The Cuisine of Michoacan: Mexican Soul Food

© 2004 Karen Hursh Graber
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If Michoacan is "the soul of Mexico," as it has often been called, then its food is Mexico's soul food, for few other places in the country can claim such a profound and long-lasting indigenous influence on their regional cuisine. This western state, part of the Bajio region located north and west of Mexico City, has retained its culinary roots for over a millennium.

To understand how this happened is to realize the strength and unity of the Purépecha (sometimes called Tarascan) people that inhabit a large portion of the state. An astounding 38 different indigenous languages are spoken in Michoacan, including Purépecha, Mazahua, Náhuatl and Otomí, but the oldest continuous civilization here is that of the Purépecha, dating back 1,000 years.

Said by some to have come from the southeastern part of what is now the United States and by others to have migrated from Peru (because of linguistic similarities) the group arrived near the modern day town of Zacapan, where the Festival de La Raza Purépecha still takes place annually. The sense of tribal identity is so ingrained in the Purépecha people that they have their own flag, with four colors representing the four parts of Michoacan where they predominate: the Meseta Purépecha (the central plateau), the Lacustre region around Lake Patzcuaro, the Cienega (wetlands) of Zacapan in the north and the Cañada de Once Pueblos - the Gorge of Eleven Towns.

The pre-Hispanic inhabitants flourished in part because of the natural resources found in Michoacan. Its name, meaning "Land of Fishermen", derives from the fact that the state boasts a vast network of rivers and lakes. These, along with the forests, seacoasts and abundant vegetation, provided sustenance for these hunter-gatherers. Fishing, hunting and gathering wild berries and fruit were complemented by the cultivation of corn, beans and squash.

Thanks to the strong indigenous influence, perhaps no other area of Mexico has quite as many versions of corn-based dishes as does Michoacan. Atole, a corn gruel drink found all over the country, is made here with a wide variety of ingredients used to flavor it, including tamarind, blackberry, toasted corn silk, cascabel chile and herbs.

Tamales, too, come in many guises. Those filled with meat and chile, which most resemble tamales found in other parts of Mexico, are called nacatamales. Those that use corn boiled with wood ash instead of cal (the calcium oxide normally used to soften corn) are the folded polyhedrons called corundas, and when beans are incorporated, they are called chakikurindas. The latter are nearly unchanged from their pre-Hispanic predecessors, which were served to the Cazonci, the indigenous nobility, at wedding feasts. Another regional tamal is the uchepo, made with fresh, rather than dried, corn and served bathed with cream or as an accompaniment to stews.

Corundas and uchepos are frequently served along with churipo, a meat-based stew typical of the Bajio in that it is flavored with xoconostle, the fruit of the nopal cactus. Another local stew, resembling a hominy and bean mixture, is the frequently meatless máshkuta. The hominy dish pozole, widely popular in Mexico, is said to have originated in Michoacan and most certainly in the western part of the country.

This corn-based diet was enriched, rather than supplanted, by the introduction of foods brought by the Spaniards. Spices, rice and pork, among others, have all influenced the cuisine of Michoacan. The rice and chorizo dish called morisqueta is among the state's most famous, as are carnitas, the deep-fried pork chunks that are now served all over the country, usually touted as "auténticos de michoacan." Pollo Placero, the chicken dish originally served in the plazas of Michoacan's Spanish colonial cities, is served with carrots, potatoes and enchiladas bathed in a rich, yet mild, chile sauce.

Another Spanish innovation was the planting of wheat, which has taken on special meaning in Michoacan as part of the ritual offerings made on special days, such as the Day of the Dead, when pan de muertos is placed on family altars, and traditional weddings, where bread symbolizes fertility. Also popular are aguacates - bread loaves shaped like avocados- and empanadas, pastries filled with chilacayote, the Mexican squash resembling a giant, round zucchini and used as the base for many sweets and aguas frescas.

Any mention of sweets calls to mind the proliferation of sugar-based specialties in Michoacan, especially in the Colonial cities. The arrival of sugar cane gave rise to an enormous variety of desserts in this region. The fruit jellies called ates are a specialty of Morelia, and many milk-based sweets, most notably chongos zamoranos, originated in Zamora. Helados Michoacanos, the ice-cream stores found throughout the country, began in Tocumbo, where enterprising ice-cream makers developed a community business that eventually involved natives of that village venturing out to establish branches in nearly every city and town in Mexico.

Just as Tocumbo is associated with ice-cream, the town of Cotija is associated with cheese and gives its name to the hard, crumbly cheese called queso cotija that garnishes everything from taquitos to enchiladas. Frequently accompanying these tortilla-based dishes with their salty cheese toppings is the beverage charanda, sometimes called "Michoacan's mescal", or sende, made with fermented corn.

