatoes

Posted on by Pati Jinich
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4.50 from 8 votes

Citrus Chicken with Carrots and Baby Potatoes

Citrus Chicken with Carrots and Baby Potatoes recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 4, Episode 4 “Summer Evening Party”
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: carrots, ceylon, chicken, Chipotle, cinnamon, cloves, lime, orange juice, pati's mexican table, potatoes, Tomatoes
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 pound roma tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 pounds chicken pieces such as thighs, breasts, drumsticks, patted dry
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
  • 2 cups chopped white onion
  • 4 garlic cloves pressed or finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/4 teaspoon true or ceylon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or to taste
  • 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 3/4 pound carrots peeled and diagonally sliced into about 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound baby red potatoes

Instructions

  • Broil, char or roast the roma tomatoes until completely charred, mushy and juicy. If under the broiler, it will take about 9 to 10 minutes, flipping once in between. Once cool enough to handle, chop and place in a bowl, including the seeds and all the juices.
  • Heat oil in a large casserole or a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces and brown for about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken pieces and place them in a bowl.
  • Add the onion and garlic to the casserole and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and the edges begin to brown. Sprinkle with oregano, thyme, marjoram, cinnamon and chile powder, and give it a good stir. Incorporate chopped tomatoes along with their seeds and juices, as well as the orange and lime juice, mix well.
  • Add the chicken, carrots and potatoes, and gently spoon the chunky sauce all over them. Reduce heat to medium low and cook covered for one hour, flipping the chicken and moving the vegetables around, once in between.

Notes

Pollo con Limón y Naranja, Zanahorias y Papitas

Fish with Plums, Pasilla and Tequila

Posted on by Pati Jinich
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5 from 6 votes

Fish with Plums, Pasilla and Tequila

Fish with Plums, Pasilla and Tequila recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 4, Episode 2 “Adventures in San Miguel”
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: grouper, orange juice, pasilla, pati's mexican table, plums, red snapper, rock fish, tequila, Tilapia
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus 2 more for cooking the fish
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups slivered white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
  • 4 ripe plums halved, pitted, sliced
  • 4 to 6 pasilla chiles stemmed, seeded, sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar or to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste, plus more to season the fish
  • 2 tablespoons silver tequila
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 6 tilapia fillets (about 6 ounces) skin on, or another flaky and mild tasting fish of your choice such as red snapper, rock fish, or grouper

Instructions

  • Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy skillet set over medium heat. Once the butter melts and begins to sizzle, before it browns, add the onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it softens and begins to gently brown around the edges. Add the garlic, mix well and cook for another minute. Toss in the sliced plums and chiles, sprinkle in the sugar and salt, stir, and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes. The plums should be cooked and gently browned and the chiles softened.
  • Pour in the tequila, gently tilt towards the fire to ignite it, cook until flames disappear. Add the orange juice, stir, and cook for a couple minutes more. Set aside.
  • Heat a couple tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the fish with a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper. Sear the fish, skin side down first, for 2 to 3 minutes, until skin has crisped and browned. Flip the fish to the other side and cook until desired doneness, my choice is 2 to 3 minutes more.
  • Serve with a generous spoonfull of the chunky plum sauce on top.

Notes

Pescado con Salsa de Ciruela, Pasilla y Tequila

Big Brunch Enchiladas

Posted on by Pati Jinich
Big Brunch Enchiladas
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4.67 from 6 votes

Black Bean Sauce Egg Enchiladas with Chorizo and Queso Fresco

Black Bean Sauce Egg Enchiladas with Chorizo and Queso Fresco recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 4, Episode 1 “Good Morning, Mexico!”
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Avocado, black beans, chipotles in adobo, Chorizo, corn tortillas, cotija, Eggs, Enchilada, goat cheese, pati's mexican table, Pickled Jalapeños, queso fresco
Servings: 12 enchiladas
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked black beans and their cooking broth or 2 cans black beans, drained, plus 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce seeded, optional
  • 2 tablespoons vinegary sauce from pickled jalapeños or escabeche
  • 1 pound Mexican chorizo casings removed, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup chopped scallions plus extra for garnish
  • 8 large eggs beaten with a fork or whisk until foamy
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup crumbled queso fresco cotija, farmer’s cheese, or goat cheese
  • 4 to 6 Pickled jalapeños seeded and chopped, optional as garnish
  • Ripe avocado slices optional

Instructions

  • Place the cooked black beans and their cooking broth, or water if using canned beans, in a blender along with the sauce from the chipotles in adobo and the vinegary sauce from the pickled jalapeños, puree until smooth. Place the puree in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until very hot. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and keep warm. The puree should have the consistency of heavy cream.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot, add the chorizo and cook, crumbling as it cooks with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it has browned and crisped, about 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape into a bowl, cover and set aside.
  • Pre-heat a comal or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium, or 10-inch, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the scallions and cook until soft and translucent and the edges begin to brown lightly, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, pour in the beaten eggs, sprinkle with the salt, and cook, stirring often and gently, until desired doneness. I like to stop cooking the eggs when they are still soft and tender, not dry, which takes about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • Heat the corn tortillas, a pair at a time, on the pre-heated comal or skillet about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. You want them to be completely heated and even slightly toasted. (Alternatively, the tortillas can be quickly “passed through hot oil,” that is quickly fried, 10 seconds per side, in pre-heated oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.) One by one, place the heated tortillas on a plate and spoon about 3 tablespoons of the scrambled eggs onto each tortilla. Roll and place on a platter seam side down. Continue with the remaining tortillas.
  • When all the tortillas are stuffed, rolled, and set on the platter, pour the bean puree on top. Cover with the cooked chorizo, crumbled queso and extra scallions. Add as much chopped pickled jalapeño as you like, as well as avocado slices.

Notes

Enchiladas de Huevo con Salsa de Frijol con Chipotle, Chorizo y Queso Fresco

Mole de Olla

Posted on by Pati Jinich

I don’t think twice about eating a hot stew in the summertime. And, as far as I know, millions of Mexicans feel the same way.

You will see Pozole served in fondas in the middle of June, hot Caldo de Camarón as one of the most popular items on beach restaurant menus, and the famed Mole de Olla being ladled, sizzling hot from the pot, in markets all over the country at peak midday heat.

I’ve read that having something hot in the summer will actually cool you off. It turns out chiles are thought to have the same effect.  All these Mexican stews, quoted above, have rich broths that are usually flavored with one or more kinds of chiles.

I find these kinds of one-pot meals to be the epitome of how practical and creative human beings can be: economical, filling, and so tasty, they have all you need for a meal in a bowl. All cultures have their ways of making stews. In Mexico, Mole de Olla is a dearly loved one, and it is a dish that, unfortunately, hasn’t become popular abroad… yet.

Mole de Olla has little to do with the mole sauce so many people outside of Mexico equate with Mole Poblano. That delicious, super thick sauce made of dried chiles, seeds, nuts, spices, tomatoes, onion, garlic, chocolate, and numerous other ingredients ground together. Mole de Olla, however, (translates as Mole in a pot) is a revered stew.

As with many of the Mexican stews, the first step for a Mole de Olla is making a broth with the meat, along with some onion, garlic, and herbs. I particularly like to add fresh mint to mine. The meat is cooked until it is practically coming apart, and the broth is as flavorful as can be. The simmered herbs and veggies are removed, as by then they will be extremely mushy and most of their flavor transferred to the broth.

The second step is to take that rich-tasting broth to a higher dimension of flavor. A seasoning sauce is made with ancho and pasilla chiles, toasted sesame seeds, and tomatoes. Usually, xoconostles (a very tart and sour fruit of the cactus plant) are used, but since they are quite hard to find in the US, I substitute for tomatillos, which are tart, not as sour as xoconostles, but hey, they do the trick. The meat broth then simmers a second time as it marries with the seasoning sauce, adding so much depth of flavor: a gentle but addicting heat, a lovely acidity, and a whisper of nuttiness.

As a third step, fresh veggies are added. Corn, zucchini, chayote squash, green beans…but this time, the veggies are cooked just until tender and crisp and also full of flavor.

mole de olla

Mole de Olla is a humble dish. A stew made with a piece of meat and fresh veggies that are available year round. Yet, it turns out to be a full blown delicious meal. As anything Mexican, once it is set on the table and everyone gets a share of succulent meat, a lot of deep-tasting broth, and a share of all the veggies, extra garnishes are set on the table to dress it up and enhance the dish even more. You get a chance to squeeze in fresh lime juice to brighten up the stew, and you also get to spoon on crunchy and pungent white onion and cilantro.

This stew is a joy to eat. People eat it almost in a ceremonial fashion. Each person with a set style of their own. Some people eat the corn first, some people leave it for last. Some people first finish the broth and then go for the meat and veggies, or tuck them into tacos.

I eat a bit of everything as I move along. But one thing is definite: once I start, I don’t stop for a second, not even to look around. I sip a little broth, take a spoon with some veggies, some meat, more broth, and with my hands I take some bites of the corn… until there is almost absolutely nothing left in the bowl. At this point, I raise the bowl to finish the last sips of broth.

Then I wish for another go, just to repeat the experience. Though I always realize I am full, content, and feel so at home.

P.S. Fall is around the corner, and guess what, Mole de Olla is also fabulous for cold nights. So don’t store this recipe for the summer, keep it out, all year round.

mole de olla

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4 from 7 votes

Beef and Veggie Mole Stew

I find these kinds of one-pot meals to be the epitome of how practical and creative human beings can be: economical, filling, and so tasty, they have all you need for a meal in a bowl. All cultures have their ways of making stews. In Mexico, Mole de Olla is a dearly loved one, and it is a dish that, unfortunately, hasn’t become popular abroad… yet. Mole de Olla has little to do with the mole sauce so many people outside of Mexico equate with Mole Poblano. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Ancho, beef, chayote, Corn, green beans, lime, mint, onion, pasilla, pati's mexican table, stew, tomatillos, Tomatoes, Zucchini
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef stew meat or beef shank meat cut into 1 1/2-inch to 2-inch chunks and bones added to the pot
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 large sprig of fresh mint or between 10 and 12 leaves
  • 3 dried ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 3 dried pasilla chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 1 pound (about 4) ripe tomatoes preferably Roma
  • 1/4 pound (about 1 or 2 depending on size) tomatillos
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds lightly toasted
  • 2 chayote squashes peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
  • 1 large zucchini cubed (about 3 cups)
  • 3/4 pound green beans trimmed and cut into about 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
  • 3 ears of fresh corn husked and cut into thirds
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped white onion for garnish
  • 3/4 cup Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
  • 3-4 limes quartered, for garnish

Instructions

  • In a large heavy-bottomed casserole or pot, place the meat, half onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, mint and a tablespoon of salt. Cover with 10 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface, and reduce the heat to low or medium-low heat, cover and simmer for an hour.
  • Meanwhile, place the ancho and pasilla chiles in a medium bowl, cover with boiling water and let them rehydrate for 10 to 15 minutes. Place the tomatoes and tomatillos in baking dish under the broiler, until they are completely charred and mushy, about 10 minutes. In a small skillet set over medium heat, place the sesame seeds and toast, stirring constantly, anywhere from 1 to 2 minutes until they start to become golden brown, but not completely dark brown.
  • In the jar of a blender, place the soaked chiles, along with 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid, the broiled tomatoes and tomatillos, and the toasted sesame seeds, and puree until completely smooth.
  • Remove the lid from the large casserole, remove the cooked onion, mint and garlic cloves (if some remains, it is totally fine) and pour the chile mixture in with the meat. Stir, cover again and cook for another half hour.
  • Remove the lid, raise heat to medium heat, add the cubed chayote squash and the corn, and cook partially covered for 15 minutes. Add the green beans and zucchini, and cook partially covered for another 10 minutes. Taste for salt and add more if need be.
  • Serve in bowls, making sure that each bowl has a serving of meat, corn, chayote, green beans and zucchini. Place white onion, cilantro and halved limes at the table, for people to add as last seasonings and garnishes.
  • Note: Traditionally, this recipe uses xoconostles, which are hard to find in the US. Instead, I use tomatillos, which have a similar tart flavor.

Notes

Mole de Olla

Big Brunch Enchiladas

Posted on by Pati Jinich

An intrinsically Mexican dish, enchiladas are not one but a multitude of possibilities that can dress up a corn tortilla. Simply the sound of the word enchilada makes any Mexican’s mouth water in less than a millisecond and is cause for celebration.

One of the dearest antojos or antojitos (translate to whims or little whims), enchiladas are corn tortillas that may be heated up or lightly fried, either folded or rolled, with or without a variety of fillings, always bathed in a salsa or sauce, and garnished with a a few from a long list of possible toppings. From crumbled queso fresco and a drizzle of crema, to raw or pickled onion, chiles or other vegetables, Mexican avocado, chorizo, shredded lettuces and cabbage, just to name some.

Considering the variations of fillings, salsas, and toppings, enchiladas not only embody different regional cuisine identities, but also the whims of different cooks.

Here is my latest one, I call it the Big Brunch Enchilada.


Before filling the corn tortillas with soft scrambled eggs, seasoned with sautéed scallions, I opted to quickly fry the tortillas. As we Mexicans say, pasamos las tortillas por aceite caliente: we dip the tortillas in very hot oil for a couple seconds to make them malleable and even more resilient to withhold the sauce and garnishes. If the oil is very hot, the tortilla will not absorb the oil, but will be transformed. You can opt to not fry and instead heat the tortillas on a hot comal, skillet, or griddle, for a minute per side until thoroughly hot and barely crisp.

However, please, for the love of anyone or anything you love the most, don’t use flour tortillas to make enchiladas.

Just, please, don’t! I am begging here.

Flour tortillas are sweeter than corn tortillas, they are less resilient to withhold sauce, fillings, and garnishes and become a mushy mess of the worst sorts if given the enchilada treatment.

Please, please, please, proudly stick to corn tortillas.

big brunch enchiladas
As for the salsa or sauce, the most well known are enchiladas verdes soaked in a green salsa, enchiladas rojas soaked in a red salsa, and enchiladas de mole. All, of course, with their multiple variations.

For my Big Brunch ones, I am bathing them with a rich, thick and earthy black bean sauce, common in the Mexican Gulf Coast. I tend to have trouble deciding whether to eat my black beans with chipotles in adobo sauce or pickled jalapeños. Truth is, if I use one, I usually end up adding the other one too and mixing them up. So here, I am adding and combining both. The homemade black beans, or store bought ones if you don’t have time to cook them, are seasoned with the smoky, sweet and spicy adobo sauce from chipotles in adobo, as well as the vinegary pickling sauce from the pickled jalapeños. I couldn’t be happier with the result.

Forget about a light garnish, add tons of meaty and crisp bites of Mexican chorizo.

big brunch enchiladas
Fresh, tart and slightly salty crumbled queso fresco.

big brunch enchiladas

Bright fresh scallions (I love scallions!) that contrast with the cooked scallions scrambled with the eggs.

big brunch enchiladas
To finish off, punchy chopped pickled jalapeños go on top.

big brunch enchiladas
I liked these enchiladas so much, I couldn’t even decide on an ending photo for the blog post. So I am showing you the view from the top and from the side.

big brunch enchiladas
These enchiladas ended up being not an antojito but an antojote, a huge antojo of mine. Made to be eaten for a big brunch, they passed the critical approval of all my boys to the point that they were fighting for each piece on this plate. This is the one time when I don’t complain about them fighting.

Since this is a sign of success in my kitchen, the recipe is now yours!

I hope you give it a try for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta, your Mother or Father’s day brunch, or anytime you may want to indulge. As complex as they may sound, they are super easy and fast to make. Here’s how.

big brunch enchiladas
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4.60 from 5 votes

Enchiladas with Chipotle Black Bean Sauce, Chorizo and Queso Fresco

An intrinsically Mexican dish, enchiladas are not one but a multitude of possibilities that can dress up a corn tortilla. Simply the sound of the word enchilada makes any Mexican’s mouth water in less than a millisecond and is cause for celebration. One of the dearest antojos or antojitos (translate to whims or little whims), enchiladas are corn tortillas that may be heated up or lightly fried, either folded or rolled, with or without a variety of fillings, always bathed in a salsa or sauce, and garnished with a a few from a long list of possible toppings. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Antojos, Breakfast
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Avocado, black beans, chipotles in adobo, Chorizo, corn tortillas, Eggs, Enchilada, pati's mexican table, Pickled Jalapeños, queso fresco
Servings: 12 enchiladas
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked beans and 1cup of their cooking broth or 2 drained cans black beans plus 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 2 tablespoons vinegary sauce from pickled jalapeños in vinegar or escabeche
  • 1 pound Mexican chorizo casings removed, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more oil if frying the tortillas
  • 1/3 cup chopped scallions plus extra for garnish
  • 9 large eggs beaten with a fork or whisk until foamy
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup crumbled queso fresco cotija, farmer’s cheese, or goat cheese
  • 6 to 8 pickled jalapeños seeded and chopped, for garnish
  • Ripe Mexican avocado slices optional

Instructions

  • Place the cooked black beans and cooking broth (or water if using canned) in a blender, along with the sauce from the chipotles in adobo and the vinegary sauce from the pickled jalapeños, and puree until smooth. Place in a medium saucepan, heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until very hot. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and keep warm. The puree should have the consistency of heavy cream.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot, add the chopped chorizo and cook, crumbling as it cooks with a wooden spoon or spatula into small bite sized pieces, until it has browned and crisped, about 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape into a bowl, cover and set aside.
  • Pre-heat a comal or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  • Heat the oil in a medium 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the scallions and cook until soft and translucent and the edges begin to brown lightly, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, pour in the beaten eggs, sprinkle with the salt, and cook, stirring often and gently, until desired doneness. I like to stop the cooking when the eggs are still soft and tender, not dry, which takes about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • Heat the corn tortillas, a pair at a time, in the pre-heated comal or skillet, about 1 minute per side, until completely heated through and even slightly toasted. Alternatively, you can heat enough oil to have 1/2" in a medium skillet set over medium heat, once very hot but not smoking, quickly pass each tortilla through the oil (4 to 5 seconds) and place on a plate or drying rack covered with paper towels. You know the oil is ready if when you dip a tortilla, the oil bubbles actively all around the edges and the tortillas begin to puff up after a few seconds.
  • One by one, place on a plate and spoon about 2 generous tablespoons of the scrambled eggs onto the center of tortilla. Roll it into a soft taco and place in a platter, seam side down.
  • When all the tortillas are stuffed and rolled on the platter, pour the bean puree on top. Cover with the cooked chorizo, crumbled queso and extra scallions. Add as many chopped pickled jalapeños as you like. Decorate with ripe avocado slices if you want to take those enchiladas way over the top.

