The usual choice for steak grilled over charcoal in Mexico is arrachera, a choice cut of beef known as skirt steak in English. Flank steak could also be used, but would need to be marinated about twice as long. Ingredients 2 pounds skirt steak ¼ cup olive oil Juice from a 7-ounce can of pickled jalapeños ( jalapeños en escabeche) Reserve the jalapeños for […]
Continue ReadingThis meat-and-potatoes soup, along with a salad and bread or bolillos, could easily serve as a main meal. A friend who has to watch cholesterol makes the meatballs with ground chicken and uses half and half instead of cream. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1-2 chiles de arbol or other […]
Continue ReadingThis Mexican cheese fondue with chorizo and beer is a beer-laced take on fundido toluqueño, the melted cheese dish named for Toluca, a city known for its excellent chorizo. I remember sitting on the chilly plaza there, enjoying a hearty, warming chorizo torta, one of the local favorite snacks. Now is the time to dig out that […]
Continue ReadingDriving northward along the Tamaulipas coast, the traveler goes from the tropical region of the Veracruz border to the plains of south Texas. A mid-point on the journey is the small town of San Fernando, which has one of the best norteño beef restaurants around. A specialty there is a dish called Fajitas al Sombrero, the “sombrero” being […]
Continue ReadingThe cattlemen of the north made meat easy to carry on the trail by drying it. Tastier than other versions of beef jerky, the meat is first marinated, then cooked, shredded and dried. It can be served in tacos, burritos and in scrambled eggs. This version of breakfast burritos was taught to me by the […]
Continue Reading2 pounds beef brisket or other beef (pecho or suadero are what I use in Mexico) or 1 pound beef and 1 pound pork butt 1 small white onion, quartered 2 large cloves garlic 1 or 2 chiles serrano, split from the tip to near the stem end 1 Mexican bay leaf 1 Tbsp sal de grano (sea salt) Cut the […]
Continue ReadingUse this as a marinade for chicken or fish, or a dressing for green salads, especially those with oranges or grapefruit. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon each of: Apple cider vinegar Orange juice Grapefruit juice Lime juice Orange zest Honey ¾ cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Whisk all ingredients in a bowl or shake […]
Continue ReadingCooks in Sonora often cut the beef for this guisado into strips, so that it can be rolled into burritos once cooked. This way, the recipe yields a vegetable stew plus beef burritos. In Mexico, ground ancho chile is sold in most large mercados. North of the border, it is sold bottled by McCormick. Ingredients 1 pound flank steak, […]
Continue ReadingA juicy pork filling, flavored with spices, makes these substantial Chiapas style pork empanadas a good lunch or late supper dish. Any leftover roast meat would be good here. The dough is traditionally made with pork lard, though butter works well. To coarsely grind the spices as called for, I put them together in a […]
Continue ReadingAlthough classified under “soups,” Chambarete español is really a stew, served as a main course. A reflection of the European heritage of Aguascalientes, it is similar to the Spanish caldo gallego, which is also meat-based and loaded with vegetables such as garbanzos, cabbage and carrots. What makes this version typically Mexican is the addition of xoconostles, the sour nopal cactus fruit. Nopales […]
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