Authentic Carnitas

My daughter decided, last minute, she wanted a Mexican fiesta for her graduation party. You know, to satisfy the ancestors. Sigh. I was prepared for a luau, had lots of recipes and great ideas. Now, how to feed a crowd? None of my normal recipes would be easy to prepare in large amounts, in a way to keep the table stocked and hot all day.


I decided on an authentic street taco bar - carnitas, carne asada, tortillas, rice, beans, and all the toppings. But, I have never made carnitas or carne asada before. I have made Kalua Pig in the crockpot, so I know how to cook pork until it falls apart for shredding. Now I just needed the ingredients to make it taste authentic, and a plan to give it that crispy edge when serving. This is what I came up with.

For the authentic flavor, I used the ideas for my ingredients from this recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carnitas-Braised-and-Fried-Pork-364389

The crockpot is always the best way to cook meat in advance, and I knew that I could put a whole pork butt into the crock the night before and end up with meat that just falls apart the next afternoon. We can't get boneless pork butt here so it is very difficult to cut one up into pieces, and I know that the bone will pull right out when done this way.

Once the meat was done, I pulled out the bone, the bay leaves, and the orange, and kept the crockpot on warm. When I was ready to put out meat for tacos on the table, I transferred some of the shredded pork along with some of the liquid to a hot, dry pan. It only takes 2-3 minutes to give it a good, crispy charred edge.

Everyone raved about the meat, and even better, I have some left over in the freezer for another night.

Sheri's Street Taco Carnitas

1 large, 6-8 pound, whole pork butt (shoulder would also work)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced


8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 orange, cut into quarters

3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano (I have a stash of this from Mexico - so fragrant!)
3 teaspoons freshly ground sea salt

1/4 cup lard or canola oil (I used the oil, but I will try lard next time)
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk 
1 1/2 cups water

Put the pork, fat side up, in a large crockpot.  Top with onion and garlic, pushing some down around the sides of the meat. Top with orange, bay leaves, oregano, and salt. Pour liquid ingredients over the top.

Cook roast on low for 15 hours. Remove orange, bay leaves, and bones. Can be refrigerated, frozen, or kept on warm in crockpot at this point. If setting aside for later, be sure to keep the juice with the meat.

To serve, heat a large, heavy flat pan over high heat. Cast iron would work best. Do not add oil or fat, the meat and juices contain enough to cook the meat with. Use tongs to pull meat to shreds and add to pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Add a little liquid from the crockpot, and cook 2-3 minutes, just enough to get a charred, crispy edge to the meat, while keeping the meat moist and delicious. Serve immediately with hot corn tortillas, pico de gallo, hot sauce, and your favorite condiments.

The Evolution of an Enchilada

 

I grew up on enchiladas. My mom made them on a regular basis. I learned how to make them at a young age. They were a staple in our household.

With our family's Mexican heritage, you would think this would be just one of many dishes passed down through the generations. Surprise - this is the only Mexican food my mom ever made. It was the only dish she remembers learning from her own mother, who was descended from the original Spanish inhabitants of California.

I'm not sure if the dish she taught me was exactly what was passed down to her. The version I learned at mom's kitchen counter was very Americanized. Ground beef, corn tortillas, enchilada sauce, cheddar cheese, and olives. In spite of that, a hit with our family. I made it for my kids quite often when they were younger. However, it's been a while.

As with most recipes I enjoy, I'm always trying to improve it. Years ago, I began swapping out chicken for the beef. When Mexican cheeses became more available, I swapped that in. I began adding green chilies to the filling for more flavor. I was beginning to make it mine.

Last week as I was making a menu plan and a shopping list, I realized Cinco de Mayo was coming up. Instead of my usual Mexican dishes (chili verde, carne asada tacos, posole, albondigas, or tortilla soup) on a whim I decided to revisit enchiladas again. It may have come back into my mind because of a treasure I snagged on my last visit to Whole Foods - Hatch brand enchilada sauce! I knew that had to be delicious.

However, on the advice of my gastroenterologist I am trying to reduce or eliminate dairy in my diet. I decided to make the chicken filling very flavorable and not have cheese inside the enchiladas, only on top. I had some leftover chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken, so I bought two large packages of thighs. I brined and grilled them - tons of flavor right off the bat! Jim helped me shred it, which was quite a chore. This could also be made with a rotisserie chicken, a whole roasted chicken, or the already cooked and cut up chicken you can buy in the package. For the amount of chicken you need, roasting or grilling your own is the way to go.

These were so delicious, we nibbled quite a bit as we shredded!