Notes

Enchiladas de Huevo con Salsa de Frijol con Chipotle, Chorizo y Queso Fresco

Red Pozole with Traditional Garnishes

Posted on by Pati Jinich
red pozole
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Red Pozole with Traditional Garnishes

Red Pozole with Traditional Garnishes recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 13 “My Piñata Party”
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 hours 15 minutes
Total Time5 hours 25 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Ancho, chicken, guajillo chiles, hominy, onion, pati's mexican table, pozole, radish, refried beans, tortilla chips
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the pozole:

  • 1 pound dried hominy or 3 29-ounce cans hominy, drained and rinsed
  • 1 head garlic papery outer layers removed, but not entirely peeled (if using dried hominy)
  • 2 whole chickens (about 3 pounds each) rinsed and cut into serving pieces, or a combination of 3 pounds chicken and 3 pounds pork shoulder or butt
  • 1 white onion peeled
  • 5 fresh cilantro sprigs
  • 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt plus more to taste

For the chile puree:

  • 2 ancho chiles (about 1 ounce) rinsed, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 guajillo chiles (about 1 ounce) rinsed, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Pinch of ground cumin
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the garnishes:

  • 5-6 limes halved
  • 10 radishes rinsed, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 head of romaine lettuce rinsed, drained and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • Dried ground chile such as piquín, ancho, chipotle or a Mexican mix
  • dried oregano
  • Crispy tostadas or tortilla chips store-bought or homemade
  • refried beans store-bought or homemade (optional)

Instructions

To make the pozole:

  • If using dried hominy, place it in a large soup pot. Add water to the pot to cover the hominy by at least 3-inches. Add the head of garlic. Don’t add salt now or the hominy will toughen. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, for 4 to 5 hours, until hominy is tender and has begun to “bloom” or open up. Occasionally skim the foam from the top as the hominy cooks and make sure it doesn’t dry as it cooks, adding more hot water if need be. If using canned or pre-cooked hominy, start with step below.
  • Meanwhile, place the chicken (and pork, if using), in a large soup pot. Add water to cover the top layer of chicken by at least 2 inches. Add the onion, cilantro and the tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 35 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking broth. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
  • In the soup pot, combine the cooked hominy and its broth (discard the garlic head), or the canned hominy and 2 cups water, with the shredded chicken and its broth. Taste for salt, add more if need be, and simmer all together for 10 minutes more.

To make the chile puree:

  • Place the chiles in a 3-quart saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chiles have softened and rehydrated. Place the chiles, along with 1/2 cup of their cooking liquid, the onion, garlic, cumin, cloves and salt in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. If using a food processor, be sure to wrap a towel around the joint between the lid and the base to catch any escaping liquid. Pass the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing gently on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in the 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the chile puree, bring to a boil and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally and allowing it to thicken.
  • Add the red chile sauce to simmering pozole, let it cook for an additional 25 minutes, adjust the seasoning, and serve in soup bowls. Arrange the garnishes in smaller bowls on the table and let your guests customize their pozole. Or, if making ahead, let the pozole cool then cover and refrigerate, and reheat when you are ready to serve.

Notes

Pozole Rojo

Honey Chipotle Ribs

Posted on by Pati Jinich
honey chipotle ribs
Print Recipe
4.78 from 9 votes

Honey Chipotle Ribs

Honey Chipotle Ribs recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 12 “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: apple cider vinegar, chipotles in adobo, grill recipes, honey, ketchup, Maggi sauce, pati's mexican table, ribs, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Ketchup
  • 2/3 cup honey
  • 4 tablespoons sauce from chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 3 chipotle chiles from chipotles in adobo sauce minced, seeded optional, or more to taste
  • 10 garlic cloves pressed or minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 tablespoons Maggi or soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 3 pounds baby back or spare ribs

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, sauce from the chipotles, chipotle chiles, garlic, olive oil, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, Maggi, black pepper and oregano. Mix well.
  • Line a large roasting pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Pour some sauce on the bottom of the pan, put in the ribs and pour the remaining sauce on top. Cover with foil, sealing the entire top of the pan, and marinate for 30 minutes up to 24 hours. If marinating more than 30 minutes, keep the ribs refrigerated.
  • When ready to cook the meat, remove it from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slip the pan with the ribs into the oven and roast for 1 1/2 hours. Take the ribs from the oven and carefully remove the aluminum foil, taking care not to be burned by the steam. Spoon the thickened sauce from the bottom of the pan on top of the ribs and place them back in the oven to roast another 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are beautifully browned and sticky. Remove from the oven, let rest, then slice into 2- to 3-bone pieces and pile on a platter.
  • Alternatively, after you remove the foil, you can finish off the ribs on the grill at medium heat, for about 15 minutes.

Notes

Costillitas con Chipotle y Miel

Guajillo and Garlic Pasta

Posted on by Pati Jinich
guajillo garlic pasta
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5 from 5 votes

Guajillo and Garlic Pasta

Pasta con Guajillo y Ajo recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 11 “Mex-Italian!”
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: cotija, garlic, guajillo chiles, pasta, pati's mexican table, rosemary, spaghetti
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thin spaghetti or vermicelli
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried and crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried and crumbled
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 5 guajillo chiles stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
  • kosher or coarse sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated queso Cotija Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano, ricotta salata, or Pecorino Romano
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley optional for garnish

Instructions

  • Bring salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and let it come to a boil again. Boil, uncovered, until pasta is al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
  • In a large skillet or casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once it is hot, but not smoking, add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Stir in the rosemary, oregano, thyme and marjoram, and cook for 30 to 40 seconds. Add the guajillo chiles and cook, continuing to stir, for another 20 to 30 seconds. You want them to gently brown, but not burn.
  • Add the pasta to the skillet and toss well. Pour in the reserved pasta water, toss and cook for another couple minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve garnished with freshly grated cheese and chopped parsley.

Notes

Pasta con Guajillo y Ajo

Fish over Fennel Salad with Jalapeño and Olive Salsa

Posted on by Pati Jinich
fish over fennel salad with olive salsa
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4.72 from 7 votes

Fish over Fennel Salad with Jalapeño and Olive Salsa

Fish over Fennel Salad with Jalapeño and Olive Salsa recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 11 “Mex-Italian!”
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: fennel, fish, grouper, olives, oranges, pati's mexican table, pepitas, pumpkin seeds, raisins, red onion, red snapper, rockfish, tequila, Tilapia
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion about 1/4 of a red onion
  • 2 oranges peeled and thinly sliced or cut into segments, plus juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • kosher or coarse sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salsa:

  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1 tablespoon tequila
  • 1/4 cup pitted black Italian olives in brine, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno chile thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and upper stems, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves and upper stems, chopped
  • Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • kosher or coarse sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the fish:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • kosher or coarse sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 6-ounce red snapper fillets or any mild fish of your choice, such as tilapia, rockfish or grouper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

To prepare the salad:

  • To toast the pumpkin seeds, place them in an already hot, small sauté pan set over low heat. Stir often, being careful that they don’t burn, until you start to hear popping sounds (similar to popcorn), and they begin to turn from green to a toasty brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl.
  • Combine fennel, red onion, orange segments and juice in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add the toasted pumpkin seeds. Toss once more and wait to serve with the fish.

To prepare the salsa:

  • Place the golden raisins in a medium mixing bowl and pour the tequila over the raisins. Allow the raisins to plump up in the tequila for a few minutes while prepping the remaining ingredients. Then add the olives, jalapeño, cilantro, parsley, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to the bowl with the raisins and tequila. Combine well and serve with the fish.

To prepare the fish:

  • Combine the flour, a pinch salt and a pinch pepper on a flat plate and spread. Using a small knife, score each fish filet, cutting 3 shallow horizontal lines into the skin of each fillet – do not cut through the fillets. Dust the fillets on each side with a thin layer of the flour mixture.
  • Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot and ready (test by dipping a piece of the fish to see if it happily bubbles), place the fillets in the pan skin-side down. Cook until the skin is crisped and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. If at any point the fish begins to curl, use a spatula to press the fish firmly down in the pan. Flip with a spatula or tongs and cook on the other side until done, about another 4 minutes. Transfer the fish to a plate covered in paper towels to drain. Serve on top of the fennel salad and with the salsa on the side.

Notes

Pescado con Ensalada de Eneldo y Salsa de Jalapeño y Aceitunas

Huevos Rancheros with Zucchini

Posted on by Pati Jinich
huevos rancheros with zucchini
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5 from 5 votes

Huevos Rancheros with Zucchini

Huevos Rancheros with Zucchini recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 10 “Brunch at the Jinich House”
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Eggs, jalapeno, onion, pati's mexican table, Tomatoes, Zucchini
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 jalapeño finely chopped, more or less to taste
  • 1 1/2 pounds ripe Roma tomatoes cored and chopped, don’t discard the seeds (about 5 to 7 tomatoes)
  • 1 large or 2 medium zucchinis chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 8 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil to cook the eggs

Instructions

To make the salsa:

  • In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until hot, but not smoking, then add the onion and jalapeño, cook, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes and cook until they become soft, juicy and mushy, about 15 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to low, add the zucchini, cover, and cook for about 6 minutes or until zucchini is cooked through but still with a crisp bite, and the tomatoes are completely mushy. Remove the lid and turn off the heat.

To make the eggs:

  • Heat a small, 6-inch non-stick skillet over medium-low heat for at least 5 minutes. Add half a teaspoon oil, once hot, crack two eggs at a time into the pan, sprinkle with salt to taste, cover with a lid, and cook to your preferred doneness. I give them about 5 minutes, as I like the whites fully cooked and the yolks runny. Serve with a generous amount of salsa on top.

Notes

Huevos Rancheros con Calabacitas

Mexican-Style Gravlax with Cilantro and Tequila

Posted on by Pati Jinich
mexican style gravlax with cilantro and tequila
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4.84 from 6 votes

Mexican-Style Gravlax with Cilantro and Tequila

Mexican-Style Gravlax with Cilantro and Tequila recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 10 “Brunch at the Jinich House”
Cook Time2 days
Course: Antojos, Breakfast
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: brown sugar, Chipotle, cumin, flour tortillas, lime, pati's mexican table, salmon, tequila
Servings: 24 small toasts
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder ancho chile powder, or a Mexican mix
  • 2 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt plus more for seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup finely chopped cilantro
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 1 pound fresh salmon skin on, bones removed
  • 2 tablespoons silver tequila
  • 6 5-inch Flour tortillas or whole grain bread, toasted
  • 1 cup Mexican crema
  • 1 ripe avocado halved, pitted, chopped
  • 1 lime halved

Instructions

  • Combine the cumin, chile powder, salt, pepper, sugar, lime zest and cilantro in a small bowl. Place the salmon flat, skin-side up, in a long baking dish. Make 10 to 12 1-inch slashes in the skin with the tip of a knife, just deep enough to reach the flesh. Rub 1/3 of the salt mixture into skin, then flip the fish over, spoon the tequila over the fish and rub the remaining 2/3 of the salt mixture on the salmon.
  • Cover the fish tightly with plastic wrap, then place a slightly smaller baking dish directly on top of fish and weigh it down with heavy unopened cans. Refrigerate for 2-3 days, basting with the resulting juices each night and re-covering and weighing back down again.
  • When ready to serve, remove the gravlax from the refrigerator. Thinly slice the salmon flesh, taking care not to cut through the skin and arrange the pieces on a platter. Serve with lightly toasted flour tortillas or toasted whole grain bread (keep warm in a clean kitchen towel, bread basket or tortillero), and let everyone garnish with the crema, avocado and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Notes

Gravlax con Cilantro y Tequila

Rodrigo-Style Fish

Posted on by Pati Jinich
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4.50 from 8 votes

Rodrigo-Style Fish

Rodrigo-Style Fish recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 7 "Sugar for Hubby"
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: cilantro, fish, jalapeno, Maggi sauce, Mexican, Mexico City, Pescado, Rodrigo, seafood, Tilapia
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 1/2 cup scallions thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and upper stems chopped
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño or serrano chile or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Maggi sauce or soy sauce
  • Kosher or sea salt to taste

For the fish:

  • 6 tilapia fillets about 6 ounces each, or other mild white fish fillets (sea bass, grouper, red snapper or rockfish), rinse and pat dry
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper or to taste
  • All-purpose flour to coat fish fillets
  • Vegetable oil
  • 12 corn tortillas store-bought or homemade

Instructions

To make the sauce:

  • In a small bowl, combine the scallions, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, chile, and Maggi sauce, and stir to mix well. Set aside for at least 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste, if need be.

For the fish:

  • Sprinkle the fish fillets with the salt and pepper. Spread flour on a large plate and coat each fillet thoroughly on both sides.
  • Heat 1/4-inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the fish, in batches to avoid crowding, and sear for about 3 minutes, until crisped and browned on the bottom. Don’t fiddle with the fillets, let them brown so they don’t stick to the bottom and can be released. Turn and brown for about 3 minutes on the second side. The fish is ready when the thickest part is cooked through and it flakes easily with a fork. Put the fish on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Keep warm in a low (250°F) oven, if you won’t eat it in the next 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the fish to a platter and pour the sauce on top. Or, you can do as I do, flake the fish and serve drizzled with the sauce, ready to make tacos. Serve with corn tortillas.

Notes

Pescado Rodrigo

Mac ‘N Cheese Mexicano

Posted on by Pati Jinich
mac n cheese mexicano recipe pati jinich
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4.25 from 8 votes

Mac 'N Cheese Mexicano

Mac 'N Cheese Mexicano recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 6 “American Classics, My Way”
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: bacon, cheese, Corn, Monterrey Jack cheese, mozzarella, onion, pasta, pati's mexican table, poblanos, Zucchini
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 pound penne or elbow-shaped pasta
  • 3 large poblano chiles rinsed, stemmed, seeded and cut into large chunks, about 3/4 pound
  • 3 cups milk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for buttering the dish
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 cups grated Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese plus 1 cup for topping
  • 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesano-Reggiano cheese plus 1/2 cup for topping
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 cup corn kernels shaved from the cob or thawed from frozen
  • 1/2 pound chopped zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
  • 5 to 6 slices of bacon fried and cut into chunks (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste

Instructions

  • Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and cook pasta until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a large baking dish.
  • In the jar of a blender, puree the poblano chiles and milk until completely smooth. Strain into a bowl, pressing with the back of a wooden spoon to make sure you get mostly liquid.
  • In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Once it has melted and begins to bubble, add the flour. Cook, stirring continuously to make a roux or paste until you get the desired color (I go for light brown and a toasty aroma), about 2 minutes. Pour the poblano chile mixture into the roux or paste, stirring as you do. Add salt and freshly ground pepper and cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 to 12 minutes, occasionally stirring. If it gets lumpy, you can smooth the sauce by beating with a whisk. Add 3 cups of Monterey Jack cheese and 1 cup of Pecorino Romano, mix well, remove from heat and stir until well combined.
  • In a large skillet set over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until completely soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook for a couple minutes. Add the zucchini, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, mix well and set aside. We don’t want to cook the zucchini here, as it will cook in the oven.
  • In the large pot, where the pasta was cooked, add the drained pasta, poblano chile sauce and sautéed vegetables, gently toss to mix. If using fried bacon, add it in here! Pour into a buttered baking dish, top with the remaining grated cheeses and place in the oven until the top layer of cheese has melted and begun to crisp along the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

Pasta a la Mexicana

Carnitas

Posted on by Pati Jinich
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4.88 from 16 votes

Carnitas

Carnitas recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 5 “Family Fiesta”
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: marjoram, onion, orange juice, pati's mexican table, pork, Sweetened Condensed Milk
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1/2 a white onion peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch cumin
  • 4 whole cloves stems removed
  • 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lard vegetable shortening or oil
  • 4 to 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt cut into 4-inch chunks, fat on!
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

  • In the jar of a blender, place the water, onion, garlic cloves, marjoram, thyme, black pepper, cumin, stemmed whole cloves and 1 tablespoon salt. Puree until smooth.
  • Set a large Dutch oven or heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Add the lard (or vegetable shortening or oil), and once it has heated up, add the pork chunks and sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Brown the meat on all sides, stirring and flipping as each side browns, about 10 minutes.
  • Pour the onion mixture over the meat, let it come to a simmer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and sweetened condensed milk, add the 2 bay leaves, and give it a good stir. Let it come to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low to low and cover.
  • Cook covered, stirring and scraping the bottom of the casserole 2 to 3 times along the way, until the meat is completely cooked and coming easily apart if you pull one piece, about one hour and a half. Remove the lid, cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Scoop out the carnitas with a slotted spoon, leaving any fat behind, and serve in a bowl or platter. Shred with a fork, if desired, before tucking into tacos. Or do like we do, serve straight from the pot.
  • Serve with warm corn tortillas and pickled jalapeños or salsa verde cruda on the side.

