“Dobladas” means folded, and these can either be left unfilled and folded in half twice, to make triangular wedges for garnishing chicken and meat dishes, or filled and rolled. The sauce is my favorite all-purpose enchilada sauce. This recipe makes a large batch, enough for three dozen enchiladas, and freezes well. The round, deep reddish brown […]
Continue ReadingA traditional and delicious Mexican dish, chilmole — sometimes called relleno negro — is made from one of the classic recados, or seasoning combinations. This dish, said to have originated in Campeche, is eaten all over the Yucatan peninsula, especially around Christmas and the New Year, when there is an abundance of leftover holiday turkey. It is a nice change from […]
Continue ReadingMixiotes de carnero are a specialty of the central Mexican states of Puebla, Tlaxcala and Hidalgo. They are flavored with two of the most distinctively Mexican of leaves: avocado leaves, which are enclosed with the meat, and pencas de maguey – the inner layer of maguey leaves – used to wrap the meat. Mixiote wrappers- papel para mixiotes – may be used to wrap […]
Continue ReadingAhogadas means “drowned”, an apt word to describe these sandwiches on a French roll, filled with meat and bathed with tomato sauce. While some restaurants and food stalls automatically top the tortas with both salsas, most people prefer to indicate how much chile sauce they want, since it is quite hot. When serving them at home, […]
Continue ReadingCuete, or boneless round roast, is a very lean cut and requires larding, which Mexican cooks do with pieces of bacon and sometimes with serrano ham as well. This version uses both. Leftovers are good chopped for beef tacos or empanadas. Ingredients: 3 pounds boneless bottom round roast or eye of round ( cuete) 6 slices bacon, […]
Continue ReadingThis is one version of the Veracruz classic that is traditionally made with huachinango, red snapper. If snapper is too pricey, I just buy whatever firm fleshed white fish is more reasonable. This has everything you could want in a healthy Mexican dish — bright flavors and lean protein, without sacrificing regional authenticity. It’s fine to use […]
Continue ReadingThe word “zacatecano” used to describe a dish quite often indicates that it contains the combination of poblano chiles and cream. Ingredients: 12 corn tortillas vegetable oil as necessary 4 large poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded 1 cup Mexican crema, creme fraiche or heavy cream 1 cup crumbled queso fresco or farmer cheese 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped ½ […]
Continue ReadingThis ancient dish is a specialty of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca. When we lived in Oaxaca, I learned about segueza from Maribel Bautista who prepares traditional Zapotec food at La Cúpula Restaurant and B&B in the rug-weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle. Seguesa is often made with chicken, but the oldest way is with rabbit, since there were […]
Continue ReadingMoles and other thick sauces made with nuts and seeds go best with chicken and pork. This recipe is from the town of Huauchinango, Puebla, set in a cloud forest not far from the Puebla-Veracruz border. It is a specialty of the small family restaurants in the area. Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, cut into serving […]
Continue ReadingAlthough there are two distinct schools of thought on grilled chicken, one that advocates par boiling and one that does not, Mexican cooks do not par boil and are not afraid to let the chicken skin blacken on the outside while the chicken cooks through. The results of cooking the chicken this way are delicious, […]
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