I sauteed a whole diced onion with four cloves of minced garlic and added it to the meat, along with finely minced cilantro and four cans of diced green chilies. This is what I ended up with:

OK, I know this is a lot of chicken. Way too much for two trays of enchiladas. My motto is, better too much than not enough. The extra is in the freezer for a crockpot chicken dish I make sometimes for Bible study group. There was probably way less left over than you would think - I really overstuff the tortillas, which is the way to go. I like a high ratio of stuffing.

The time consuming part, other than shredding the chicken, is assembling the enchiladas. It's also very, very messy. Don't wear nice clothing - enchilada sauce stains!

I heated my comal over high heat and enlisted my youngest to cook the tortillas. I've found this is a crucial step. My mom never did this - instead, she heated some of the enchilada sauce in a small pan, dipped the tortillas, and rolled. I don't know if she had some particularly fresh or special tortillas, but they never cracked or fell apart. If I try this with tortillas I can buy locally, disaster. The only way around this is to cook them first, then dip them in the sauce. They don't rip or disintegrate at all.

I dip the tortillas in a small pan of sauce, lay them in the dish, fill them with a generous portion of meat and two black olives, and roll them. Make sure the seam ends up down. Don't worry if filling spills out the sides. I push mine up against each other, making room for lots of enchiladas in one pan. The one at the end of the row is hardest, but you'll get it with practice. Corn tortillas are small, so I fill up the rest of the dish with enchiladas rolled the other direction. I usually end up with about 15 rolls in one casserole dish.

As a side note, I know some people use flour tortillas. I have used them in the past as well. I highly prefer the flavor and texture of corn tortillas. Flour tortillas are kind of bland and fall apart more easily when dipped in the sauce.

Next, I take the remaining sauce (one 14 ounce can) and drizzle it over the top of the dish of enchiladas, spreading it out evenly, especially around the edges. I then top with more olives and shredded Mexican cheese. Trays can be frozen or refrigerated and cooked later. Bake (thawed) at 350F for about 20-25 minutes.

Now, recipe - hmmm, that is a hard one. How do I give an exact recipe for something I've always just cooked by look and feel? For the two trays I made this time, I used one package of 30 corn tortillas, two 14 ounce cans of enchilada sauce, two cans of medium pitted black olives, four 4 ounce cans of diced green chilies, one onion, four cloves garlic, one tablespoon canola oil to sautee the onion and garlic, and one two pound package of shredded Mexican cheese blend. For the chicken, it's harder to say - about 6 ounces of rotisserie chicken breast, and two family size packages of chicken thighs, which I brined.

I think this recipe can be perfected even further. I'm thinking my next goal will be to learn to make my own enchilada sauce from scratch - won't that be fun!

Homemade Corn Tortillas

It's been a long, long time since I had those incredible, hot, freshly made corn tortillas that I remember from authentic cooks, like our childhood family friend, Trudy. It took this recent trip to Mazatlan to reawaken my love for them. We had them everywhere, with everything, and they were truly amazing!


This wonderful lady even taught Richard and I how easy they are to make - even in her makeshift, outdoor kitchen in the Universo Colonia. So simple, that I purchased the equipment while there, and made them for my family already. These are going to become a staple around here!

First, I needed to find a local Tienda (Mexican market) to find a specific kind of corn flour, called Manseca. I was told this is the kind to use to get the best tortillas. The package has the recipe in both English and Spanish - basically, just the flour, water, and maybe a little salt. You work it into a dough with your hands to get the right consistency - it should be pliable like playdough, but not sticky. If your first few tortillas rip, they are too dry - if they stick, they are too wet. Add water or more Manseca to get it just right. Roll into golf ball size balls of dough - to get just the right size, use the recommended number of balls in the recipe. Dough dries out quickly, so keep it covered with a moist towel or plastic.

Next step is the press. Certainly you can roll out your dough, or pat it out by hand, but the press is so consistent and quick, it is well worth the money. Mine cost about $165 pesos in Mazatlan - about $16. You want to have two pieces of a thick plastic, a ziploc type bag is better than plastic wrap for this. Put the first piece of plastic on the press, top with a ball of dough, then the second piece of plastic. Press well - you want it pretty thin, not as thin as a flour tortilla, but close.

They need to be cooked immediately on a hot surface - a stainless steel or cast iron comal is best, but a griddle would work also. Peel off the top layer of plastic, and pick up with the bottom piece. Invert onto your clean hand, peel off the plastic, and slap onto the hot comal. Cook about 30-45 seconds, then flip. If you are brave you can use your hands, but if not, use a steel spatula.

If you are going to use immediately, keep warm by wrapping in a moist towel or placing in a tortilla saver (I got a fantastic foam lined one in Mazatlan that I love). If not, let them cool before wrapping in plastic and refrigerating. Reheat on a comal or in a microwave.

Once you see how simple it is, and how superior handmade tortillas are to store bought, I think you will find yourself making them, too!