Grilled Cheese and Bean Heroes

Posted on by Pati Jinich
molletes pati jinich
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4.80 from 5 votes

Grilled Cheese and Bean Heroes

Grilled Cheese and Bean Heroes recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 3 “My Three Favorite Boys”
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time13 minutes
Course: Antojos, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Avocado, bacon, bolillo, bread, Chorizo, ham, Monterrey Jack cheese, mozzarella, Mushroom, Oaxaca cheese, Pico de Gallo, refried beans, telera, turkey
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 4 teleras, bolillos, Portuguese buns, or baguettes cut into 5- to 6-inch pieces
  • 2 cups refried beans homemade or store-bought
  • 2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded Oaxaca cheese, mozzarella, Monterrey Jack or mild cheddar
  • Traditional pico de gallo or other salsa of your choice

Optional extra toppings:

  • Mexican-style chorizo crumbled and fried
  • Crisped bacon
  • Turkey or ham
  • Sautéed mushrooms
  • Sliced avocado

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Spread each piece with 3 to 4 tablespoons of refried beans and top with 3 to 4 tablespoons of grated cheese. Arrange the molletes on a baking sheet as you make them. If you want to add more toppings like ham, turkey, bacon or chorizo, sprinkle them on top of the cheese.
  • When they are all assembled, bake until the cheese has melted and the bread has a nice toasted crust on the bottom and around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Eat while hot. Serve with pico de gallo, or your favorite salsa, on the side.

Notes

Molletes

Tex-Mex Chili

Posted on by Pati Jinich
tex mex chili pati jinich
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4.67 from 15 votes

Tex-Mex Chili

Tex-Mex Chili recipe from Pati's Mexican Table Season 3, Episode 2 “Pati’s Texican”
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: beans, beef, bell peppers, cayenne pepper, chili, chipotles in adobo, ground beef, jalapeno, onion, pati's mexican table, pinto beans, pork
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus one tablespoon set aside
  • 1 pound beef stew meat cubed into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 pound ground pork or beef
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
  • 1 white onion chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño seeding optional
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Chili powder such as ancho or chipotle chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle chiles in adobo sauce or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans drained and rinsed (or about 4 cups homemade)

To garnish:

  • sour cream
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Tortilla chips
  • Green onions sliced thin

Instructions

  • In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom casserole, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and begin to brown on all sides. After 2 to 3 minutes, add the ground meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and let it brown along with the cubed meat for another 5 to 6 minutes. The juices of the ground meat should have come out and then dry out. Stir as the meat browns.
  • Make room in the center of the pan, add the extra tablespoon of oil and add the onions and peppers, cook for 5 more minutes or until they begin to soften. Make some room in the casserole again, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, cayenne, paprika, chili powder, chipotle sauce, cumin, oregano, stir well.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and vinegar, mix well and cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring a couple times. The tomato paste should have dissolved and the sauce thickened a bit. Pour in the beef stock and once it comes to a strong simmer, reduce heat to medium. Add the beans and stir. Lower the heat to medium-low, it should have a low steady simmer, and cook uncovered for an hour, stir every once in awhile.
  • Serve the chili in bowls and let your guests garnish with sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips and green onions.

Notes

Chili Tex-Mex

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

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

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

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

Lamb Barbacoa in Adobo

Posted on by patiadmin

Barbacoa is one of those iconic Mexican foods.

Juicy, tender meat that falls off the bone, infused with a rustic, smoky flavor and a jungle like fragrance. It uses a cooking technique that began in ancient times, long before the Spanish arrived, and it lives on to this day across Mexico in places that specialize in making it. Of course, there are accessible homestyle versions too.

Abroad, so many people have heard of barbacoa and want to have a taste of the real thing. The people I’ve talked to that have tried it are dying to repeat the experience. In Mexico it has never ever gone out of fashion, and it is especially rooted in the central part of the country, where I grew up.

True, that barbacoa sounds much like barbeque. Though it is from a type of barbacoa that Americans got the idea to cook barbeque, it’s not the Mexican kind, but the Native American found here in the US, which used to be outdoors and above the ground. In Mexico we call ours barbacoa too (thanks to the Spanish!), but the Mexican way is completely different: the meat is wrapped tightly in banana leaves, cooked for many (so very many!) hours in an underground pit with an initial heating base of burning wood, walls of brick and smoldering rocks that are sealed with a kind of clay, and finally steamed and cooked overnight.

If you haven’t tried it, this is your chance to make it! And no, you don’t need an underground pit, there are ways to go about it and you can cook it away while you are tucked away in your bed…

barbacoa 1

The most common meat to use for barbacoa is lamb, goat or mutton, which fits the rustic nature of the barbacoa so well, as these meats are so gamey. I go for a meaty lamb leg or shoulder, bone in. But there is also barbacoa of other milder meats, even chicken.

There are variations for what the thick marinade of the meat should be. I like to make a version I’ve tweaked over the years based off two takes: one is the basic rub that has been used for decades in a restaurant in Mexico City called El Caballo Bayo -where my dad used to go for take out to make barbacoa tacos some Sundays- and the other contains more spices, vegetables and grains from a recipe that my mother makes, which was passed down from her nana.

You can make the marinade, which looks more like a paste… ahead of time too. Aside from the guajillo and ancho chiles, it has tomato, garlic and onion.

barbacoa 2

Then it has oregano, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and a good dose of salt and ground pepper.

The chiles are first quickly toasted and rehydrated in simmering in water.

barbacoa 3

You can of course do whatever you want with the water that the chiles were simmering in, but if you want my opinion: DON’T ever throw it ALL away, EVER! That liquid has a ton of flavor and color, and you really want it in your dish. You really do.

Just look at the depth of color.

barbacoa 4

Pour it in the blender along with the rest of the ingredients.

barbacoa 5

After blending, the mixture should be nice and smooth. After seasoning it in a pan, just letting it simmer down, it should develop a deeper, richer color.

Rub this all over the meat and marinate anywhere from a couple hours to a day. The more your marinade it the better.

barbacoa 6

If you want to really give it the rustic kick, place the wet meat on banana leaves, which will help keep it moist and juicy and add a grassy, fresh, aroma and flavor to the meat. The steam bath in the leaves gives it a jungle-y warm flavor; as if you were really cooking the meat in an earth pit.

Then place that bundle on the roasting rack of a roasting pan. If you aren’t able to find banana leaves, you can just wrap the top of the roasting pan before it goes in the oven.

barbacoa 7

Before wrapping up the meat in the banana leaves, place some fresh or dried avocado leaves on top of the meat. They will add extra depth and a flavor similar to anise (but don’t eat them later!). Again, if you can’t find them, don’t worry, you can skip them.

barbacoa 8

On the bottom of the roasting pan, add all the vegetables: carrots, potatoes and garbanzo beans.

Place the wrapped meat on the rack over the vegetables and as the meat cooks, some of the juices will run out of the bottom of the banana leaves, creating a rich broth for the vegetables to cook in. Those vegetables, after absorbing all that flavor and cooking so long, bring about a lot of depth and sweetness, at the same time.

barbacoa 9

Then wrap up the top of the roasting pan in foil really tight. Remember this is to make up for not cooking it in an underground closed pit. And place it in the oven.

putting barbacoa in the oven

Once done, remove the meat from the oven, give it a little time to cool down and unwrap the foil and banana leaves. Be careful, because the steam that comes out will be burning hot.

lamb barbacoa

While I love American barbecue in the summer, Mexican barbacoa is a perfect dish for the winter months. Cooking the meat in the oven for hours will fill your home with amazing smells and warmth; not to mention a bounty of incredibly flavorful food.

All you do is shred the meat in big chunks, have the vegetables on the side, invite some friends over and start making some tacos, there is a lot to share here. Dig in!

p.s. It’s even better with some salsa verde on the side.

Note: I researched, tested, tasted, edited and submitted this recipe to The Washington Post for an article published on February 24, 2010.

Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Lamb Barbacoa in Adobo

Barbacoa is one of those iconic Mexican foods. Juicy, tender meat that falls off the bone, infused with a rustic, smoky flavor and a jungle like fragrance. It uses a cooking technique that began in ancient times, long before the Spanish arrived, and it lives on to this day across Mexico in places that specialize in making it. Of course, there are accessible homestyle versions too.
Prep Time3 hours
Cook Time8 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: ancho chiles, apple cider vinegar, avocado leaves, banana leaves, beer, carrots, corn tortillas, garbanzo beans, guajillo chiles, lamb, onion, pati's mexican table, Tomatoes
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the marinade:

  • 10 dried guajillo chile peppers stemmed and seeded
  • 10 dried ancho chile peppers stemmed and seeded
  • 5 cups water
  • 1/3 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1 medium Roma tomato cut into quarters
  • 1/2 medium white onion coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 3 medium cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 whole cloves stems removed
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons safflower or vegetable oil

For the vegetable base:

  • 2 medium white onions coarsely chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 pounds carrots peeled and cut crosswise into chunks
  • 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes peeler and cut into large cubes
  • 8 ounces dried garbanzo beans soaked overnight in 3 cups of very hot water, then drained
  • 12 ounces light colored beer such as Corona, 1 bottle
  • 3 cups water
  • A few bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

For the meat:

  • 8 pounds bone-in leg or shoulder of lamb or both
  • 1 pound Banana leaves
  • 5 to 6 fresh or dried avocado leaves optional

For assembly:

  • Lime wedges for serving
  • Warmed corn tortillas

Instructions

To make the marinade:

  • Heat a large, dry skillet over medium heat. Add the dried chile peppers and toast them for no more than 20 seconds per side, taking care not to burn them.
  • Transfer them to a medium saucepan and add the water, place over medium heat and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the peppers have softened and rehydrated.
  • Transfer the peppers to a blender. Add 2 cups of their cooking liguid (discard the remaining liquid), the vinegar, tomato, onion, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, cloves (stems removed) and salt; puree until smooth.
  • Wipe out the medium saucepan and add the oil. Place over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the pureed marinade, being careful to avoid any splatters. Partially cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the color darkens and the mixture thickens to a pastelike consistency.
  • Rinse the lamb and pat dry with paper towels. Place in in a large, nonreactive dish. Use the marinade to cover it completely, rubbing the mixture into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

To make the vegetable base:

  • Just before the lamb is finished marinating, prepare the vegetable base. Have a large roasting pan at hand with a rack that fits inside, preferable with some space underneath. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you place it in the over.
  • Combine the onions, carrots, potatoes, and soaked and drained garbanzo beans in a large raosting pan. Pour the beer and water over the top. Add the bay leaves and season with salt to taste; toss to combine. Place the roasting rack over the mixture.

To make the meat:

  • Preheat the over to 325 degrees.
  • Unfold the banana leaves and arrange a few layers of them on the roasting rack, leaving a generous amound of overlap on the pan long sides for wrapping the meat (alternatively, you may use a few long pieces of aluminum foil). Place the meat on top of the leaves and use all of the marinade to cover it. PLace the avocado leaves, if using, on top of the meat, then fold the leaves over to cover the meat. If using the foil, poke a few small holes near the bottom edges to allow the meats juices to fall into the vegetable base below during cooking. The juices will natually fall through the spaces between the banana leaves.
  • Cover the banana leaf package or foil package tightly with a layer of foil. Slow-roast for 8 to 10 hours; until the meat comes off the bone easily and the vegetables should be well seasoned and tender. Transfer to the stovetop (off of the heat), and let everything rest for 15 to 20 minutes before opening the package. Discard the avocado leaves, if using.

To assemble:

  • Serve with lime wedges, warmed corn tortilla and a salsa you like.

Notes

Barbacoa

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole

Posted on by patiadmin

You can do fabulous things with pumpkins aside from spooky faces and pumpkin pie… Just ask any Mexican. We have a way with pumpkins.

Native to Mexico, pumpkins have been devoured there for centuries, in their entirety. The seeds are addicting as snacks, used as a hefty base for salsas, soups and sauces and more recently sprinkled on top of many dishes. The pumpkin meat is used for soups and stews, and along with the entire rind cooked in a piloncillo syrup, becoming a traditional favorite known as Tacha.

Yet there is something else you can make with those fall pumpkins: Mole!

An easy to make, silky textured and exquisite tasting mole sauce, that can bathe anything you can think of. From chicken to meat, fish, seafood and veggies; it all goes beautifully swaddled in it. I like it mostly with chicken or turkey, which is how I am most used to eating thick and rich Mole sauces….

So that you can try it too, here it goes.

As simple as it is to make, it uses two ancient and crucial techniques of Mexican cooking that enhance the flavors of the ingredients and bring a ton of personality to a dish: charring and toasting.

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole 1

First the onion and garlic take a quick turn under the broiler to be charred. Their sharp, crisp and pungent flavors become transformed…

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole 2

…as if their alter ego came out to show depth and sweetness. While at the same time becoming a bit rustic.

Then the ancho chiles, almonds, cinnamon, allspice and whole cloves take a turn either in a skillet or comal, to lightly toast.

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole 3

Toasting them intensifies and deepens their flavor, it releases new aromas and adds a kind of warmth to the dish.

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole 4

As the chiles have been dried for a long time, aside from giving them a light toast, you need to rehydrate them and plump them back to life. And it takes just 10 minutes of soaking them in a hot bath.

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole 5

Then you also use that water from the chile bath, as it has some of the intense flavors and colors of the chiles, as well as the chiles to make the Mole Sauce.

Then everything in the blender goes!

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole 6

If you used True or Ceylon cinnamon, puree it along with the rest of the ingredients. As it is light and thin, it crumbles and purees easily. It is gentle and kind to the blades of the blender. If you only found the hard Cassia kind, use it to simmer in the mole sauce further on.

Then you add it all along with the pumpkin puree in a big pot. You can use already made pumpkin puree from the store…

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole 7

Or make your own pumpkin puree with those extra pumpkins that are sitting on your front porch… Making the puree is pretty simple: Quarter the pumpkin, remove the seeds and fibers, roast in the oven at 400 ºF until soft and process the pumpkin meat in a blender of food processor until smooth.

After you simmer the pumpkin puree along with the ancho chile puree (that has the charred and toasted ingredients), it will look like this. Incredibly rich, just like its flavor.

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole 8

You can make the Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole ahead of time, and just heat it when you are ready to serve it.

Topping it with toasted pumpkin seeds makes the dish all the more fabulous.  You can taste it already, right?

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole 9

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole main
Print Recipe
4.41 from 5 votes

Pumpkin and Ancho Chile Mole

An easy to make, silky textured and exquisite tasting mole sauce, that can bathe anything you can think of. From chicken to meat, fish, seafood and veggies; it all goes beautifully swaddled in it. I like it mostly with chicken or turkey, which is how I am most used to eating thick and rich Mole sauces….So that you can try it too, here it goes.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: almonds, ancho chiles, brown sugar, ceylon, chicken, cinnamon, cloves, Mole, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, Recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1/2 white onion peeled, charred or broiled
  • 6 garlic cloves charred or broiled, peeled
  • 3 ancho chiles stemmed, seeded and opened
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1/2 stick true or ceylon cinnamon about 1 inch (or substitute for 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  • 8 whole allspice berries or 1/8 teaspoon ground
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree about 1 3/4 cup
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar or more to taste
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds lightly toasted

Instructions

  • Place the onion and garlic in a baking sheet under the broiler. Char for 9 to 10 minutes, flipping once in between. Once they are soft and charred, remove from the heat. When the garlic is cool, peel.
  • In an already hot skillet or comal set over medium-low heat, toast the ancho chiles for about 15 to 20 seconds per side, until they brown and crisp without burning. Place toasted ancho chiles in a bowl covered with boiling water. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes until they are plumped up and rehydrated.
  • In the same skillet or comal, toast the cloves and all spice until aromatic, about a minute. Remove from the heat. Toast the almonds and cinnamon, stirring often, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Place the onion, garlic, chiles, 1/2 cup of chile soaking liquid, almonds, cloves, cinnamon and allspice in the blender and puree until smooth.
  • In a soup pot or casserole, heat the oil and pour the pureed mixture over medium heat. Add the salt and sugar. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to help prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The color will darken considerably.
  • Add the pumpkin puree and chicken broth to the sauce. Stir well until the pumpkin puree has dissolved, it will have a silky consistency. Continue to cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Use the mole sauce to pour over grilled, broiled or boiled chicken, meat or fish. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds for some added flavor and crunch.

Notes

Mole de Chile Ancho y Calabaza

Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup

Posted on by patiadmin

My grandfather on my mother’s side, Francisco, whom we called “Yeye,” was wild about chiles. Not very common in his native Bratislava, I guess. He used to say that what he loved the most about his new country was the predictable weather (especially the bright sunny winters), the colorful markets, and most of all, the chiles. All of them.

He was oh so very crazy about them, that my grandmother used to hide them from him. She complained that he had no boundaries, no sense of measure, when eating chiles. He simply would not stop.

But he knew all her tricks, discover all her hiding spots, and when he found the prized chiles, he would stuff them in his pockets. Not only fresh jalapeños or serranos but also wet pickled jalapeños... Those must have been some messy pockets to wash…

My “Lali,” liked to please him though. She had Austrian training in the kitchen and made exquisite and elegant foods. Once in Mexico, she fell in love with the cuisine and learned how to combine the two culinary traditions. She became a master at it.

