Recipes

Salsa de Aguacate y Tomatillo

Salsa de Aguacate y Tomatillo

Avocado and Tomatillo Sauce Smooth, creamy avocado sauce combined with tomatillos is another form of guacamole that I’ve had in Veracruz and Yucatán. Serve as a table sauce to spoon over poultry, fish, or whatever you like.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, cook the tomatillos in water to cover until they turn pale green and are slightly soft, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Drain and put them in a food processor.
  • Cut the avocado in half.
  • Remove seed.
  • Peel and add to the processor along with the remaining ingredients.
  • Process until smooth.
  • Adjust seasoning.
  • Serve within 4 hours for best color.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Guacamole from Marge Poore

Guacamole from Marge Poore

Classic Guacamole
Guacamole is probably the best known Mexican sauce and is traditionally made in a molcajete (basalt grinding bowl), and mashed with a tejolote (stone grinding tool or pestle). The word comes from ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (mixture), from the ancient Nahuatl Aztec language. Avocados are native to Mexico and abundant year round in different varieties. My favorite in the United States is the buttery pebbly skinned, dark green Hass variety (from California).Guacamole has many variations; one common way of serving it is with tomato. If you would like to try it, seed and finely chop 1 medium ripe tomato and gently stir it into the guacamole before serving.Guacamole should be served within 4 hours after it's made for best color and freshest flavor.
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Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups

  • 2 large ripe avocados Hass variety preferred
  • 1 ⁄4 medium white onion finely chopped
  • 2 serrano chiles finely chopped with seeds
  • 1 ⁄4 cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or to taste
  • 1 ⁄4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

  • Cut the avocados in half and remove the seeds.
  • Hold 1 avocado half in the palm of one hand and with the other hand, mash the avocado in its shell with a fork; then scoop the avocado into a bowl with a spoon, scraping out the creamy pulp.
  • Discard the shell and repeat with the remaining avocado halves.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
  • Cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent discoloration.
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Recado de Bistec

Recado de Bistec

Yucatán Green Seasoning Paste
From the Mexican name of this traditional Yucatán seasoning paste, which is dark green, you might conclude that it's intended to season steak, but it's also used to flavor, turkey, chicken, fish, and many other foods as well. The garlic-rich paste imparts a wonderful flavor that immediately conjures up the pleasure of eating in the Yucatán. I have found that an electric mini-chopper/grinder helps make the paste efficiently.
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Ingredients

Makes about 1⁄3 cup

Instructions

  • In a dry skillet, toast the garlic cloves, turning frequently until the skins are flecked with brown and the garlic feels slightly soft when pinched, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Peel the cloves and put them in a mini-chopper/grinder or blender and set aside.
  • In a spice grinder, pulverize the peppercorns, allspice berries, cumin seeds, and cloves.
  • Transfer to the mini-chopper/grinder along with the oregano, salt, cinnamon, and vinegar.
  • Blend to a thick paste.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of water if the paste is too thick to blend.
  • Scrape the paste into a container, cover, and let stand about 2 hours to blend the flavors.
  • The paste is ready to use, or store up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Notes & Wine Advice

Mounds and bars of colorful seasoning pastes (recados) are present in the public markets wherever you go in Yucatán, a southern state on the Gulf of Mexico. Traditionally, herbs, spices, and garlic are ground together with vinegar in a molcajete (basalt stone bowl). For convenience, the pastes can also be made in an electric blender or mini-chopper. The pastes are not difficult to make and can be refrigerated for several weeks or frozen for up to six months. Ready-made seasoning pastes can also be found in the United States sold in small packages in Mexican markets. The recipes here for making and using the seasoning pastes will give authentic flavor to meat, poultry, and fish dishes prepared Yucatán style. Although you’ll find several classic pastes detailed, the black paste (recado de chilmole), is not included in this book. The chiles for recado de chilmole are actually set afire to burn until black before grinding. The paste is used mainly with turkey for a dish called chilmole, and seems to be an acquired taste for many people in the United States.
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Course; Marinade / Spices & Seasoning
Cuisine; Mexican