Pico de Gallo recipe

We recently returned from a missions trip to Mazatlan, Mexico. Love, love, love the food there! So fresh and real. Having been away from California for so long, I miss the real deal.

We were blessed to work together with some local ladies in one of the church kitchens, and they helped us make some pico de gallo, Mazatlan style. It is so simple!

Of course, we were making an insanely large amount for our mobile kitchen, so last week I experimented at home with a more manageable amount. Here is the recipe:

6 very firm but ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion
4 serrano peppers
1/2 bunch cilantro
3 limes

Basically, you just dice the vegetables, mix, and serve, but I *did* learn some tricks to make it just right. The first trick concerns the tomatoes - there is a *right* way to dice them if you don't want a watery, mushy salsa. You must use a very, very sharp knife, and be careful while cutting not to squash the tomatoes, but you still want a very small dice. The way that works for me is to cut each tomato in half lengthwise, then lay on board cut side down. Take your sharp knife and cut into 2-3 slices by cutting parallel to the board - like you would slice a bagel. Then slice into strips lengthwise, and finally dice the strips. You may need to sharpen your knife, as this only works well with a VERY sharp knife.

Also, wash your cilantro well, but also dry very well before dicing. Water on your cilantro will mean watery sauce.

The limes should be welled rolled before cutting to release the juice, then squeezed well. A hand held juicer works best for this.

Finally, the peppers - I never did find out the name of the variety of pepper we used in Mexico. It was shaped like a large jalapeno, but it was incredibly hot - hot enough to wear gloves just to handle them. The serranos here work OK, but next time I am going to experiment with habaneros. With any pepper, be sure to mince them very, very small. It is no fun getting a big piece of hot pepper in a bite.

Anyway, this sauce should last about a week if kept in a sealed container and refrigerated. It is really, really delicious!

Albondigas

Although I grew up in California, in a Mexican family (mom's side), we didn't eat much Mexican food at home. Of course my mom's family is eighth generation Californianos, having come to California from Mexico with the first Spanish missionaries, so we have become fully Americanized over the generations. It is only as an adult that I have come to explore and understand my culture, including its food.

I actually found this recipe while searching for easy, healthy recipes in a magazine. I copied down the recipe and have used it so often that I no longer use a written recipe - its all in my head. I love the bright colors and the savory, light flavor of this soup.

Turkey Albondigas Soup

2 48-ounce containers low salt chicken broth (or equivalent homemade light stock)
1 package ground turkey (about 1-1/4 pounds)
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 sliced carrots
2 cans golden hominy
1 small can tomato sauce
2 small cans diced green chilies
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach

Bring the broth to a simmer in a good-sized soup pot. Meanwhile, beat egg in a bowl, add bread crumbs, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix into ground turkey. Form into small meatballs, dropping into simmering soup as you form them. Add onion, carrots, hominy, tomato sauce, and chilies to soup and simmer for 10 minutes. Just before serving, add spinach. Let it wilt in hot soup for about 1 minute, then serve immediately. Pass around your favorite hot sauce so everyone can spice it up to their taste.

I usually serve this with hot buttered tortillas on the side.

Guacamole

Growing up in central California, in a Mexican-Portuguese family, you would think that I would instinctively know how to make this. But, this was something we struggled with in my family. Our general recipe always called for lots of lemon and sour cream, and what resulted was a vaguely avocado-y dip of some sort. Not very memorable.

Years ago when we lived in San Diego I fell in love with the local version, which was just an explosion of real, creamy avocado flavor. I began watching local cooking shows, reading local recipes in the paper, and experimenting until I came up with my own version. The kicker? It's incredibly simple.

Basically, when you have good quality avocados, perfectly ripe, all that is needed is a small quantity of minced onion and salt. That's it.

It can also be enhanced with small quantities of minced tomato, onion, cilantro, and even jalapenos. But the quantity needs to be small - it's just to enhance, not overwhelm, the avocado. It has to be the star of the show.

Which is where most people go wrong - citrus. Citrus is a very strong flavor which just competes with the smooth avocado. Seriously, if you always use lemon or lime in your guacamole, try it without. You will be pleasantly surprised. The same principle applies to sour cream.

One of the biggest tricks for good guacamole is learning to recognize a ripe avocado. It should be thick skinned, preferably the Haas variety. The skin should still be mostly green - the blacker the skin, the more likely it will be overripe. It should give easily when you press your thumb into it, but not mushy.

I generally buy unripe avocados and let them sit out on the kitchen counter. Every day I check them, and when they are just beginning to ripen I put them in the fruit drawer in the fridge to slow the ripening process until I am ready to use them. You generally will have 3-4 days until they begin to go bad with this method.

I've always used the side of a spoon or a pastry cutter to mash my avocados. Most Mexican chefs will use a pestle, which is something I've always wanted. I finally splurged recently and bought my first one.