She created a classic dish out of her Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup.

Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup 1

See? Just because you add a chile to something does not mean it becomes Mexican. You have to know how to add it, how much of it, and most importantly, when to not add….not every dish that is Mexican has a chile in it.

Lali made a mushroom base with a traditional Mexican treatment. Gently cooked onion, garlic and chopped jalapeños (with the seeds please) until the edges begging to brown. Then, she added the mushrooms and covered them, so they would steam in the mix. Once their liquids came out, she would open the pot again and let them dry, and begin to brown.

Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup 2

Of the thousands of ways to use chiles, steaming them with other ingredients brings out their flavor in such a subtle way.

Then she poured her home made chicken broth on top.

Her Matzo balls were fluffy, round and simply seasoned with parsley (which has been growing so happily in my garden).

Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup 3

Grated nutmeg is also added to the matzo ball mix. No need to add freshly ground black pepper.

Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup 4

The eggs are the glue that holds the matzo balls together, combined with a bit of oil…

Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup 5

Then she had a trick to make the matzo balls fluffy. That is, if you like them fluffy. Which most of my family does.

It seems that the main division in the matzo ball world, is between those that like the matzo balls hard and those that like them fluffy. Cooks debate all the time on how to make them fluffy or hard: more egg or less egg, more oil or less oil, matzo meal or matzo mix…

My grandmother’s trick to make them fluffy was to add sparkling water. But just a tablespoon for a full recipe. I always separate a bit of the mix without any, because I am the only one around here that likes the matzo balls hard.

Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup 6

As much as my grandfather begged, my grandmother added little jalapeños. She argued that one needs to taste everything else, which in principle sounds right. But if he were here, I would make him an extra batch, with as many jalapeños I could find in my backyard. And there are oh so many…

Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup 7

pati jinich mushroom jalapeno matzo ball soup
Print Recipe
4.67 from 6 votes

Mushroom-Jalapeño Matzo Ball Soup

If you're looking for a Mexican style matzo ball soup, this is one my grandmother used to make.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Jewish, Mexican
Keyword: chicken broth, jalapeno, Jewish Mexican, matzo, Mushroom, nutmeg, parsley, pati's mexican table, Recipe, soup
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 cup matzo ball mix
  • 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
  • 4 large eggs
  • 8 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon sparkling water optional, to make the matzo balls fluffy
  • 1/2 cup white onion finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 2 jalapeño chiles finely chopped, seeded optional, more or less to taste
  • 1/2 pound white mushrooms wiped clean with cloth, sliced
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 8-10 cups chicken broth

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the matzo ball mix, parsley, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of salt. In another small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with 6 tablespoons the of vegetable oil and the sesame oil. Fold in the beaten eggs to the matzo ball mixture with a spatula. Add the sparkling water if you want the matzo balls fluffy, and mix well until well combine. Cover the mix and refrigerate for at least half an hour.
  • Bring about 12 cups of salted water to a rolling boil in a large soup pot. Bring heat down to medium and keep at a steady simmer. With wet hands, make about 1 inch balls out of the matzo ball mix and gently drop them into the water. Cover and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat in a large cooking pot. Add the onion, garlic and chiles and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until they have softened. Incorporate the sliced mushrooms. sprinkle the salt, stir and cover with a lid. Steam the mushrooms for about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Take off the lid and pour the chicken broth over the mushroom base. Once it is simmering, incorporate the already cooked matzo balls, without their cooking liquid, and serve.

Notes

Sopa de Bolas de Matzo con Hongos y Jalapeño

Pozole: Try It Green!

Posted on by patiadmin

Red pozole, or Pozole Rojo, Jalisco style, has been my favorite pozole of all time. It is bold and gorgeous in every possible way. I am so attached to it, we even served it at our wedding.

For decades now, I’ve refused to replace it with another. And then, I tried a unique green version, Pozole Verde, Guerrero style. It has not surpassed my Pozole Rojo, but it is attempting to tie with it at my table. And that is a lot to say.

Treasured all around Mexico, pozole has many variations, mainly green, red and white. Each distinct and beautiful, and coincidentally, represent the colors of the Mexican flag. Since September is the month of Mexican independence and The Day of El Grito is just around the corner, there is no excuse not to find an excuse to celebrate! And in my mental Mexican dictionary, pozole equals celebration.

Pozole has been made for centuries, and according to Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, a Spanish missionary, Moctezuma -greatest Aztec Emperor of all times- would honor the God of the Sun by eating and serving it. I don’t know though, what color it was!

What makes a pozole red or green is the seasoning sauce added to the stew. If there is no sauce, it is a white pozole. Though there are many kinds of green pozole, they all use green ingredients, and this one has: tomatillos,  epazote (or cilantro if you can’t find it), pumpkin seeds and jalapeños.

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Making that green seasoning sauce is simple. Tomatillos, garlic and chile simmer in water until the color of the tomatillos changes from bright, happy and loud to a mellow green. The texture goes from firm, to very mushy, but not coming apart.

The toasted pumpkin seeds are ground, they are pureed with that cooked tomatillo mix and white onion. The pumpkin seeds give the sauce a nutty, velvety base. Then the sauce is taken a step further and simmered until it is seasoned, thickened and its flavors have concentrated. It must be powerful, as it will dilute in the pozole. See? The spoon on the left has the green sauce before it is seasoned.

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What is common about any pozole is not only the many garnishes that dress it at the end, but also the very large corn known here as hominy, and in Mexico as maí­z cacahuacintle, also known as maí­z mote and giant corn. It gives pozole its signature mealy bite.

Cooking hominy is simple, but takes a while, so it is available already cooked in cans or refrigerated bags if you do not feel like preparing it. This is how it looks when you buy it at the stores before cooking.

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But I love to cook it at home. It is as simple as throwing it in a pot, covering it in water and waiting for it to “bloom”.  Literally, when it opens up at the top, you know it’s ready.

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Just like when cooking beans, add salt after they are cooked, or they will toughen up.Then in a big pot, combine the cooked hominy, the shredded chicken that was simmered in a simple broth (complete recipe below) as much green pozole sauce as you want, and a leafy stem of epazote, which will have anywhere from 5 to 10 leaves. If you don’t find epazote, add like 5 sprigs of cilantro. I personally add all the sauce. Then, you want to let all the ingredients cook together for about 20 minutes.

Once it is ready: dress it up! Radishes, lettuce, white onion, ground dried chile, oregano and quartered limes to squeeze juice on top, are placed at the table for you to choose. Tostadas to be munched on the side. And, in particular for the green pozole, Mexican avocado and chicharrones (crispy pork rind), are often too, which gives it an extra crunch. If you find some, add it on!

Whatever you choose, do squeeze fresh lime juice onto it.

Pozole is so popular in Mexico that there are pozolerí­as, restaurants that only serve pozole. That would be like a restaurant in the US that only served chicken noodle soup! How is that possible? Take a bite into this one-stop meal. You’ll see.

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P.S. Pozole tastes even better reheated. Great excuse for making the soup ahead of time. Also, watch out for this recipe: It serves a hungry party of 12.

green pozole or pozole verde
Print Recipe
4.67 from 6 votes

Green Pozole

Red pozole, or Pozole Rojo, Jalisco style, has been my favorite pozole of all time. It is bold and gorgeous in every possible way. I am so attached to it, we even served it at our wedding. For decades now, I’ve refused to replace it with another… And then, I tried a unique green version, Pozole Verde, Guerrero style. It has not surpassed my Pozole Rojo, but it is attempting to tie with it at my table. And that is a lot to say.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time3 hours 30 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken, chile, cilantro, epazote, hominy, jalapeno, lime, piquí­n chiles, pumpkin seeds, radish, Recipe, soup, tomatillos, tortilla chips
Servings: 12 to 15 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the white pozole:

  • 1 pound dried hominy rinsed, the same as giant white corn or maiz mote pelado
  • 1 head garlic
  • 2 whole chickens or about 6 pounds, cut up in serving pieces, rinsed (combine with pork butt or shoulder if desired)
  • 1 onion
  • Couple fresh cilantro sprigs
  • 1 tablespoon kosher or course sea salt or to taste

For the green pozole sauce:

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds lightly toasted
  • 1 pound tomatillos husks removed, rinsed
  • 1 to 2 jalapeños stemmed
  • 1 fresh large leafy stem of epazote or 5 sprigs cilantro
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup onion coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the garnishes:

  • 5 to 6 limes cut in half
  • 10 radishes rinsed, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 head of romaine lettuce rinsed, drained and thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons onion finely chopped
  • 1 Mexican avocado halved, pitted, meat scooped out and dried
  • Piquí­n chile or a Mexican mix of dried chiles, ground
  • dried oregano crumbled
  • Tostadas or totopos

Instructions

  • Place the hominy in a large soup pot with cold water at least 3 inches on top. Take off the dried skin layers from the head of garlic and add it into the pot. Do not add salt, because the hominy will toughen. Bring to a boil, then gently simmer over low medium heat uncovered for 3 hours or until hominy is tender and has begun to "bloom" or open up. Alternatively, you can buy precooked hominy and continue from this point.
  • In the meantime, place chicken in a large soup pot and cover with at least 1 inch of water above. Add white onion, cilantro and a tablespoon of salt and bring to boil. Simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked and tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones, and shred the meat into bite size pieces.
  • Meanwhile, make the green pozole sauce. Place tomatillos, garlic and chile in a medium 3-quart saucepan. Cover with water and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer; cook until the tomatillos have changed color from a bright to a dull green and are soft but not breaking apart, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the cooked vegetables and set aside.
  • In a blender, add toasted pumpkin seeds and chop until finely ground. Then add the cooked tomatillos, jalapeños and garlic, onion, salt and reserved liquid. Puree until smooth. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium high heat until hot. Add the tomatillo sauce from the blender. Bring to a boil and simmer 15 to 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, so it will thicken, season and deepen its color.
  • When the hominy is ready, incorporate the shredded chicken and its cooking broth. Add the green pozole sauce and the epazote or cilantro. Let it cook for 30 minutes more. Check for seasoning - at this point I always add more salt - and serve.
  • You may present the Pozole in a big soup pot and place the garnishes in smaller bowls on the side. Each person can serve Pozole in their individual soup bowls, and then add as many garnishes to their soup as they would like. I do, however, recommend that some fresh lime juice be squeezed into it! Tostadas or totopos are eaten on the side.

Notes

Pozole Verde

Enchiladas Verdes in a Tomatillo Sauce

Posted on by patiadmin

When Cinco de Mayo is around the corner, friends start asking me what we will be eating to celebrate… and what I am craving most are Enchiladas Verdes. The perfect yummy family food that stays messy on the casserole.

Even though most native Mexicans know that Cinco de Mayo isn’t a big celebration in Mexico (as a matter of fact, it is mostly celebrated in Puebla), we embrace it outside of Mexico with all our hearts without really knowing why. I guess it is a great excuse to celebrate what we love and miss about Mexico- like the tomatillo, a native Mexican ingredient that is the corner stone of so many dishes.

Enchiladas Verdes 1
The tomatillo, like Cinco de Mayo, has been adopted in the U.S. It can now be found in most supermarkets and it seems to me it will grow big time in American kitchens as it is such a spectacular ingredient.

While on the outside it isn’t the most appealing ingredient because of the papery and dusty husk, but once you peel it, rinse it and try it, you will see what a gorgeous jewel it is, both in looks and in flavor!  Most people know it from being used to make salsa verde, which is exactly what these enchiladas are covered in. You can also find cans and jars of ready made salsa, but it is so easy to make at home, that you should give it a try. It’s tastier too.

To make the salsa, simmer the tomatillos in water with the garlic, until they are soft and pale green.  Then transfer the tomatillos and garlic to the blender and puree with the jalapeño or serrano chiles, cilantro leaves, onion and salt.

Enchiladas Verdes 2

Then to make your enchiladas the best they can be, one at a time, pass each corn tortilla through already hot oil until they change color and soften.  This will prevent them from breaking as you roll them.  The oil also makes the tortillas resilient, so they will hold on to that yummy tomatillo sauce.

Enchiladas Verdes 3

Place some of the shredded chicken into each of the corn tortillas and roll them up.  I like them chunky. You can cook the chicken at home or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, they both work great here!

Place the rolled tortillas seam side down in a casserole dish.  Pour the tomatillo sauce, generously, over the top. Then bake them for 10 to 15 minutes.

Enchiladas Verdes 4

When they are out of the oven, drizzle Mexican crema over the top, it has a tangy flavor, and when it hits the warm enchiladas, it will warm up, become melty, and become even more creamy, and at the same time it will add some fresh notes to the dish.

Enchiladas Verdes 5

Crumble up some queso fresco on top too. It will keep on crumbling right in your mouth as you eat it.  Add some onion for a nice crunch, and then they are ready to go!

Enchiladas can be made with many different sauces and fillings.  This take has the traditional salsa verde or green tomatillo sauce and chicken, but you can play with the fillings.

Enchiladas Verdes 6

If you have extra tomatillo salsa left over…  Try serving it over tilapia filets, baked in the oven; or serve on top of sunny side up eggs in the morning.  This tomatillo sauce is truly limitless.

You can eat Enchiladas Verdes like me, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. But you can also eat them everyday. After all, everyday is worthy of being celebrated, with a Mexican excuse or not.

Print Recipe
4.78 from 9 votes

Enchiladas Verdes in a Tomatillo Sauce

Enchiladas can be made with many different sauces and fillings. This take has the traditional salsa verde or green tomatillo sauce and chicken, but you can play with the fillings.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Antojos, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Antojo, chicken, Enchilada, Recipe, salsa verde
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 2 pounds green tomatillos husks removed and rinsed
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 serrano chiles or to taste
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup white onion roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon safflower or corn oil

For the enchiladas:

  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken home cooked or rotisserie works great!
  • Oil for frying the tortillas
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 cup Mexican style cream can substitute for heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco farmers cheese, cotija or mild feta
  • 1/3 cup white onion chopped, for garnish

Instructions

To make the sauce:

  • Place the tomatillos and garlic cloves in a pot and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until tomatillos change their color from bright to pale green, are cooked through, and are soft but not coming apart.
  • Place the tomatillos, garlic and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid in the blender and puree. Add the chiles serranos, cilantro leaves, onion and salt, and puree again until smooth. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, but not smoking, pour in the sauce and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until it thickens and deepens in color. Taste for salt and add more if need be.

To make the enchiladas:

  • In a large saute pan over medium heat, add enough oil to have about 1/2 inch depth. Let it heat about 3 minutes. Gently "pass each tortilla through the oil," one by one, for about 15 seconds on each side, they will soften and become resilient. You should be able to fold them without breaking them. Transfer them to a paper towel covered plate.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Place about 2 to 3 tablespoons chicken inside of each tortilla and roll them up. Place them, seam side down on a baking dish. Cover, generously, with the green sauce. Place them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven, sprinkle with the crumbled cheese, the cream, and the chopped onion. They are very satisfying with a side of rice and/or beans, as well as with a light green salad.
  • Eat the enchiladas while they are hot!

Notes

Enchiladas Verdes

Brisket in Pasilla Chile and Tomatillo Sauce

Posted on by patiadmin

This is by far, the best brisket I’ve ever had.

The meat chunks gain a nutty brown crust as they cook, yet as you take a bite they fall apart in your mouth. And the sauce, thick, a bit tart, a bit spicy and wholeheartedly rich, enhances the flavor of the meat. It is a dish with a flavor hard to forget: it has loads of personality.

It’s become the trump card I pull out for guests that love unusual and authentic flavors from Mexico. The best part of it is, the hardest part about making it, is waiting for the brisket to cook on its own.

I first tried a version of it in Santa Fé de la Laguna, Michoacán. A popular dish in that region, it goes by the name of Carne Enchilada. A young and knowledgeable Purépecha cook, Berenice Flores, showed me how to make it at her home. When my whole family sat down to eat it, we kept asking her for more corn tortillas to wipe the sauce clean off the plates.

Brisket Extra-thumb-510x383-1500
In Michoacán its typically made with pork, but when I got back home to DC, I couldn’t resist trying it with brisket. As well as adding a layer of seasoned onion to the sauce.

When Cecilia Ramos, Executive Director for Mexico and the Dominican Republic at the IADB, invited me to cook an authentic Mexican menu for the monthly Board of Directors, the first thing that popped into my mind was this dish.

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The sauce has a base of two exemplary Mexican ingredients that are now widely available in the US.

First, Pasilla or Black chiles, which are the dried Chilaca chiles, by far the most common chiles grown and used in Michoacán. Their flavor is earthy, a bit bitter and slightly spicy.

If you don’t find Pasillas, you can substitute with New Mexico chiles.

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Secondly, the Tomatillos, with their singular tasty tartness. The combination of the Pasillas and the Tomatillos is so good, its even hard to describe.

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Aside from having a lot of fun planning the menu, cooking at the kitchens of the IADB under the expert guidance of Chef Craig Psulgi was quite a ride.

Forget about the facility: It’s any cook’s dream. What’s more, the cooking team he directs is a group of international hard working people with the friendliest of dispositions.

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They are used to making all sorts of Latin American meals, focusing on different national cuisines to satiate the cravings of the multicultural staff from the IADB. Thus making a unique Mexican menu at the IADB is one big challenge.

In the end, what I really wanted, was to make the Mexican patrons there feel back at home.

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Though I had thought of a full menu, I didn’t consider the appetizer for the pre-lunch hour. Since they had some beautiful shrimp, we came up with a tasty appetizer: quickly sauteed shrimp on top of a brioche toast, smothered with an easy Mexican avocado cream, topped with a spicy red bell pepper sauce.

