Forums > Specific Focus > Mexican Kitchen

gretchen

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #1 of 7 (2628 views)

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Tomatillos

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A half a dozen or so recipes using tomatillos would be great???
I have a handful of the salsa recipes, but was wondering if anyone has any authentic mexican recipes using tomatillos, my first year growing them and you would not believe how many per plant there are..... WOW !!! There is no taste quite like them in any other fruit/vegetable I have eaten.

Ramon

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #2 of 7 (2624 views)

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The recipe is in my tita's head

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Chicharrones is pork skin that is dried air dried.
hi It is better not to boil it you fry it in hot lard until you get the chicharrone begins to pop or cracking. Remove from grease and let it cool down that piece of chicharrone becomes hard and breakable. enable to finish to make the chicharron you need to heat it again just a little bit the lard when the lard is hot put the little piece of pork skin again into the lard and you will see how it becomes poping and expanding until it reaches a lite yellow color don't let it cook to much because you will burn the chicharron
then enable to make chicharron and salsa verde you need to buy tomatillos and serrano peppers and onion and garlic. you make the salsa by boiling the tomatillos and serrano peppers together until they are soft and change color to light green. when tomatillos are done put them in a blender or food processor chop tomatillos, peppers onion, and one or two cloves of garlic and mix together in fry pan put a little oil and fry the mix you just blended together and let it cook for a little while when it is hot add the chicharrones and let it cook with the salse until the chicharron is soft enough to cut with a fork
thats it if you want more spice you can add cilantro to give a little differen't flavor.
P. S. if you want spicey you can add more serrano peppers. this is how my mom make it for us.
than pig out and enjoy

Aztec

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #3 of 7 (2622 views)

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Aren't they called tomates?

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My wife, a Mexican, claims that those are called tomates (nahuatl word) and that what we call tomatoes (the red things) are called jitomates.

Anyway, one of my favorite dishes is chicharron en salsa verde.

Denis

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #4 of 7 (2623 views)

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The recipe, please?

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Your wife is right; however, to avoid confusion (since in some parts of the Spanish-speaking world tomate refers to the red things) it's common to say tomates verdes, tomatillos or miltomates.

Could you kindly post your recipe for chicharrón en salsa verde? You may recall that David Padilla asked how to turn his chicharrón from shoe leather into an edible product, and I still don't know how.

Aztec

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #5 of 7 (2623 views)

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The recipe is in my tita's head

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My wife's mother and her sister are the experts and they never write anything down. First, you have to buy the chicharron. we normally go to Los Abastos in Guadalajara because my wife thinks things are fresher there. Anyway, you just buy a sheet of the stuff and make sure you get some with a bit of fat on it, to keep the flavor they say.

At home we just break it up into chunks and boil it until the grease is floating on the top and the chicharron is soft. then, reserve the broth and let it cool. when the fat has coagulated on the top scrape it off and throw it away (or keep it to cook with if you prefer).

In the de-greased broth, combine the tomates, cilantro, onion and chile (she uses a green chile). this is the secret part. my mother-in-law just throws in amounts she thinks are right. you boil the stuff for a while and then mix it in with the chicharron, simmer it for 20 minutes or so, and that's it.

all I can say is to play around with the different ingredients until you get the combination that tastes right to you.

also, this is not the kind of chicharron they serve in Guadalajara where we live. My wife's family is from DF and that's the type they serve. I like both.

Ric

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #6 of 7 (2623 views)

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Tomatillos

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Gretchen - about a month ago, I put on this forum a recipe for chilaquiles. You can find it using the search feature at the top of this page. But, even if you don't use my specific recipe, Chilaquiles are a GREAT way to use up lots of tomatillos in the form of green salsa AND stale tortillas and it is delicious and easy to make! Try it!

Steve

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #7 of 7 (2625 views)

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Tomatillos

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They have several names - I call them tomatilloes as most spanish speakers in New Mexico do. They are in the tomato family (not the gooseberry family as some say).

Anyway - They freeze wonderfully - so no need to waste any - I grew about a bushel and a half last year and sold about half. Simply grind them up in a blender and put in zip-locks and freeze. It's also nice to have some roasted tomatillo puree too - roast the peeled tomatilloes in a skillet or on a BBQ till slightly charred. Throw in blender and then in zip-locks and then in the freezer.

There are many things to do with them - One quick sauce to make is to add about 1/2 a chopped onion, and a couple cloves of garlic to a heated pan with a bit of olive oil and salt to taste. Saute until translucent and slightly browned. Add a couple cups tomatillo puree. Cook for about 15 minute, then puree in blender with about 1/2 cup cilantro and serrano chiles to taste. Then to make a dish with this sauce - like puerco en salsa verde. Brown cubed pork shoulder - about 2 lbs. and cook slowly till no longer pink in olive oil with salt and pepper to taste. Add the salsa and cook until tender - about 20 minutes. Great in tacos.

A similar salsa is a tomatillo cream sauce. Follow the same directions as above, added 2 table spoons of flour to the browned onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatillo puree slowly and it will thicken slighly. Add about a cup of crema de mexicana (a not so sour cream product - found in most grocery stores now). Cook for a couple more minutes. This is great with cooked chicken or turkey. Cook chicken or turkey till tender (barely simmer in stock till tender). Remove meat from bones, leaving in large pieces. Put in casserole - or a gratin pan. Put salsa on top and top with cheese (I like Queso Mennonito and Queso aneja - but use what you like - a good substitute are a good aged swiss or gruyere and parmesan. Put bread crumbs on top. Bake in hot oven till browned - Really good again as a taco or by itself. An alternative is to first put stale corn tortillas in the caserole and then the other ingredients - wonderfull.

Here's a thai recipe