Category Archives: mexican

Huevos Rancheros

April 26, 2012 –

I can hardly believe it’s nearly the end of April. The month got away from me as it so often does. I thought I had lots of time for projects before I leave for a short vacation. I was going to plant the tomatoes. I was going to weed the beds. I was planning on trying my hand at making Maeve another dress and finishing a baby quilt for a dear friend. I accomplished none of this. That’s not too surprising, however. I often find myself running out of time leaving a path of half-finished projects and a trail of sticky cheerios in my wake.

And, what else? I just realized Cinco De Mayo is right around the corner. I discovered this by accident. I was going back and forth with a friend of mine in an effort to schedule an extremely important and long-coveted meatball making event for May. It turned out the 5th of May was the only day in the near future on which all parties could meet for the meatball olympics. The 5th day of May sounded familiar. Why? Oh, right, it’s Cinco De Mayo. I stared at the calendar for just a moment weighing the meatballs against a celebration of Mexican food.

The meatballs won. I’m not sorry to reveal this either. It’s good to be honest here. You know where my priorities lie now. But don’t fret. I made you Huevoros Rancheros to make up for it. It’s one of our favorite meals around here. I figure we can start at Cinco De Mayo with a fine and traditional breakfast. We can even sip a few margaritas on the back porch in the afternoon. By the evening, however, I will be getting down to the serious business of Greek meatball making. I can’t wait!

What will you be doing for Cinco de Mayo? If you also inadvertently made other plans, you can follow my lead. Huevos Rancheros is an easy breakfast that packs tons of flavor. The only time involved is what it takes to make the sauce and that is less than 10 minutes. This recipe is suprisingly simple and quick to make. It’s actually such a flavorful sauce that it strikes me as ridiculous. How is it that I have to simmer my meat sauces for hours to get the same depth of flavor? It’s sort of mysterious, but I’m not going to complain. I can attribute much of the flavor here to the chilies, which are packed in adobe sauce. They’re so smokey and delicious that their addition makes any sauce a savory miracle.

I’ll see you all soon, my friends. I’ll do my best to send a very sweaty update from the belly of Arizona.

Huevos Rancheros

1/2 white onion, roughly diced

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1 28 oz can organic tomato puree

1 tablespoon of chilies in adobe sauce

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

8 large eggs

4 large corn tortillas

2 tablespoons feta cheese

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (optional)

Heat 1/2 of the oil in a pan on medium high heat. While the pan heats, puree the tomato sauce, garlic, chilies, and white onion in a food processor until smooth. When smooth, pour the mixture in the hot pan and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove from heat.

In another large frying pan, heat the remaining oil on low to medium heat. Crack all 8 eggs into the pan. Cover the pan and cook the eggs on the low heat until set, about 2-3 minutes. (You can use two pans if your pan isn’t big enough to accomodate 8 eggs)

In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil over medium to high heat. Fry the tortillas quickly warming each side but not browning them.

Place a cooked tortilla on a plate and top with 2 eggs. Drizzle sauce over the white part of the egg. Top with feta cheese and a bit of parsley.

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meat mexican tacos

Tacos Forever | Beef Tacos

June 9, 2010 –

You people are wonderful. Really really wonderful. I was absolutely thrilled to share my news with you in my last post, but even more thrilled to receive all the sweet comments and emails. One of you even claimed to suffer shivers after reading the entry. Although I am convinced it was actually a cool and unexpected breeze, I am flattered you attributed it to me. You are too kind.

Well, I am not so kind. You might even think I abandoned you after I dropped the baby bomb. I assure you I never intended the long break. K and I actually managed to take a little vacation. It was a soggy trip to the Gulf Islands, but I loved every minute of it regardless. I will say one thing, however. Pregnant camping has its complications.

Speaking of which, I’m clearly going through a lot of changes. My waistband, in particular, is rapidly expanding. I eat enormous amounts of food. And, I’m pretty sure my skin looks the way it looked when I was 15 years old and in the depths of puberty. However, one thing in my life remains constant.

Tacos.

Yes.

Tacos forever.

I mean it. I craved them before and nothing has changed. I think about tacos too often to be considered normal. I hit the most fabulous taco truck every weekend when it’s in my neighborhood. When it’s not in my neighborhood, however, I have to think fast. How to satisfy the craving? Thankfully, I have the Authentic Mexican Cookbook by Rick Bayless. I love this cookbook for its informative explanations, its suggestions for different alternative methods and variations, and simple to follow instructions.

Last night, I was more than satisfied with the beef tacos I made. They were not only spicy and delicious, but a small victory in that I was sort of put off beef during my first trimester. I think I’m over the hump with this recipe. Top these off with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of sharp cheddar and they’re perfect.

I really hope you try it and love it as much as I do. I’d love to hear your thoughts on tacos and on your cravings, in general. And, again, thank you all for being such lovely readers!

Northern Style Shredded Beef with Tomatoes

1 lb. lean, boneless beef chuck, flank or brisket, well trimmed and cut into 1 and 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 15 oz. can tomatoes, drained, and chopped
2 large green onions, root ends removed and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
Fresh hot green chilies to taste (roughly 2 or 3 chiles serranos or 1 or 2 chiles jalepenos) stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
Salt, about 1/2 tsp
1 package corn or flour tacos

The meat:
Bring 2 qts of water to boil in a large saucepan, add the meat and the salt, then skim off any grayish foam that rises during the first few minutes of simmering. Slice half of the onion and halve 1 clove of garlic; add to meat. Partially cover and simmer over medium to medium low heat until the meat is very tender, 45 minutes to 1 and 1/2 hours, depending on the cut. Let the meat cool in the broth, if there is time. Reserve the broth. Finely shred or chop the meat, then dry with paper towels.