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For the salad, we had watercress and spinach with a Jamaica vinaigrette.

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We offered a choice between Pasilla and Tomatillo brisket and an Acapulco style fish. Both with a side of a comfy Mexican rice and a pickled chayote side
(sorry about the photo with the fluorescent lighting of the professional kitchen…)

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Yes there is always one or another kind of drama in the kitchen.

We almost dropped the entire tray with all of the brisket on the floor.

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Chef Psulgi caught it just on time.

And with that extra adrenaline rush, plating away we went.

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Always have to put a finishing touch in there…

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The waiters, I must say, were quite patient and helpful.

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And right before the luncheon started, I was invited to step out to describe what it was that they were all about to eat, that was on their menus…

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And…

I’m happy to say that everyone seemed to love the brisket. Yes. Even the ones who opted for fish, because I insisted they try the brisket too…

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For dessert we offered black and white Tres Leches Cake…
Because it was a soothing end, for the feast of flavors that came beforehand…

Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

Brisket in Pasilla Chile and Tomatillo Sauce

This is by far, the best brisket I’ve ever had. The meat chunks gain a nutty brown crust as they cook, yet as you take a bite they fall apart in your mouth. And the sauce, thick, a bit tart, a bit spicy and wholeheartedly rich, enhances the flavor of the meat. It is a dish with a flavor hard to forget: it has loads of personality.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Jewish, Mexican
Keyword: beef, chile, garlic, Jewish Mexican, pasilla, pati's mexican table, piloncillo, Recipe, tomatillos
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds trimmed brisket of beef rinsed and cut into about 2-inch chunks (leave some fat on!)
  • 5 garlic cloves peeled
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt divided (plus more to taste)
  • 1 pound tomatillos husks removed and rinsed
  • 3 ounces black or pasilla chiles (may sub for New Mexico chiles) stems and seeds removed
  • 3 tablespoons corn or safflower oil
  • 1/2 cup white onion chopped
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 2 cups meat cooking liquid
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar
  • Chopped white onion and cilantro leaves optional garnish

Instructions

  • Place meat chunks in a large cooking pot along with 5 garlic cloves, peppercorns and salt. Cover with water, bring to a boil, cover partially and simmer over medium heat for 3 hours, or until meat is very soft. Drain and reserve 2 cups of its cooking liquid.
  • Meanwhile, char or roast the tomatillos on a baking sheet under the broiler, or directly on the comal or dry skillet or grill over medium heat, for about 10 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times. Tomatillos are ready when their skin is blistered and lightly charred, and their flesh is soft, mushy and juicy.
  • Toast chiles on a hot comal or dry skillet over-medium heat for 5 to 10 seconds per side. Chiles will release their aroma and become more pliable, and their inner skin will become a bit opaque. Don't let them burn.
  • Place toasted chiles and roasted or charred tomatillos in a bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water and 2 cups of reserved meat cooking liquid (if you don't have 2 cups, add more water). Let this mixture soak for at least a half-hour and up to 4 hours. Pour the mixture into the blender or food processor, puree until smooth and reserve.
  • Add 3 tablespoons of corn or safflower oil to the same pot in which meat was cooked, and heat over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add cooked meat chunks and brown them, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the chopped onion, and stir as you continue to brown the meat for another 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Incorporate pureed chile mixture, a teaspoon of salt and the piloncillo or brown sugar. Stir and simmer over medium heat for about 10 more minutes. The meat should be completely tender, yet still in chunks. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, but not pasty. Taste for salt and add more if need be. To serve, you can garnish with some raw chopped onion and cilantro leaves.
  • If there is any meat left over, you can cool, store and refrigerate it in a closed contained and then reheat, covered over a low simmer.

Notes

Carne Enchilada

Chicken Tinga for Today (Show) and Everyday!

Posted on by patiadmin

What to cook for the Today Show?

With so many options being juggled in my head, I was growing restless as the date got closer.

As I started exchanging emails with one of the producers, I began to throw ideas: what about different kinds of Salsas, variations of that irresistible cold and wet Tres Leches cake, funky versions of Guacamole, or a sample of fresh Ceviches?

Or, wait. How about something easy, tasty and flashy like Tequila, Cream and Chipotle Shrimp? It’s so much fun to prepare, I told the producer. You ignite the pan, the flames come up right after the shrimp begin to brown, and then they wind down right before you pour the cream. Your guests feel special and impressed.

I had to agree that we were better off staying away from igniting anything on the set.

Oh, I got it! A chicken dish. Everyone wants a good chicken dish in their recipe box. And one of the tastiest ways to eat chicken in Mexican kitchens, no doubt about it, is Chicken Tinga.

Although it comes from the state of Puebla, it is so popular, that it is eaten throughout the country. So of course there are countless variations.

I have a favorite version. One that I have tweaked through the years until I found a balance of flavors that needs no more tweaking, if you ask me.

Chicken Tinga 4c-thumb-510x342-1318
A great thing about the Tinga, is that you only need a handful of ingredients. Some are familiar to everyone, like tomatoes, onion and garlic. The other needed Mexican ingredients are readily available throughout the US these days, and people should become familiar with them, as they are absolutely blissful.

Such is the case of the Tomatillos, pictured above next to their cousins, the tomatoes, and the Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce.

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Pump up the sweetness of the tomatoes, the tart notes of the tomatillos and the rich smoky, depth of the chipotles with some Marjoram, Oregano and Thyme, Salt and Pepper.

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Add some already cooked and shredded chicken, and you have a winner.

Catchy and irresistible, starting with the name, the Tinga is easy to prepare, packed with flavor, and once you make it, can be refashioned in a thousand ways. Plus it stores in the refrigerator well, and it’s one of those dishes that add on flavor as its reheated.

After talking with Bianca, the food stylist in charge at the Today Show, we decided to cook the Tinga, and show the viewers a couple choices of how to play with it: Tostadas and what can be called Tinga’Dillas.

Here is Bianca on the set, right before the segment. She rocks, friends.

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This is Bianca’s hand, making a beauty out of the deliciously messy Tostada…

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Here, that’s a zoom out.

OK. It is so crazy in that set, but oh so fun, fun, fun crazy. And the whole food styling team is amazing.

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That is the front of the set. Allison (there in the corner of the photo below) and I chose some colorful pots and pans to do the demo.

And do you see that clock under the screen? It says 9:39. Segment was going to be shot at 9:46. Yes, I got dizzy and nauseated, and hyper and sleepy all at the same time.

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So aside from the Chicken Tinga demo, there were the Tinga’Dillas paired with Guacamole and Grilled Corn.

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And the Tostadas, set on that rustic piece of stone. We were going to do the Fresh Cheese and Mexican Cream last minute to take it over the top. Why not?

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The 4 minutes flew by.

When all was said and done, we ate the Tostadas and the Tinga ‘Dillas. And after that, we hugged. I hugged them so tight, out of thankfulness, everyone there was so generous and warm.

From the lovely Roma, who fixed my hair (thank the heavens, I never know what to do with it and always pull it up), to the hilarious Gilberto, who did my make up (thank the seas,  because I can hardly curl my eye lashes properly), to the professional food styling team with Bianca and Allison and the rest, to the generous and kind producers Vivian and Alicia.

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And the gorgeous and warm hosts Natalie Morales and Ann Curry (who are even prettier in person, I swear!).

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Oh Boy. What a team! If you want to watch the segment click here.

The Tostadas and Tinga’Dillas are perfect for casual entertaining. They can be messy, but its a delicious kind of messy. And after all, its the middle of the summer. If you get too messy, just turn on the hose.

chicken tinga or tinga de pollo
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

Chicken Tinga

One of the tastiest ways to eat chicken in Mexican kitchens, no doubt about it, is Chicken Tinga. Although it comes from the state of Puebla, it is so popular, that it is eaten throughout the country. So of course there are countless variations. I have a favorite version. One that I have tweaked through the years until I found a balance of flavors that needs no more tweaking, if you ask me…
Prep Time1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Antojos, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken, chipotles in adobo, Pollo, Puebla, quesadillas, Recipe, tacos, tinga, tortas, tostadas
Servings: 4 servings (makes about 5 cups)
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
  • 1/2 white onion about 1/4 pound, slivered
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 8 roma tomatoes or about 2 pounds, rinsed
  • 2 tomatillos or about 1/4 pound, husks removed, rinsed
  • 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tablespoons sauce from chipotle chiles in adobo can add whole chiles if more heat is desired
  • 5 cups cooked shredded chicken

Instructions

  • Place the rinsed tomatoes and tomatillos in a medium saucepan and cover them with water. Set the saucepan over medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes and tomatillos are soft, thoroughly cooked, and smooshy but not coming apart. Remove them with a slotted spoon. Place in the jar of a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Heat the oil in a large and deep pan over medium heat. Once it is hot but not smoking, stir in the onion and cook until soft and translucent, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 minute.
  • Pour the tomato/tomatillo sauce on top and sprinkle the oregano, marjoram, thyme, salt and black pepper. Spoon in the chipotle Chiles in Adobo sauce. If you want it spicy, you may drop a whole Chipotle Chile in Adobo in there as well. Let the sauce simmer, stirring now and then until it seasons and deepens its red color, about 10 to 12 minutes. You may want to partially cover the pan as the sauce may want to jump out over your burners.
  • Toss in the chicken and combine with the sauce. Let it cook, stirring casually, until the chicken has absorbed almost all of the juices and the mix is moist but not juicy.

Notes

Tinga de Pollo
chicken tinga or tinga de pollo
Print Recipe
4 from 3 votes

Chicken Tinga Tostadas

Catchy and irresistible, starting with the name, Chicken Tinga is easy to prepare, packed with flavor, and once you make it, can be refashioned in a thousand ways, such as on tostadas.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Antojos, Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken, Pollo, Recipe, tinga, tostadas
Servings: 12 tostadas
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 12 corn tostadas such as Guerrero or Mission
  • 1 1/2 cups refried beans warmed up (can be home made or store bought)
  • 3 cups chicken tinga recipe above
  • 1 cup iceberg or romaine lettuce thinly sliced
  • 1 ripe Mexican avocado pitted, peeled, and sliced
  • 1/2 cup queso fresco Cotija or farmers cheese, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup Mexican or Latin style cream
  • Salsa of your choice such as salsa verde, optional

Instructions

  • Place the tostadas on a large platter.
  • Layer a couple of tablespoons of refried beans on the tostada. Spread a couple tablespoons of chicken tinga on top and garnish with about 1 or 2 tablespoons lettuce, 1 or 2 slices of ripe avocado, 1 or 2 tablespoons of crumbled queso fresco and Mexican cream.
  • Serve the salsa on the side for people to drizzle as much as they want.

Notes

Tostadas de Tinga de Pollo
chicken tinga or tinga de pollo
Print Recipe
3.60 from 5 votes

Tinga Dillas

Catchy and irresistible, starting with the name, Chicken Tinga is easy to prepare, packed with flavor, and once you make it, can be refashioned in a thousand ways, such as a filling for quesadillas.
Prep Time0 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Antojos, Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Antojo, chicken, Pollo, Quesadilla, Recipe, tinga, tortilla
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 8 large flour tortillas
  • 4 slices Monterey jack cheese muenster cheese, or Mexican manchego
  • 2 cups chicken tinga recipe above
  • 2 cups guacamole home made or store bought, on the side

Instructions

  • Heat a non-stick skillet or comal over medium-low heat. You may also use the grill. Once hot, after 3 or 4 minutes, layer 2 flour tortillas, the cheese slices and the Chicken Tinga. Place 2 flour tortillas on top of the open ones, and let them cook until the tortilla on the bottom has begun to harden a bit. Flip to the other side with the help of a cooking spatula and let the quesdillas continue to warm up, until the cheese has completely melted and the tortillas have hardened on both sides.
  • Repeat with the rest.
  • Serve with guacamole for your guests to spoon on top.

Notes

Quesadillas de Tinga

Tequila, Mexican Cream and Chipotle Shrimp

Posted on by patiadmin

Shrimp tend to be perceived as a treat. That fancy item on a menu.

Think about what happens at a shrimp station on a Sunday buffet. It gets crowded. Even if you didn’t feel like eating shrimp, if there’s a shrimp station, chances are you will eat them. Your mom, your dad, your husband or friends will look at your shrimp-less plate and push some shrimp onto your plate.

Growing up in Mexico City, family Sunday lunches with the dozens and dozens members of our immediate family included giant shrimp from the Mercado de la Viga.  There was so much anticipation as to when they would majestically appear on that huge platter carried by my grandmother. Before they got to the table, people started sneaking away some. So my grandmother decided to set a pre-lunch agreement on the number of shrimp per head, to avoid childish grown up wording snaps like “YOU always get the extra shrimp” or sudden door slams.

So when I was asked to develop a Mexican menu for the 2010 RAMMYS Awards I just had to include shrimp. I paired them with some signature Mexican ingredients: smoky and hot Chipotle Chiles in Adobo, tangy and salty Mexican Cream and the iconic Tequila Reposado.

And so, they were served to the 1600 attendees.

Tequila Shrimp 1
But before that day, the cooking staff under the expert guidance of the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Executive Chef Horst Lummert, had to test the recipe.

That day of testing and tasting was incredibly fun. Here we were, as we watched how the tequila drunken shrimp were ignited…

Tequila Shrimp 2
And here we were, watching a crowded shrimp station serve hundreds of plates.

Tequila Shrimp 3
And here is how you can get a taste of those shrimp, right at home. Along with some igniting which is such a thrill.

First of all. Get some good shrimp. Though it is always  better to use fresh ingredients, truth is, it is hard to get fresh shrimp. Although sold thawed, they tend to traveled frozen. A wonderful thing about shrimp though, different from fresh fish, is that shrimp freeze well and can survive the thawing process in great shape, keeping their crispness and flavor.

Here is a suggestion: If you are using them today, buy them thawed, but ask your fishmonger how long they have been sitting there. It should be 1 or 2 days tops. They shouldn’t seem limp or sad and should have a light saltwater smell. Get them with the shrimp and tail on.

If you are using them tomorrow or further on, buy them frozen. Then you are on top of how long they have been thawed.To thaw, have them in the refrigerator a day before using and rinse them under cold running water.

Don’t thaw them at room temperature or in a microwave, or you will end up with shrimp ready for a Halloween party.

Tequila Shrimp 4
Once thawed, peel and season them with Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Tequila Shrimp 3

Heat a large pan over medium high heat, once your butter is sizzling, toss in some fresh minced garlic. Let it become fragrant, 10 seconds or so… and add the shrimp.

Cook the shrimp just 1 or 2 minutes per side, so they will be soft, crispy and sweet instead of chewy, rubbery and boring.

Then pour your Tequila. This is what I have at home… The Gran Centenario. Different from the Blanco or White tequila, the Reposado is darker in color because it is aged in wooden barrels. It has a bolder flavor. But feel free to use whatever you have handy. You can also use Mezcal.

Tequila Shrimp 4
Now: Watch it. Once you add the Tequila, slightly tilt the pan to the flames of your burners as you lightly step back. It will ignite fast and furiously, but only for less than half a minute. Igniting the Tequila gets rid of the alcohol presence and retains the bold flavors from the Tequila.

Continue to cook the shrimp until the flames disappear and add the Mexican cream…

Tequila Shrimp 7
…and the Chipotle Chile in Adobo sauce. If you feel like it, drop in a Chile too.

Tequila Shrimp 8
Stir it and turn off the heat.

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Plate the shrimp covered in the sauce, just like that, while they are hot, hot, hot! And toss some fresh chopped chives right on top.

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The chives not only add a fresh flavor and color, but add a vibrant contrast to the creamy sauce.

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Here is a close up of for you.

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Crispy and sweet, smoky and tangy, and oh so bold with the presence of the Tequila. Plus they are, sooooooo much fun to prepare! Go on and impress someone.

Print Recipe
4.41 from 5 votes

Tequila, Mexican Cream and Chipotle Shrimp

So when I was asked to develop a Mexican menu for the 2010 RAMMYS Awards I just had to include shrimp. I paired them with some signature Mexican ingredients: smoky and hot Chipotle Chiles in Adobo, tangy and salty Mexican Cream and the iconic Tequila Reposado. And so, they were served to the 1600 attendees.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Course: Antojos, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chipotles in adobo, mexican crema, pati's mexican table, Recipe, seafood, Shrimp, tequila
Servings: 12 appetizer portions
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1 pound large shrimp in shell thawed, peeled and deveined (about 25 shrimp)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove finely minced
  • 1/4 cup Tequila Reposado
  • 1/4 cup Mexican style cream such as Rio Grande
  • 1 teaspoon Chipotles in adobo sauce or add more to taste
  • 1 bunch chives chopped

Instructions

  • Peel and devein the shrimp. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large and heavy saute pan set over medium-high heat, let the butter melt. Once it starts to sizzle, add the garlic. Stir and cook for 10 to 15 seconds, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Incorporate the shrimp, making sure that the pan is not over crowded, and let them brown on one side and then the other, just for about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Don't let them over cook, they should brown on the outside, but barely cooked through.
  • Add the tequila, and slightly tilt the pan over the flame to ignite the tequila. Let it cook until the flames disappear. Stir in the cream and the chipotle sauce and turn off the heat. Serve immediately sprinkled with the chives on top.

Notes

Camarones al Tequila

Chef Solis’s Mexican Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Aioli

Posted on by patiadmin

I was invited to design a Cinco de Mayo menu for Ceiba Restaurant along with their Chef de Cuisine, Alfredo Solis. The invitation included teaching a class covering that menu. As always, I was eager to teach whatever I know. But as always, I learn much more as I go. This time, I also learned, that you never know what foods you are going to like the best.