Xak

Xak

Yucatán Dry Spice Rub
It's very easy to make your own seasoning mixture to flavor poultry and meat Yucatán style. Chef Manuel Arjona, a native of Yucatán, and currently Executive Chef of Maya, a restaurant in Sonoma, California, shared this special seasoning combination with me.
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Ingredients

Makes about 1⁄2 cup

  • 2 21⁄2- to 3-inch cinnamon sticks (Mexican canela or Ceylon variety preferred)
  • 1 ⁄4 cup dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons whole allspice berries
  • 11 ⁄2 teaspoons whole cloves
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Instructions

  • Put all of the ingredients in a spice grinder or a coffee grinder reserved for spices.
  • Grind to a powder.
  • If the mixture seems too grainy, sift it through a fine-mesh strainer.

Notes & Wine Advice

This spice rub can be stored indefinitely in a covered container at room temperature.
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Course; Spices & Seasoning
Cuisine; Mexican

Tamarindo

Tamarindo

Tamarind Paste
Tamarind (tamarindo, the paste, is named after the pod) comes from the pods of a tree native to Asia and northern Africa. This tall handsome tree is widely grown in India and tropical regions of Mexico. The fruit inside the pods is made into a popular cold beverage in Mexico and new-wave Mexican chefs are using tamarind to glaze and flavor creative new dishes, and so can you. Tamarind is sour so it must be sweetened to make its tartness palatable.Dense, sticky tamarind paste is available in Mexican or Asian markets labeled seedless tamarind paste, but it may contain seeds anyway. Don't worry, because the paste has to be strained.
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Ingredients

Makes about 1 cup

  • 1 ⁄2 cup seedless tamarind paste firmly packed
  • 1 ⁄2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 3 ⁄4 cup water

Instructions

  • Put all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat until completely melted.
  • With a spoon, push the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
  • Thick, stringy pulp and seeds will remain in the strainer, but push through as much as possible.
  • The paste will be about as thick as apple sauce.
  • Discard the seeds and remaining solids.
  • Stir the paste to mix well and transfer to a covered container.

Notes & Wine Advice

The paste is ready to use or refrigerate indefinitely.
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Course; Marinade / Spices & Seasoning
Cuisine; Mexican

Adobo

Adobo

Red Chile Paste
Adobo is a thick seasoning paste for meats, poultry, and fish, made of dried chiles, herbs, and spices. The paste is also used to thicken and flavor a number of traditional stews.
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Ingredients

Makes about 11⁄2 cups

  • 6 large ancho chiles stems cut out, seeds and veins removed
  • 2 whole medium garlic cloves unpeeled
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Mexican canela or Ceylon variety preferred
  • 1 ⁄8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Instructions

  • In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles, pressing flat with a spatula and turning, about 8 to 10 seconds per side, or until aromatic and slightly blistered.
  • Do not burn.
  • Submerge the chiles in a bowl of hot water and soak about 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Toast the garlic cloves in the same skillet about 2 minutes, until some brown spots appear, and the garlic softens a little, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove and discard the papery skin.
  • Drain the chiles and put in a blender with the garlic.
  • Add the other ingredients and 1⁄4 cup of water.
  • Purée until smooth.
  • If the blender stalls, add only enough water to keep the blades working.
  • Scrape down the sides of the blender jar often, and continue to blend.
  • (The adobo should be thick and smooth with the consistency of thick ketchup.
  • ) Scrape the adobo into a container.
  • The adobo is ready to use.

Notes & Wine Advice

The paste can be kept refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks, or frozen up to 3 months.
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Course; Marinade / Spices & Seasoning
Cuisine; Mexican

Chuletas de Cordero con Especias

Chuletas de Cordero con Especias

Lamb Steaks with Chili Rub
A mix of dried herbs, spices, and ground red chili is rubbed all over thin lamb steaks before being grilled, giving the meat a spicy, slightly smoky flavor that's nothing short of terrific. This dish is typical of the states of Chihuahua and Sonora. The meat is grilled on an outdoor barbecue, or indoors on a ridged stove top grill pan. Serve the lamb with beans and tortillas. Jicama, Melon, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad goes well with the steaks.
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Chili Rub
  • 4 6-ounce round bone lamb steaks
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove mashed