Finishing the beef:
Dice the remaining onion and mince the remaining garlic. heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium high. When hot, add the onion and shredded beef and stir frequently for 8 to 10 minutes, until well browned. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, tomatoes, green onions, and chiles, and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup of the reserved broth, then simmer until the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and it’s ready.

Serve inside your favorite tacos.

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meat mexican

Minced Pork Tacos | Full Belly. No Victims.

February 23, 2010 –

In German, there is a word for the moisture that develops on your cheese after it’s been sitting out for some time. It translates in English to “cheese sweat.” I love this. I love it because it’s not a negative term. Germans aren’t afraid to leave cheese or milk sitting around. They aren’t worried they might die if they ingest the cheese that’s been hanging out on the table since the first guests arrived at the party.

Good for them.

So many people here would be horrified to eat sweaty cheese. In fact, I’ve actually watched my sister toss an entire brick of yummy cheese into the garbage. She’d forgotten to put it in the fridge after she returned home from the grocery store. It sat on the counterop for just under an hour, but that was enough. She was aghast when I suggested there was nothing wrong with it. She is typically aghast at such things. I’ve seen her nearly convulse upon spotting a lukewarm pot of cream on a table at a restaurant.

I’m always surprised to see my sister behave this way. After all, we were raised in the same household by the same mother. And, when she tossed that cheese into the garbage, my mother’s enduring words came flooding back to me.

“There are children starving in Ethiopia!”

It was like a mantra. I heard this phrase at least once a week as a child. If you are a product of the 80s, you might be familiar with this common refrain. I have to say, it was quite effective. I would find myself sitting there at the dinner table feeling sort of haughty, but with scary images dancing around my mind. I can see still see them know. Those giant eyes. Those big bellies. Oh, the guilt.

Yes. The guilt lingers and I do my part to save those tiny souls by cooking dinners with few leftovers or by cooking huge meals and grossly overeating. Either way, I’m relatively guilt-free.

This week, I bring you another round of tacos. Please don’t tell you’re tired of them. I hope not. They are so delicious and easy. You will have to trust me on this one because they do not photograph well. They may not look appetizing, but they are really fantastic. They are also really different and certainly not the typical fare you might expect to find at your local taco stand. There’s sweetness and a savory deep pork flavor in there. And, the toasted almonds? Heaven on earth.

Save a child. Eat these.

Minced Pork Tacos with Almonds, Raisins, and Sweet Spices

1 28 oz. can of canned tomatoes, drained
1 and 1/2 tblsp. veggie oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 and 1/2 lb. lean, coarse ground pork
1/2 tsp black peppercorns (or about 3/4 tsp ground)
1 inch cinnamon stick (or about 1 tsp ground)
5 cloves (or about 1/8 tsp ground)
1/4 cup raisins
4 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Salt, about 1 tsp

Blend the tomatoes in a blender or food processor, process until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Add the pork in a think layer and fry, stirring frequently, until cooked and lightly brown.

Pulverize the pepper, cinnamon and cloves in a mortar or spice grinder, then add to the skillet along with the tomato puree, raisins and vinegar. Simmer until reduced to a thick, homogeneous mass, 30-45 minutes.

Toast the almonds for about 10 minutes in a 325 degrees oven, stir into the filling, season with salt, and it’s ready.

Serve in warm corn tortillas.

Adapted from Rick Bayless, Authentic Mexican (my new fav cookbook)

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mexican

Homemade Tamales Anyone? Don’t Forget Cinco De Mayo!

April 17, 2008 –

Who said you can’t make tamales at home? You can. You will. Don’t forget Cinco De Mayo is just around the corner!

My visit with D in L.A. inspired me to cook some food from south of the border. Tamales are really not that hard to cook. However, they are a little time consuming and PLEASE follow the instructions for the dough closely. With trial and error, I figured it out and so will you.

First, the tamale dough. Second, the filling of your choice. Oh, and don’t forget, the cooking. That takes a LONG time. I don’t have a steamer so I used a broiler pot with a fitted strainer that I typically use for steaming veggies. The tamales took about 1.5 hours to steam cook! Now I understand why people have tamale making parties 1 day ahead of time. Lesson learned.

Tamale Dough

2 cups Masa Farina ( I used Maseca Tamale flour available at Mexican grocery stores)
2 cups lukewarm water or broth (very important)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup lard or vegetable shortening (um, you can guess what I used!)

20 corn husks (for wrapping & lining the pan)

The Filling

Who am I to tell you how to fill them? This is where you can truly start thinking like a chef! I used queso (Mexican cheese) and two different types of peppers– poblano (featured above and are bigger and mild peppers) & jalepeno (the smaller green peppers, which have a kick).

Soak the corn husks in warm water for 10 minutes to soften them.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, work the broth or water in with your fingers to make a soft moist dough. In a small bowl, beat the shortening until fluffy. Add masa flour and beat until the dough is spongy.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of dough on your softened husk. Put about a tablespoon of the filling of your choice on top. Wrap it up like you would a burrito or new born baby. Using kitchen twine, make sure both ends are sealed.

Have a steamy pan ready to go (with water boiling underneath). Be sure to have enough water to keep the pan boiling for about 1.5 hours. Line the steamer pan with a few wet husks. Place the wrapped and ready tamales side by side in the pan. Try not to overcrowd those bad boys. Place the lid on top and steam for approximately 1.5 hours. Be sure to check them out before removing them. This means you’ll have to partially unwrap one of the tamales to make sure the dough is fully cooked.

Enjoy! K and I ate ours with homemade guacamole and pinto beans, which I cooked in veggie broth with bay leaves.

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