Solis and I were thrilled with the class menu. He was going to feature a tasty Shrimp Ceviche and some succulent Shredded Beef Tacos. I was going for a Red Snapper with a simple yet stylish Almond and Chipotle sauce, with a side of the ever exuberant Poblano Green Rice and a fresh Radish Salsita. I was also covering dessert: a textured and sweet coconut flan paired with fresh mangoes. And whipped cream. With a hint of Rum.

The whole experience was fun, from beginning to end. From meeting Solis for the first time -who shared his to die for mussels in a spicy tomato broth with chorizo, along with fascinating bits and pieces of his life story as he went from being a dishwasher to Chef de Cusine-  to designing the menu, to tasting and testing it a week before class for a full dinner run, to prepping for class and lunch the day of. Day which, with the excuse of needing sweetened condensed milk for the coconut flan, I kept splashing some in their good coffee and sipping it all along.

And there we were, laughing it out, as we set up the demo stations, before we even started the class.

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And there we were, ready and steady, a couple minutes before the guests were seated.

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But when all was said and done and the guests were gone -hopefully happy and with a full belly- I looked at Solis and said what my friends know me for: what are WE eating now?

Solis responded: Anything you want to try from our menu!

Having eyed the already shaped crab cakes in the refrigerator that morning, I asked him what was in their mix.  Just with the word Habaneros, I knew I was going for those.

So yes, I loved the menu we designed. And yes, I think it was a fun and yummy class. But I can tell you, those crab cakes are a pair of Rock Stars.

If you are not near DC or can’t go to Ceiba anytime soon, Solis graciously shared the recipe for you to sample at home. I just did as I posted those for you.

To make them, here we go: Lump crab meat, chopped Habanero -yes with seeds for me please-, cilantro, just a bit of bread crumbs and mayonnaise to bind the meat together, as well as the egg I am cracking there.

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Then I am adding the juice of that shinny and juicy lime, some salt and fresh ground pepper.

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That’s all that goes into the crab cakes.  Shape them up and you can keep them in the refrigerator for a couple of days, covered, until you are ready to cook them up.

When ready, prepare Solis’s tangy and light Jalapeño aioli, to drizzle over them.  Just place the ingredients into a blender or food processor: mayonnaise, lime juice, Jalapeños, cilantro, salt and pepper.

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And there you go, Mexican style crab cakes fit for Emperor Montezuma. I bet you he would have liked them.

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Just as I did.

Print Recipe
4.60 from 5 votes

Mexican Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Aioli

Having eyed the already shaped crab cakes in the refrigerator that morning, I asked him what was in their mix.  Just with the word Habaneros, I knew I was going for those. So yes, I loved the menu we designed. And yes, I think it was a fun and yummy class. But I can tell you, those crab cakes are a pair of Rock Stars. If you are not near DC or can’t go to Ceiba anytime soon, Solis graciously shared the recipe for you to sample at home. I just did as I posted those for you.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Course: Antojos, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: aioli, cilantro, crab, habanero, jalapeno, lime, mayonnaise, pati's mexican table
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the crab cakes:

  • 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
  • 1 habanero chile seeded (optional), chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro chopped
  • 3 teaspoons bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt more or less to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the jalapeño aioli:

  • 1 or 2 jalapeño chiles seeded if desired
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt more or less to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper ground

Instructions

  • Combine the crab meat, habanero chile, cilantro, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, egg and lime juice in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Form 4 to 6 crab cakes, depending on how chubby and big you want them. You can prepare them in advance and keep them refrigerated for up to 2 days.
  • Heat a large skillets set over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter into 1 tablespoon of oil. Once it starts to sizzle, add as many crab cakes as will fit without being crowded. Cook anywhere from 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  • To prepare the aioli, place all the ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. Drizzle over the crab cakes and if you want, sprinkle the top with freshly chopped cilantro.

Notes

Croquetas de Cangrejo con Aioli de Jalapeño, Adapted from Ceiba's Chef Alfredo Solis

Chilorio for Cinco de Mayo!

Posted on by patiadmin

Memories from growing up in Mexico City revolve around one celebration or another and mostly center on the foods that just had to be there.  If there was no holiday, anniversary, birthday or special occasion for a formal celebration, then we celebrated the food itself.  Just say the magic words and a get together would spring right up.

Nana made tamales? Fiesta!

Mami made mole? Well, what are you waiting for?

Papi brought real quesadillas potosinas? It is Sunday brunch everyone.

However, as much as I can remember, we didn’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo. As kids we reviewed it in passing at school, unless you lived in the state of Puebla.  The place, where on a Cinco de Mayo in 1862, a small Mexican militia won an unexpected victory against the large French army.  It was a short-lived victory, as the French won right back.

But fast-forward almost a couple centuries later: the French and Spaniards are gone, Mexicans proudly celebrate Independence Day every September 16th, and for a reason no Mexican can explain, Cinco de Mayo has become the most celebrated, joyous and colorful holiday for Mexicans living abroad.  It even surpasses the noise we make for Independence Day.

But of course! Any cause is worthy of celebration, especially if it has become the most grandiose occasion to rejoice on Mexican-ness throughout the world.  Thus, at home, we celebrate Cinco de Mayo every year, since we moved to the US more than a dozen years ago.

Pati Jinich with her 3 sons
My food of choice tends to be Chilorio, originally a cowboy dish from the state of Sinaloa, in the North of Mexico.  Chilorio has transcended international boundaries and retained its bold personality.  It is so tasty and popular, that it is even sold in cans inside and outside of Mexico.  But the canned version can’t compare to the home made one, which is very simple to prepare.

Made by cooking meat in orange juice until tender and then finished off in a non-spicy ancho chile sauce, it screams out Fiesta in every single bite.  Not only because of the richness of its colors and flavors, but because of how fun it is to assemble.

Just serve it at the table with a side of warm flour tortillas and your guests can roll their own burritas or burras, however skinny or chubby them want them to be.  You can also serve refried beans and Mexican avocado slices or guacamole that can be eaten inside or on the side of the burritas.  At home we tend to go for eating the beans and guacamole on the side, but it’s up to you!

Say the word Chilorio and I can hear my monsters start to shout out: “Mami made Chilorio, come on over!”

And I say: Roll ’em up boys!

chilorio burritas recipe
Print Recipe
4 from 5 votes

Chilorio

My food of choice tends to be Chilorio, originally a cowboy dish from the state of Sinaloa, in the North of Mexico.  Chilorio has transcended international boundaries and retained its bold personality.  It is so tasty and popular, that it is even sold in cans inside and outside of Mexico.  But the canned version can’t compare to the home made one, which is very simple to prepare.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: ancho chiles, garlic, onion, orange juice, pati's mexican table, pork, Recipe, tortilla, vinegar
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds boneless pork butt, shoulder or loin (with some fat on!) cut into 2" chunks, or substitute with chicken
  • 1 1/4 cup orange juice preferably freshly squeezed
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 5 (about 55 grams) dried ancho chiles tops and seeds removed
  • 1 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid see below
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped white onion
  • 4 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or more to taste
  • 2/3 cup cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons corn oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or more to taste
  • Flour tortillas warmed, optional

Instructions

  • Place rinsed meat chunks in an extended heavy pot. Barely cover with the orange juice and water, add a teaspoon of salt and set over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, bring the heat down to medium and let is simmer for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until most of the liquid has cooked off and the meat is thoroughly cooked and has rendered most of its fat.
  • Meanwhile, remove the stems from the chiles, make a slit down their sides and remove their seeds and veins. Place them in a bowl, cover them with boiling hot water, and let them sit and rehydrate for about 15 minutes. Place the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of their soaking liquid in the blender along with the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, cumin, black pepper, vinegar, and puree until smooth.
  • Once the meat is ready, place it in a bowl along with any remaining cooking broth. Once it is cool enough to handle, shred it with your hands or with two forks.
  • In the same pot, heat oil over medium heat. Pour in the chile sauce and let it season and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Toss in the shredded meat along with any of its remaining cooking broth. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and let it cook, stirring often, until the meat has absorbed most of the chile sauce, which will have thickened, seasoned and changed to a darker color. It will take about 20 minutes. Taste for salt and add more if need be.
  • Serve with warmed flour tortillas on the side. If you wish, spoon chilorio on tortillas and roll them into burritas or burras. They are wonderful with refried beans and Mexican avocado or guacamole on the side as well.

Enfrijoladas

Posted on by patiadmin

We came back home exhausted, after being away for a couple weeks in Canada for a big family reunion. Though we had delicious meals, trying all sorts of Canadian fare, as soon as we walked in I was ready to make some comforting, home tasting food.

Few things taste more like home to me, than beans. In Mexico there is always, always, a simmering pot of beans cooking at some point during the week in any kitchen. As beans need to be cooked for a long time, they infuse the kitchen with a moist, earthy and cozy aroma, that remains even after the beans are ready.

Of course one can make more than a thousand things with a batch of Frijoles de Olla, or Beans from the Pot. But one of the things that are the most simple, yet comforting, asides from scooping them with corn tortillas, are Enfrijoladas.

Filling and tasty, Enfrijoladas wrap some of the main flavors and textures from Mexico’s cuisine in their fold.

The soft corn tortillas, that you can make or buy ready made at the stores (if you buy them, go for the unrefrigerated ones). The rich, straightforward and creamy seasoned bean puree, which also goes by frijoles colados, in which they are dipped in and smothered everywhere.

dipping corn tortilla in bean puree
The thick, tangy and fresh taste of the Crema Fresca, or Mexican cream, that you drizzle on them after you fold them on a plate.

mexican crema
The salty, crumbly, Ranchero take of the Queso Fresco (Remember I was going to tell you many things that you can make with Queso Fresco?).

queso fresco
And of course, to top that off, you can slice some ripe luscious Mexican avocado on top. And if you feel like it, have a serving of any salsa, or Chipotles in Adobo on the side to drizzle along.

enfrijoladas
Enfrijoladas, as are most Mexican antojos or cravings, are truly versatile.  They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner and can be a main dish or a yummy side to grilled chicken or meat.

They are so, so, comforting, that when I was once asked what I would serve the Mexican President in times of distress if I had the opportunity, I said: It has to be Enfrijoladas.

enfrijoladas
Print Recipe
4.20 from 5 votes

Enfrijoladas

Few things taste more like home to me, than beans. In Mexico there is always, always, a simmering pot of beans cooking at some point during the week in any kitchen.O f course one can make more than a thousand things with a batch of Frijoles de Olla, or Beans from the Pot. But one of the things that are the most simple, yet comforting, asides from scooping them with corn tortillas, are Enfrijoladas.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Avocado, chipotles in adobo, corn tortillas, mexican crema, queso fresco, refried beans
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 4 cups frijoles colados or seasoned and pureed beans
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup Mexican cream or heavy cream
  • 1 cup queso fresco or fresh cheese, or farmers cheese, or a mild feta
  • Mexican avocado slices optional
  • Chipotles in adobo sauce optional

Instructions

  • Heat a comal or dry skillet over medium heat.
  • Heat the pureed beans in a medium cooking pot to a gentle simmer.
  • Taking one tortilla at a time, heat on the comal or skillet for about 30 seconds per side. Take the tortilla with a pair of tongs and immerse it in the bean puree. Place it on a plate, fold it as if it were a quesadilla or a turnover. Drizzle on as much cream and sprinkle on as much cheese as you like.
  • You can also top it with some avocado slices and a bit of chipotles in adobo sauce.

Mole Poblano: Yes You Can!

Posted on by patiadmin

The showcase of last week’s class was one of Mexico’s most famous and delicious moles, the Poblano, which originated in the kitchen of the Convent of Santa Rosa, in Puebla. After seeing how much guests enjoyed it, I can’t wait to share it with you.

I know, the word Mole sounds exciting to eat yet intimidating to prepare. As the root of the word describes, from the náhuatl mulli, Mole is a thick sauce or paste made by grinding ingredients together in a molcajete or communal mill. A food processor works as well. This sauce can be thinned out with broth or water when ready to use.

The Poblano with its long ingredients list and its laborious process, is not the best way to introduce Moles. There are some simple Moles with no more than 4 or 5 ingredients that are easier to prepare and just as tasty.

But here I am! I adore the Poblano and I know you will too.

I tested many ways to find the easiest route to make it without compromising its authenticity and flavor. As long as you prep your ingredients and have them in place before you start throwing them in the pot -what the French call Mise en Place and Mexicans Estate Listo!-, it’s a manageable task that takes about an hour. Trust me. Here we go.

As I list the ingredients, we’ll go through some Mole basics.

Four chiles are typically used: The reddish Ancho (6 o’clock) with bittersweet and fruity flavors; the black Mulato (12 o’clock) with much sweeter, chocolaty and fuller tones; the raisin colored Pasilla (3 o’clock) with a deep, strong and bitter bite; and the tobacco looking Chipotle (9 o’clock) smoky, rich and spicy.

Mole Poblano 1

To be worthy of the name Mole, its not enough to be a sauce. You need chiles in there, but adding a Jalapeño doesn’t make it a Mole. Some chiles work together and some don’t. Some work for certain kinds of moles and some don’t. This group of four, is like the Fantastic Four.

The Mole Poblano has the deep clean flavors from the white onion, a judicious use of the pungent garlic, the refreshing punch from the tomato and the tartness of the tomatillo.

Mole Poblano 2

Moles show a deep intermarriage between the native Mexican cuisine and that brought from Spain. Three centuries of Colonial life deeply influenced our food. That’s the case of the onion, garlic and many of the nuts, fruits and spices added below.

Native peanuts and pumpkin seeds which are present as a thickener and flavoring element in many Mexican dishes, add some Mediterranean almonds, a bunch of sweet raisins.

Mole Poblano 3

Chile seeds tend to be discarded in many Mexican dishes, but not in this Baroque concoction from the late 1600s. Seeds do store most of the heat from chiles but also a ton of their flavor.

They are beautiful too, especially in my grandmother’s bowl which photographs so nicely.

Mole Poblano 4

Other seeds and spices included take a ride through Mexico’s history: Sesame seeds brought by African slaves; anise seeds, cloves, cinnamon and black peppercorns from the Orient routes; allspice from the Caribbean; coriander, thyme and marjoram from the Mediterranean.

Mole Poblano 5

To thicken the Mole and to add an earthy base with a small town flavor, corn tortillas are used. As well as Mexican style bread -bolillos or teleras which are the Mexican adaptation of the French baguette from the times of Maximilian.

Mole Poblano 6

To top the balancing act of this dish, and also because it was created by Sor Andrea de la Asunción, a nun with an incredible sweet tooth, Mexican chocolate is added. Made with toasted cacao, cinnamon, sugar and typically ground almonds, it is sweeter and grainier than regular bittersweet chocolate.

Not that much chocolate is added though, so the idea that the Mole Poblano is a chocolate sauce is a bit exaggerated.

Mole Pobalno 7

Now that we ran through the ingredients, let’s cook it. As we do, you will see that another Mole quality is that ingredients are transformed, and their qualities brought out, before they are pureed together. That helps achieve such a smooth layering of complex flavors.

First add lard, vegetable shortening or oil in your pot. Once hot, saute the chiles until crunchy and browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. They will look something like this.

Mole Poblano 8

In that same pot add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Mole Poblano 9

Make some room and toss in the almonds, peanuts, raisins and pumpkin seeds, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes more.

Some versions of this mole ask that ingredients be charred, broiled, toasted, sauteed, ground one by one, even with different pots and pans. But you can use the same pot as long as it is heavy, large and extended and as long as you give the ingredients enough time before adding the next batch.

So, make some room again to throw in those beautiful reserved chile seeds, AND…

Mole Poblano 10
…sesame seeds, stemmed cloves, anise seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, ground allspice, thyme and marjoram. Let it all cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

Make some room again, and add the already charred or broiled tomatoes and tomatillos, the sliced tortillas and bread.

Mole Poblano 11

As you add each additional batch of ingredients, give them time to season and brown together. Don’t let any of them burn though.

Go ahead and add the chiles that you already browned, and mix it all up.

Mole Poblano 12

Pour in some rich tasting chicken broth.

Mole Poblano 13

Once it starts to simmer, drop in the chocolate pieces and stir until they dissolve.

Look at the gorgeous looking mess that we have here below!!!

Mole Poblano 14

Let it all simmer for about 15 minutes. You have quite a diverse group of ingredients in there, so they need a bit of time to get acquainted with each other.

Mole Poblano 15

Turn off the heat and let the mixture stand, so it can make sense of what it will become.

Then, puree in a food processor or blender. Or why not, if you feel like it, take out that molcajete.

Finally, thank Sor Andrea for what you are about to see!!! The tastiest, yummiest…

Mole Poblano 16

Let’s just say: one of my favorite Moles.

Of the many things you can make with this mole such as enchiladas, enmoladas, empanadas, eggs, nopales or potatoes.. there’s of course the traditional: poured over simply boiled chicken or turkey and covered with lightly toasted sesame seeds.