Instructions

  • Prepare the chili rub and measure out 2 tablespoons.
  • Store the remaining chili rub in a sealable plastic bag for future use.
  • Trim excess fat from the lamb, and remove the bone.
  • Cut the bone out of the lamb steaks.
  • Then place the steaks between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet or with a rolling pin to an even thickness of about 1⁄4-inch.
  • Rub oil and garlic all over the steaks and season equally with the chili rub.
  • Prepare an outdoor grill, or heat a stovetop grill pan until hot.
  • Cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until barely pink inside.
  • Serve at once.
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Course; Lamb
Cuisine; Mexican

Especias para Carne

Especias para Carne

Chili Rub
Prepare this dry seasoning mix and store it in the freezer. It's unbelievably easy to use and adds fabulous flavor to meats, poultry, or fish. New Mexico chili powder is sold in cellophane packages in Mexican markets or the Mexican section of many supermarkets. Try it on Lamb Steaks with Chili Rub, or another favorite of mine—rub it on pork tenderloin before roasting. (Use about H to 1 teaspoon per pound of meat.)
Couverts1 cup
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Equipment

  • medium skillet

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a dry medium skillet, over medium heat, toast the cumin, coriander, anise, and oregano until very aromatic, about 2 minutes.
  • Stir and shake the pan constantly while toasting.
  • Take care not to burn or the mixture may taste bitter.
  • As soon as the mixture smells toasty and aromatic, transfer to a plate to cool.
  • Grind to a powder in a spice grinder. (I use a coffee grinder reserved for spices. )
  • In a bowl, mix the ground seasonings with the chili powder, brown sugar, and salt.
  • Can be stored in the freezer in a sealed plastic bag or container about 1 year.
  • Use amount called for in recipes and keep the rest frozen.
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Course; Spices & Seasoning
Cuisine; Mexican

Manteca

Manteca

Basic Fresh Lard
Lard—rendered pork fat—definitely has a place in Mexican cooking; it has been the favorite cooking fat of Mexican cooks for centuries, giving tamales a fluffier texture and refried beans an extra-rich traditional flavor. Although vegetable shortening and vegetable oil have been replacing lard in recent decades, some health experts say that lard actually has less cholesterol and saturated fat than butter. Even if you maintain a healthful diet, you can use lard in limited quantities and attain more authenticity in your Mexican cooking.Fresh Mexican lard can sometimes be purchased from a Mexican meat market, or try making your own. Purchased Mexican lard should contain no stabilizers and should have a rich roasted taste when cooked.To make it at home, I ask the butcher for pork fat trimmings or, if I have a pork roast, I trim off all the excess fat and render it. Discard the browned bits (cracklings) if any, that separate from the liquid fat, if you wish, or add them to scrambled eggs, salads, or other dishes
Couverts1 cups
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh pork fat cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Put the pork fat pieces into a heavy ovenproof saucepan (cast iron works well), and cook until the liquid fat separates out, and the remaining pork pieces (cracklings) are crisp and browned, about 45 to 50 minutes.
  • Strain the fat into a glass container.
  • Cover and refrigerate.
  • The lard will keep fresh tasting for 6 to 8 weeks.
  • Store the cracklings separately in the refrigerator up to 1 day, or discard.
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Course; Side Dish
Cuisine; Mexican

Cebollas Rojas en Escabeche

Cebollas Rojas en Escabeche

Pickled Red Onions
Traditional pickled red onions are usually blanched in boiling water before being marinated in vinegar, water, herbs and spices, but I really like to do a quick sauté in oil instead for more flavor, as in this recipe. Serve as a condiment with all meats, poultry, fish, on sandwiches, or as part of a salad
Couverts3 cups
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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large red onion quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • 11 ⁄2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 ⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the onion and oregano.
  • Cook, stirring, until the onion is barely tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Transfer to a bowl.
  • Stir in the vinegar and sugar.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Marinate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
  • Serve the onions at room temperature, or sizzle the onions briefly in a hot skillet just before serving
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Course; Side Dish
Cuisine; Mexican