Mole Poblano 17

You can see why I took longer to post this time: I was too busy adding ingredients to the basics section of my blog, just for this recipe!

mole poblano
Print Recipe
4.56 from 9 votes

Mole Poblano

The showcase of last week’s class was one of Mexico’s most famous and delicious moles, the Poblano, which originated in the kitchen of the Convent of Santa Rosa, in Puebla. After seeing how much guests enjoyed it, I can’t wait to share it with you. I know, the word Mole sounds exciting to eat yet intimidating to prepare.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Main Course, Sauce
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: almonds, ancho chiles, bread, ceylon, Chipotle, cinnamon, corn tortillas, mexican chocolate, Mole, mulato chiles, pasilla, Peanuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins, tomatillos
Servings: 24 to 25 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup lard vegetable shortening or vegetable oil
  • 3 ounces chiles anchos about 6 or 7, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 ounces chiles pasillas about 12 or 13, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 ounces chiles mulatos about 6, stemmed and seeded
  • 1/3 ounces dried chipotle chiles about 4, stemmed and seeded
  • 1/2 white onion about 1/2 pound, roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons raw almonds with skin
  • 3 tablespoons raw shelled peanuts
  • 3 tablespoons raisins
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
  • 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup reserved chile seeds
  • 5 whole cloves stemmed
  • 1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 stick true or ceylon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/2 pound roma tomatoes about 2 , charred or roaste
  • 1/3 pound tomatillos about 2, husked, rinsed, charred/roasted
  • 2 corn tortillas sliced into 8 pieces
  • 1/2 bolillo telera or baguette, about 2 ounces, thickly sliced (if it is a couple days old, better)
  • 6 ounces Mexican style chocolate or bittersweet chocolate
  • 5 cups chicken broth plus 4 more to dilute later on
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or more to taste
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds toasted, to sprinkle at the end

Instructions

  • In a large extended casserole dish set over medium high heat, add 1/2 cup lard, oil, or vegetable shortening. Once hot, about 2 minutes later, add the chiles in 2 or 3 batches and saute, stirring often, and being careful not to let them completely burn. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a mixing bowl as you move along.
  • In the same oil, add chopped onion and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until they soften and release their aroma. Stir in the almonds, peanuts, raisins and pumpkin seeds, and let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the sesame seeds, reserved chile seeds, stemmed cloves, anise seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, ground allspice, thyme and marjoram. Stir frequently and let it all cook for 3 to 4 more minutes, stirring often. Make room again, and add the tortilla and bread pieces along with the tomatoes and tomatillos. Let it all cook for a couple minutes.
  • Incorporate the already sauteed chiles and pour in the chicken broth. Stir and once it comes to a simmer, add the chocolate pieces and the salt. Mix well, and let it simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and let the mix rest for 1/2 hour, so the chiles can completely soften.
  • In batches, puree the mixture in the blender or food processor until smooth. You can store this mole, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a month, or freeze it for up to a year.
  • When ready to eat, dilute a cup of mole with 1/2 cup chicken broth in a saucepan and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve over cooked chicken or turkey and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds on top.

Notes

Adapted from Sor Andrea de la Asunción from the Santa Rosa Convent

Foods of Michoacan are Forever

Posted on by patiadmin

You know how some people become attached to a certain dish? They try it somewhere once and then want to go back to eat it again and again, or they make it at home repeatedly in an until-death-do-us-part kind of vow? Well, I am one of those people, and I have made that vow with quite a few dishes from the Mexican state of Michoacan. It surprises me how Michoacan’s cuisine has remained such a well-kept secret. It has a defined personality and a complex layering of delicious flavors like the more popular cuisines from Oaxaca and Puebla, but its dishes seem to be a bit more comforting and use fewer ingredients.

What’s more, some of Michoacan’s basic ingredients, such as pasilla chiles, tomatillos, cotija cheese and fruit pastes, have become readily available in stores outside of Mexico.

My love for Michoacan is inevitably tied to its food, but it goes well beyond its kitchens. The first time I went to Michoacan as a little girl, it had such an impact on me that whenever our family planned a trip, I begged my parents to return there. It wasn’t only the enchanting cobbled streets, the immense wooden doors framed in cantera stone, the aromas of freshly made breads and ground mountain coffee, or the town squares filled with dozens of home-style ice cream carts and sweets stands, all surrounded with colorful balloons and birdseed sellers. There was something more.

I returned a couple of decades later, as a production assistant for a traveling cooking show. It was breathtaking. As we researched for and filmed foods prepared for Day of the Dead — a Mexican holiday celebrated this week — we traveled from town to town, sampling delicate and simple dishes in the markets filled with fresh ingredients and goodies that women brought in baskets and set down on mats on the floor.

In the cities surrounding the Patzcuaro Lake area, we saw the famous fishermen using their immense nets, which seemed to fly off into the sky, before sunrise. We tasted to-die-for fish soups, meat stews, tamales and sweets that cooks prepared for this occasion.

Day of the Dead is one of Mexico’s most meaningful celebrations, and Michoacan is a spectacular place to experience it, partly because of its beauty and cuisine, but also because of the richness and depth of its centuries-old traditions.

The Purepechas, also called Tarascos, who remain the predominant indigenous group of the region, believed since pre-Hispanic times that the dead return once a year to visit those they miss. Centuries of intermarriage between Purepecha, Spanish and Catholic Church traditions and ingredients resulted in an eclectic mix of rituals and exquisite foods.

Last year, a decade after my second trip, I returned to Michoacan to do further research for the culinary program I teach at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C. We brought our three young sons, and I was eager to share with them the things and foods I had been fascinated with on previous trips. Yet as soon as we unpacked, it became clear that there was so much more to taste and learn. I experienced new things along with my boys.

After a stay in Morelia, the colonial capital where we tasted traditional and modern spins of Michoacan cuisine, we spent a sweet time in the small town of Santa Fe de la Laguna among a Purepecha community. Some of the women fed us their traditional foods and invited us into their kitchens to teach us how to make those dishes. They also taught our boys, with so much patience and tranquility, how to work with their traditional black and green clay.

Upon our return, I finally realized what makes the cuisine of Michoacan distinctive: its people. Michoacanos are generous, warm, hospitable and caring. No wonder the state is known as “the soul of Mexico.” And it is a beautiful soul for Mexico to have. The more I cook, the more I am convinced that the food of a place resembles the characteristics of its people. If asked to define in one word the cuisine from Michoacan, I would say “soulful.”

In my until-death-do-us-part vow with the food of Michoacan, I shall keep sharing and cooking what I have learned from its cuisine until I am able to go back to explore and eat some more. What’s more, if I’m given a license to come back from another world for Day of the Dead, I will happily feast on this menu with the people I love.

Article written for and published by National Public Radio’s Kitchen Window.

tarascan soup
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4.45 from 9 votes

Tarascan Pinto Bean and Tomato Soup

Tarascan Soup Pinto Bean and Tomato Soup, from Pati’s Mexican Table Season 7, Episode 12 "Photographic Food Memories"
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: beans, pati’s mexican table, pinto beans, Recipe, soup, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 to 8 Servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For soup:

  • 1 pound ripe plum or roma tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 (about 1 ounce) ancho chile, stem and seeds removed
  • 1/2 cup white onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt divided, or more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
  • 1 pound cooked pinto beans plus 2 cups of their cooking liquid or 2 14-ounce cans cooked pinto beans plus 2 cups water
  • 3 cups chicken broth vegetable broth or water

For garnishes:

  • 1/2 cup Mexican style cream
  • 1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups crumbled tortilla chips or tortilla strips
  • 1 ancho chile stemmed, seeded, diced, deep fried for a few seconds
  • 1 avocado, peeled seeded, meat scooped out and diced, optional

Instructions

  • Place the tomatoes, garlic, and ancho chile in a saucepan. Cover with water, and simmer over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes are completely cooked through and ancho chile is rehydrated.
  • Transfer the tomatoes, garlic, and ancho chile to a blender or food processor, along with 1 cup of the cooking liquid, the white onion, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Puree until smooth.
  • Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the pureed tomato mixture and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it darkens in color and thickens in consistency.
  • Meanwhile, rinse your blender or food processor, then add the pinto beans and 2 cups of their cooking liquid (or water, if using canned beans) and puree until smooth.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and stir the bean puree, broth and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt into the thickened tomato mixture. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the soup has seasoned and has a creamy consistency. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Turn off the heat, as it thickens quickly.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with a tablespoon of the cream and top with some cheese, a handful of crumbled tortilla chips or tortilla strips, a few fried ancho chile crisps and some diced avocado. You can also place the garnishes in bowls on the table to let your guests decide how much of each garnish they want to add to their bowls.
  • The soup itself may be cooled and stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because this soup thickens a bit as it cools, you may need to add some chicken broth or water to thin it out when you reheat it.

Notes

Sopa Tarasca
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4.80 from 5 votes

Brisket in Pasilla Chile and Tomatillo Sauce

This is by far, the best brisket I’ve ever had. The meat chunks gain a nutty brown crust as they cook, yet as you take a bite they fall apart in your mouth. And the sauce, thick, a bit tart, a bit spicy and wholeheartedly rich, enhances the flavor of the meat. It is a dish with a flavor hard to forget: it has loads of personality.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Jewish, Mexican
Keyword: beef, chile, garlic, Jewish Mexican, pasilla, pati’s mexican table, piloncillo, Recipe, tomatillos
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds trimmed brisket of beef rinsed and cut into about 2-inch chunks (leave some fat on!)
  • 5 garlic cloves peeled
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt divided (plus more to taste)
  • 1 pound tomatillos husks removed and rinsed
  • 3 ounces black or pasilla chiles (may sub for New Mexico chiles) stems and seeds removed
  • 3 tablespoons corn or safflower oil
  • 1/2 cup white onion chopped
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 2 cups meat cooking liquid
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar
  • Chopped white onion and cilantro leaves optional garnish

Instructions

  • Place meat chunks in a large cooking pot along with 5 garlic cloves, peppercorns and salt. Cover with water, bring to a boil, cover partially and simmer over medium heat for 3 hours, or until meat is very soft. Drain and reserve 2 cups of its cooking liquid.
  • Meanwhile, char or roast the tomatillos on a baking sheet under the broiler, or directly on the comal or dry skillet or grill over medium heat, for about 10 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times. Tomatillos are ready when their skin is blistered and lightly charred, and their flesh is soft, mushy and juicy.
  • Toast chiles on a hot comal or dry skillet over-medium heat for 5 to 10 seconds per side. Chiles will release their aroma and become more pliable, and their inner skin will become a bit opaque. Don’t let them burn.
  • Place toasted chiles and roasted or charred tomatillos in a bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water and 2 cups of reserved meat cooking liquid (if you don’t have 2 cups, add more water). Let this mixture soak for at least a half-hour and up to 4 hours. Pour the mixture into the blender or food processor, puree until smooth and reserve.
  • Add 3 tablespoons of corn or safflower oil to the same pot in which meat was cooked, and heat over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add cooked meat chunks and brown them, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the chopped onion, and stir as you continue to brown the meat for another 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Incorporate pureed chile mixture, a teaspoon of salt and the piloncillo or brown sugar. Stir and simmer over medium heat for about 10 more minutes. The meat should be completely tender, yet still in chunks. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, but not pasty. Taste for salt and add more if need be. To serve, you can garnish with some raw chopped onion and cilantro leaves.
  • If there is any meat left over, you can cool, store and refrigerate it in a closed contained and then reheat, covered over a low simmer.

Notes

Carne Enchilada
tarascan bean and tomato soup
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Cheesecake with Guava

In Mexico, a favorite dessert is to pair sweet slices of guava or other fruit pastes called ates with savory slices of cheese. Cheesecake with guava paste is a modern take on this combination. We tried it for the first time in the Museo del Dulce — the sweets museum — in Morelia. My adaptation has a thinner layer of guava paste than the museum's, and it is placed between the crunchy bottom and the smooth cream cheese batter, rather than on top. Also, the sweetened sour cream topping reflects a craving of mine, but it seems to make the combination even more irresistible. You can use this recipe as a guideline and see if you want to take the cheesecake in other directions: more guava, less guava, more sour cream or no sour cream.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Chilling Time4 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Ate De Guayaba, cheesecake, Dessert, guava, guava paste, Guayaba, pay de queso, Recipe
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces ground) Maria cookies or vanilla wafers, or graham crackers
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 ounces (or 3/4 stick) butter melted

Guava Spread:

  • 11 ounces guava paste or ate de guayaba
  • 5 tablespoons water

Cheese Filling:

  • 1 pound cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Sour Cream topping:

  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

Crust:

  • In a big bowl, stir the ground cookies, sugar and melted butter until thoroughly mixed. Butter a 9- to 10-inch springform pan. Turn the cookie mixture into the pan. With your fingers or a small spatula, spread it evenly along the pan. Press gently, making a side rim of 1/2 to 1 inch on the sides. Refrigerate while you make the guava spread, cheese filling and sour cream topping.

Guava Spread:

  • Place guava paste and water in the blender jar or food processor. Process until smooth, and reserve.

Cheese Filling:

  • Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat at medium speed until smooth and foamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla, and continue beating until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, as the batter may stick to it. Add the heavy cream, and beat until the mixture is all incorporated and smooth. Reserve.

Sour Cream Topping:

  • In a bowl, mix the sour cream and the sugar together.

Assemble Together:

  • Adjust rack of the oven one-third up from the bottom and preheat to 350°F.
  • Remove the pan with the crust from the refrigerator. With a spatula, spread the guava mixture evenly over the crust. Turn out the cheese filling onto the guava layer, and spread gently and evenly.
  • Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until it is cooked and has a lightly tanned top. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Then spoon the sweetened sour cream over the cheese filling and place it back in the oven for 10 more minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. It tastes even better if it chills overnight.
  • Before serving, release the sides of the springform pan. Place the cheesecake onto a plate (keeping it on the bottom of the pan), slice and serve.

Notes

Pay De Queso Con Ate De Guayaba

Dreaming of Julio’s Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint

Posted on by patiadmin

I have been humbled, time and again, by how one never stops learning from other cooks in the kitchen. That has especially been the case with my cooking team at the Mexican Cultural Institute. We are all from different parts of Mexico, with our peculiar twists and spins, influences and very strong opinions, which we love to scream out loud when trying to make what we serve at each event be the best it can possibly be. Though we get a bit stressed when cooking for kitchen outsiders, we really let loose when making lunch for ourselves. We take turns and last week Julio, a former Mexican taquerí­a cook, made his albóndigas. I had been dying to try them since not only he, but his aunt Maricruz, had been raving about them for over two years. “De veras, de veritas Pati” (Maricruz said, which means really, REALLY) “he makes the most delicious albóndigas of them all.”

There are multiple versions of just about any dish in the world. I am always amazed each time I test and play around with a single dish, at the many directions it can be driven to. That said, we have a family albóndigas version at home, which my boys eat happily at least a couple times a month.

As I watched Julio prepare his albóndigas, I asked him about things I was biased against for the dish, like the use of rice and mint.  Well, humbled again I as! As it is said, the devil is in the details, it’s a matter of how these ingredients are used.  Each thing that makes these albóndigas work so well, does so for a reason. I liked the so, that we will be making Julio’s meatballs at home now too.  My boys noticed the difference in such a good way: “There is something different Mami”, they were telling each other, as they cleaned their plates up. Here is a step by step guide on how to make this easy and perfect dish for the Fall.

onion, tomatoes, and garlic
Ripe Roma tomatoes, a couple garlic cloves and a thick slice of white onion to prepare the base for tomato broth.

First of all, the tomato broth where the albóndigas are cooked in uses not just a couple of tomatoes, but a couple pounds. Though in Mexican cooking we usually use Roma (called Guaje) tomatoes for sauces and salsas rather than Round tomatoes, I would recommend using the freshest and ripest you can find, or let them mature outside the refrigerator for a couple days. As the Fall sets in, you can substitute the fresh tomatoes with a brand you like of simple tomato puree.

chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce give the broth a smoky, sweet and rich depth

Once the tomatoes are simmered in water for about 10 minutes, they are placed in the blender with a couple garlic cloves, a thick slice of raw onion and a nice healthy dose of Chipotle chiles in Adobo Sauce. If you can take more heat, drop in a whole Chipotle chile in adobo as well. But remember, you can always add more heat, but it is much more challenging to tone it down once it’s in the mix. So you may want to start with a tablespoon of sauce, and as the broth cooks on, taste to see if you can take a bit more heat. If you are a Chipotle addict, like me, no need to take precautions.After this tomato broth is cooked and seasoned, you can add some chicken broth.

mint and garlic in a molcajete
The mint and garlic play subtly with the tomato and the Chipotle adding both fragrance and welcomed layers of flavor.

Up to this point, all is familiar to me. Julio’s spin though, mashes a couple garlic cloves with 5 or 6 fresh mint leaves in a molcajete and tejolote, the Mexican version of a mortar and pestle. You can use the former or the latter, and if you don’t have either, just mince them finely with a knife. The way the mint plays with the tomato and the chipotle in the dish is subtle, yet quite spectacular.

mint and garlic mashed in a molcajete
Quickly mashed garlic and fresh mint leaves.

It takes no more than 10 seconds to mash it all up. And if you have a molcajete or want to get one, this is a great way to start seasoning it or to season it further.

juju mashing mint and garlic in the molcajete
My 3 year old sous chef, or as my late grandfather would say, my bandido, mashing away.

Since mashing is an activity loved by just about everyone around here, we ended up adding a bit more of this seasoning when we made the dish at home.

the mixture for the albondigas
Ground turkey breast, white rice cooked al dente, mashed mint and garlic, eggs, kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Julio used ground turkey breast, which is what we had at hand. I love to use turkey to make albóndigas, as it makes them lighter and leaner while still very flavorful. You can also use ground chicken, beef, or your preferred combination of meats: veal, beef and pork. This latter one, is my mother’s take. It is pretty tasty too. Julio typically makes them with a mix of beef and pork, but he was unexpectedly more than happy with the results from the turkey.The last of Julio’s spins, that I was skeptic about, was the addition of rice to bind the meat and give the albóndigas nice texture. Turns out, it depends on how you use the rice. Other versions I had tried before with rice, add it completely raw. Julio, quickly cooks the rice in water for 6 to 8 minutes until it is barely cooked through or al dente. So when you add it to the mixture, it finishes cooking as the meatballs cook in the broth and it bonds beautifully together making them fluffy, soft and with such a bite-able consistency.

A plate, ready for you to jump into, with ripe Mexican avocados, tasty with corn tortillas and cooked beans too.

So finally, here goes the recipe for you to print out! My guess is that you will also be pleasantly surprised by what mint and garlic do to the already smashing combination of tomato and chipotle. If you try them, let me know!

Julio's albondigas with mint and chipotle
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Julio’s Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint

As I watched Julio prepare his albóndigas, I asked him about things I was biased against for the dish, like the use of rice and mint. Well… humbled again I was! As it is said, the devil is in the details, it’s a matter of how these ingredients are used. Each thing that makes these albóndigas work so well, does so for a reason. I liked them so, that we will be making Julio’s meatballs at home now too. My boys noticed the difference in such a good way: “there is something different Mami” they were telling each other, as they cleaned their plates up. Here is a step by step guide on how to make this easy and perfect dish for the Fall.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Albondigas, chicken broth, chipotles in adobo, meatballs, mint, onion, Recipe, rice, Tomatoes, turkey
Servings: 8 to 10 people
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup long or extra long grain white rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 5 to 8 mint leaves
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey chicken breast or a combination of beef, veal and pork
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground, or more to taste
  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons white onion roughly chopped (or a slice to your liking)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauce from chipotle chiles in adobo or to taste
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo seeded, optional
  • 2 tablespoons safflower corn or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste

Instructions

  • In a small sauce pan place the rice and cover with 2 cups hot water. Simmer over medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until rice is cooked al dente but not mushy. Drain and let cool.
  • In a molcajete, mash the mint leaves and 2 garlic cloves with the tejolote until pureed. Alternatively you can use a mortar and pestle or you can simply mince them together.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat of your choice, the raw eggs, the cooled and drained rice, the mashed or minced garlic cloves with the mint, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Mix thoroughly, with your hands or spatula.
  • In a pot, place the tomatoes and cover with water. Simmer over medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through and mushy. Add the cooked tomatoes along with 1/4 cup of their cooking liquid, 2 garlic cloves, white onion, the sauce from the chipotles in adobo and if desired the chile chipotle in adobo in the blender and puree until smooth.
  • Pour 2 tablespoons of oil to a large deep pot and place over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, incorporate the pureed tomato mix. Let it simmer anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes, or until it has changed its color to a deeper red, thickened in consistency and lost its raw flavor. Add chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt and reduce heat to medium low.
  • Along the side of the pot with the simmering tomato broth, place a small mixing bowl with about a cup of water as well as the mixing bowl with the albóndiga mix. Start to make the albondigas, one by one, anywhere from 1 to 2" in width and place them gently in the simmering liquid. Wet your hands in the water before you start and after you make a couple of albóndigas so they are easier to shape and the the mix doesn't stick to your hands.
  • Once you have shaped all the albóndigas, cover the pot and let them simmer over medium low heat for 20 minutes. If you want the tomato broth to thicken a bit more, uncover the pot and let it simmer for 5 to 8 more minutes.
  • Serve hot with a side of freshly sliced avocado, some warm corn tortillas and if desired, frijoles de olla, or cooked beans.

OK… Chiles en Nogada, at last!

Posted on by patiadmin

During the years I’ve been teaching at the Mexican Cultural Institute I’ve been hesitant to demonstrate and serve Chiles en Nogada. There are many reasons…

First, one of my goals has been to open a window into the world of Mexican cooking in an accessible way. I’ve introduced basic ingredients and dishes along with bits of their history, fun facts, cooking methods and new spins, so people can become familiar with this cuisine and feel empowered to play with its basics in their own kitchens.

No sense in teaching how to make something incredibly complex with tons of new ingredients, which can be quite overwhelming, right?

Chiles in Nogada are laborious. They use many ingredients, such as Poblano chiles, plantains, and piloncillo, that require a proper introduction by themselves or in a simpler dish.

piloncillo for chiles en nogada
Piloncillo in a disk, a cone and shredded. Also called panela, can be substituted with dark brown sugar.

Also, Chiles in Nogada look strange. If you are not familiar with them, you see a large green chile overstuffed with an odd looking filling, covered in a pale looking sauce and pomegranate seeds on top. What’s more, they are served lukewarm, which is unexpected.

Let me add more. Since they are so rich and complex, they are typically served on their own. They don’t like the company of much more than white rice or a freshly favored water….

All this said… I am making them for my next class!! Let me tell you how this came to be.

To start with, the topic is Celebrating Independence Day with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

Chiles in Nogada are the quintessential dish eaten throughout the country on this day, and for the whole month of September. It is is a symbol, although there are many versions for how they came to be  (ladies in waiting celebrating a military victory, young nuns welcoming a famous presidents, and a people’s way of celebrating the seasons’ bounty) they all agree it was created with the colors of the Mexican flag in mind: green chile, white walnut sauce and red pomegranate.

Other years, I had gotten away with making other dishes prepared for this holiday that aren’t so labor intensive and just as good. However, the second part of the topic made it harder. Frida and Diego, one of Mexico’s most iconic figures who embody Mexicanidad and they ate Chiles in Nogada during this holiday. And believe me, I thoroughly researched, trying to find other things they also ate then!!

chiles en nogada filling
Moist filling of meat seasoned with garlic, onion, tomatoes, fruits, nuts, olives and spices…

The last straw came when Humberto (coordinator at the Institute) sent me the proof for the invite for the classes. The cover? Chiles en Nogada. I wasn’t going to change something that had hours of work involved already. And yes, Chiles en Nogada are such a staple. And…OK! If they are in the cover, I have to make them.

So with the fear of not wanting to scare away our guests with such complex dish on the back of my mind, I set on a quest to find the most delicious recipe. Remembering how every year I, along with millions of Mexicans and Mexican food aficionados, await for September to be able to eat this deliciously extravagant dish, I had to find the best version to share.

I began by making the version I grew up eating made by my nana, who gave me detailed instructions over the phone. Then I tried my mothers’ sophisticated take. Then I compared the two, and even mixed things of one into the other (oh sacrilege! the eternal culinary competition of my memories). Then I made Guadalupe Rivera’s version (Diego Rivera’s daughter), followed by Diana Kennedy’s… and any other I could find. Misery! I could not get the exquisite result I remembered savoring time and again.

Frustrated, as she saw me, Alejandra de la Paz (Director of the Mexican Cultural Institute) contacted Don Luis Bello Morin, director at the Restaurant of Palacio Nacional de las Bellas Artes in Mexico City. It took no more than a couple hours for him to respond with a recipe which included possible substitutions for hard to find ingredients and a detailed guide to make them. His instructions were so precise, that it was like having a co-pilot throughout the ride: he described the minutes, the smells, the sounds and textures to be found through his tested road to make the best ever Chiles en Nogada I have ever tried.

Not only was he so generous to share his recipe, but the results went beyond my expectations.  Since he loves to share recipes so that dishes such as this will not be lost, here is his adapted recipe (since the one he sent is for an industrial quantity). Thank you Don Luis!

As for my hesitations: I can’t wait to share this recipe and all the stories I’ve gathered for next class. In hindsight, I have been so pleasantly surprised with the eagerness of participants to eat and cook many more things than I would have expected. Of course, Chiles en Nogada are at the end of labor intensive spectrum, but they are so worth it.

Now, if you feel like making this recipe, let me know how it turned out. If you don’t and really want to try it, come to my next class!

chiles en nogada
Print Recipe
4.67 from 6 votes

Chiles en Nogada

Chiles in Nogada are laborious. They use many ingredients, such as Poblano chiles, plantains, and piloncillo, that require a proper introduction by themselves or in a simpler dish. Also, Chiles in Nogada look strange. If you are not familiar with them, you see a large green chile overstuffed with an odd looking filling, covered in a pale looking sauce and pomegranate seeds on top. What’s more, they are served lukewarm, which is unexpected.
Prep Time2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: almonds, apple, ceylon, chile, cinnamon, garlic, olives, onion, peaches, pear, pecans, piloncillo, pine nuts, Plantains, poblanos, pomegranate, pork, raisins, Sherry, Tomatoes, walnut, walnuts
Servings: 10 chiles en nogada
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

For the chiles:

  • 10 chiles poblanos
  • 6 cups water
  • 5 tablespoons shredded or chopped piloncillo or brown sugar

For the meat:

  • 2 pounds pork shoulder butt, leg or ribs or a combination of meats such as veal and beef, deboned and cut into chunks
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 white onion
  • 1 carrot peeled, cut into two pieces
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or a couple fresh thyme sprigs
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt

For the filling:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup white onion chopped
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes pureed, or about 2 cups tomato puree
  • All the cooked meat finely chopped
  • 2 cups meat cooking broth
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 3 ounces candied pineapple chopped
  • 1 cup ripe plantain peeled and diced, about 1 1/4
  • 1 diced Bartlett pear about 1 1/4 cup
  • 1 diced Golden Delicious apple about 1 1/4 cup
  • 1 large yellow peach mature but firm, diced, about 1 1/4 cup
  • Pinch of cumin
  • Pinch of ground cloves or 4 to 5 whole cloves seeds smashed and stems discarded
  • 1 ceylon or true cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 cup blonde raisins
  • 1/4 cup silvered almonds lightly toasted
  • 1/4 cup pinenuts lightly toasted
  • 1/4 cup chopped manzanilla olives

For walnut or pecan sauce:

  • 1 1/2 cup freshly peeled walnuts if not fresh DON'T use packaged, use pecans
  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup milk more or less to taste
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar or more to taste
  • Pinch kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
  • Pinch of ground white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Dry Sherry or more to taste

For the garnishes:

  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1/4 chopped parsley optional

Instructions

To prepare the chiles:

  • Rinse and char chiles. To char, you can either place them on a baking sheet or pan under the broiler, directly on the grill, hot comal or directly on an open fire flame. In any case, turn every 2 to 3 minutes until they are charred and blistered but not burnt. Place them, while very hot, in a plastic bag. Close bag tightly and cover with a kitchen towel. Let them sweat for 10 to 20 minutes.
  • Take them out one by one, and peel off the skin in the sink. As you do so, lightly rinse the chile with water. With a knife, make a slit down one side to take out and discard the seeds and membrane. Treat the flesh carefully so it will not tear and keep the stem on. Place them in a container and cover with the water previously simmered with the piloncillo or sugar until well diluted, anywhere from 2 to 24 hours. If it is more than 2 hours, place them in the refrigerator, covered once they have cooled down. Drain and either use or store in the refrigerator. You can prepare them 4 to 5 days ahead up to this point.

To prepare the filling:

  • Place the meat already cut into 3 to 4" chunks on the bottom of a cooking pot along with the garlic cloves, 1/4 white onion, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns and a teaspoon of salt. Cover with water and place over medium high heat. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until meat is cooked through. Turn off the heat and let the meat and broth cool down. remove the meat with a slotted spoon and chop it finely, reserve. Strain the broth into a container, reserve.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large deep saute pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic clove and saute for a minute or until it starts becoming fragrant, but don't let it brown. Add the onion and saute for a couple more minutes, until it becomes translucent and soft and starts gaining some color. Pour in the tomato puree and let it season, stirring often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until it has deepened its color, thickened its consistency and lost its raw flavor.
  • Incorporate the chopped meat, 2 cups of cooking broth, a teaspoon of salt, mix it all together and let it cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add the candied pineapple, mix with the meat and let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Incorporate the chopped plantain, pear, apple, and peach and gently mix it all together, let it cook for a couple minutes. Sprinkle the cumin and ground cloves, making sure you mix those spices well. Place a cinnamon stick in the middle of the pan, cover with a lid, lower the heat to medium and let it cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Uncover, add the raisins, almonds, pine nuts, green olives, mix well and taste for salt. Add more if need be. Turn off the heat. You can make the filling up to 2 days in advance, cool, cover and refrigerate.

To prepare the sauce:

  • Place all ingredients except the Sherry in the blender and puree until smooth. You can make the sauce a couple days in advance, but bring it to out room temperature before using. Mix the Sherry into the sauce up to 2 hours before serving. Add more to taste, but it shouldn't have a strong alcohol flavor. If it thickened while in the refrigerator, lighten it up with some milk.
  • Finally!!!! To assemble Chiles en Nogada: Place the chiles in a serving platter. Stuff each one with about 1/2 cup filling. Close as best you can. Generously spoon walnut or pecan sauce on top to cover chiles entirely and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley on top.
  • NOTE: Some cooks batter and fry the chiles before adding the sauce. But that version is much heavier and has become less and less popular over time.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Don Luis Bello Morin

Mexican Style Eggs: A la Papi

Posted on by patiadmin

“All I want is a hamburger, a hot dog, a Pizza, a nice big steak, some Texas style bar-b-q and a big plate of pancakes… no tacos or anything Mexican ok?” My dad said, after devouring the welcoming meal I prepared for him, which happened to be Tacos de Guisado.

Guisados are Mexican style stews, which can be ladled into warm corn tortillas. There are plenty of Fondas or small restaurants that specialize in them throughout Mexico. Since my dad loves them, I received him with three of his favorites: Chicken Tinga heavy on the chipotle, beef cooked in a green salsa with cubed potatoes and nopalitos, cactus paddles, sauteed with onion, Guajillo Chilies and corn. There were also refried beans and white rice, as they are such friendly sides to tacos.

After he made it clear that he didn’t want anything Mexican for the next three days, making me laugh so hard along the way, we set off to satisfy his cravings.

The next morning we were at the pancake place in front of a double stack of buttermilk pancakes with butter, extra maple syrup and bacon. And some grits. It was hard to make him wait for lunch.  When he lost all patience he dragged me to the Pizza place and then had a Hot Fudge Sundae from across the street. Dinner came around soon enough along with steaks, baked potatoes and a Mexican Chayote salad I sneaked in there.

The next morning, after lox and bagels at home, we went for a late Texas style bar-b-q lunch. Dinner was a Reuben with lots of dill pickles and a potato salad. But the last morning he couldn’t help it.

mexican style eggs
Onion, Jalapeño chiles and tomatoes, getting ready to welcome some beaten eggs.

As he tied one of my aprons around his waist, he announced, I am making the best Huevos a la Mexicana that you have ever tried in your life. So we chopped just enough onion, less tomatoes than I would have wanted and a lot of Jalapeños. As he cooked, he used strange and probably non-existing terms to describe what made his eggs so tasty… See how I am un-rawing the onion and mushing the tomato?

There are countless egg dishes in Mexican cooking, one better than the other. But these are the ones I prepare the most at home. They are easy to make, super tasty and dress up a breakfast in a wink. What’s more, I always have oil, eggs, tomatoes, onion and either Jalapeño or Serrano chiles handy.

Although the ingredients are always the same, versions can vary. That is mostly because some people like my dad cook the tomatoes slightly, while others like me cook the tomatoes until they are pasty and smooshy looking (I see where I get my funny use of terms now). The ratio of ingredients also varies. I use more tomatoes than my dad, but we both like it spicy. Whereas I like to eat them with hot corn tortillas, my dad likes to eat them with toasted sandwich bread (some people love these eggs with a side of toast smothered in cream cheese and that is pretty tasty too…).

This just makes me think of how accommodating Mexican food is. You can learn a basic idea and how to make it, and then tweak it to your preference.

Though while we were making breakfast I was craving for more tomatoes in those eggs, and wishing we could cook them a bit more, I have to admit that his version that morning topped off any that I have tried. Maybe it was because of the way he explained why his version was the most incredible in the world, maybe it was because of how much he enjoyed eating them and scooping some into corn tortillas to make some tacos for me (he had said no more tacos but one can only go so many days without tacos, you know?), or maybe it was because I was sad to see him go.

We didn’t get to the hot dogs or the hamburgers. I had thought of the places to take him so he could eat them all, but we ran out of time. But as it’s been said, you have to leave something for the next time if you want that next time to happen. I have until then to recover from all that eating.

Meanwhile, I leave you with a recipe for Huevos a la Mexicana, my father’s style, with some notes on my variations. But you can come up with yours!

Pati's dad looking out the window
My dad looking out the window, almost time for the airport.
Mexican Style Eggs
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Eggs a la Mexicana

There are countless egg dishes in Mexican cooking, one better than the other. But these are the ones I prepare the most at home. They are easy to make, super tasty and dress up a breakfast in a wink. What’s more, I always have oil, eggs, tomatoes, onion and either Jalapeño or Serrano chiles handy.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: corn tortillas, Eggs, jalapeno, onion, pati's mexican table, serrano chiles, Tomatoes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Pati Jinich

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons corn, safflower or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup white onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano chile seeded if less heat desired and finely chopped, or more to taste ( we went for 3)
  • 3/4 pound ripe tomatoes about 2 cups chopped (I add an extra cup)
  • 8 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt more or less to taste
  • Hot corn tortillas or pieces of toast

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and cook stirring often for about 4 minutes, until they have softened but not browned. Stir in the chiles, cook for another minute. Incorporate the chopped tomatoes and let the mix cook and season, stirring often, for about 5 minutes (I let them cook about 4 to 5 minutes more until tomatoes are thoroughly cooked, mushy and their red color has deepened).
  • Meanwhile, crack the eggs in a bowl, add some salt, and beat them with a whisk or fork. Lower the heat to medium-low and pour eggs over the tomato mix. Stir as the eggs cook until desired donenness, but don't let them dry up. Serve with a side of refried beans, hot tortillas or a piece of toast.

Notes

Huevos a la Mexicana