In fact, nearly every town and its surrounding region is known for a culinary specialty or agricultural product. Uruapan's avocados and macadamias, Pátzcuaro's whitefish, Apatzingan's pork, rice and melons, and the seafood of the area around Lazaro Cardenas are only a few of the gastronomic wonders of Michoacan. Although a trip to this state is rewarding for its natural beauty and artistic handcrafts, as well as its cuisine, a taste of Michoacan can be sampled, without leaving home, through the following recipes.

Sopa Tarasca: Michoacán-Style Tortilla Soup

This version of tortilla soup is similar to central Mexico's Sopa Azteca. We enjoyed its warm and robust flavor after a drive over the cool mountain pass called Mil Cumbres (A Thousand Summits) from Morelia to Zitácuaro. The wooden buildings that characterize the region are called trojes, which is also the local name for small food stalls.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons corn oil plus oil necessary for frying chiles and tortillas
½ onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 ¼ cups tomato puree, fresh or canned
1 quart chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 sprig each thyme and marjoram
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste
2 ancho chiles, seeded and cut into short strips and lightly fried in corn oil
6 corn tortillas, cut into strips and fried until crispy in corn oil
6 ounces queso fresco or farmer cheese, cut into strips
chopped fresh epazote (optional)
1 pint Mexican crema or crème fraiche

In a large saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons oil, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft. Add the tomato puree and cook until it is bubbling.

Add the broth, herbs and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Place ¼ cup of the fried chile strips and ¾ cup of the fried tortilla strips in a blender with 1 cup of the broth, liquefy and add to the pot. Cook another 5 minutes.

Ladle broth into individual soup bowls, and distribute the remaining chile and tortilla strips and the cheese evenly into the bowls. Sprinkle some chopped epazote onto each serving and accompany with crema, to be added to taste. Makes 6 first course servings.

Pollo Placero: Plaza-Style Chicken
From early evening until late at night, stands are set up in the plazas of Morelia, Pátzcuaro and other cities in Michoacan selling this popular supper. We watched women bring the different elements of this dish - chicken, vegetables and enchilada sauce - which had been pre-cooked at home, then heat them in hot oil or lard just before serving individual customers. The same thing is easy to do for guests, preparing the chicken, vegetables and enchilada sauce separately, ahead of time, and frying and assembling just before serving. Use individual oval platters if possible.

Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 chicken, quartered
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 sprig each thyme and oregano
salt to taste
1 ½ pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup of the chicken cooking broth
lard or corn oil for frying

Place the chicken, ½ of the onion, the garlic, herbs and salt to taste in a large pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil, lower heat and cook, covered, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate, cover. Strain and reserve the broth

Put the remaining ½ onion in a blender with the tomatoes, sugar and 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth; blend briefly. Sauce should have a somewhat chunky texture. Pour into a saucepan with a little hot corn oil. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add salt to taste.

Remove the skin from the chicken. Heat the lard or oil in a large frying pan and sauté it until golden brown. Spoon the tomato sauce generously over the chicken pieces, top with shredded lettuce and place a chicken quarter in the middle of each individual platter. Place the vegetables (see below) on one side and the enchiladas (see below) on the other. Serve immediately.

For the vegetables:
3 large potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, peeled, diced and boiled
corn oil or lard for frying

Place the cooked potatoes and carrots in a frying pan with hot corn oil or lard and cook, turning with a spatula, until they are heated through, approximately 1 minute. (This will take longer if vegetables are cooked ahead of time.) Place vegetables alongside the chicken on individual serving platters.

For the enchiladas:
4 ancho chiles, seeded, deveined and soaked in hot water until soft
4 guajillo chiles, seeded, deveined and soaked in hot water until soft
2 tomatoes, roasted and peeled
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
pinch oregano
3 cups reserved chicken broth
salt to taste
8 corn tortillas
lard or corn oil for frying
4 ounces queso cotija, añejo or mild feta, crumbled

Place the chiles, tomatoes, garlic and oregano in a blender with the chicken broth and puree until smooth. Heat a little corn oil or lard in a saucepan and pour the puree through a strainer, pressing to obtain as much as possible, into the hot oil. Cover and cook over medium heat 15 minutes.

Dip each tortilla into the hot sauce, then into a frying pan with hot oil or lard, being careful because the sauce will splatter. Use a spatula to fold each one in half. Place two enchiladas on one side of the chicken, opposite the vegetables, on individual platters. Top the folded tortillas with additional sauce and crumbled cheese. Serves 4.

Puerco Estilo Apatzingan: Spicy Braised Pork
The area around Apatzingan is famous for its pork. The flavor of this dish is somewhat reminiscent of the carnitas for which Michoacán is famous. Unlike carnitas, the pork is baked in the oven instead of fried in lard, and the seasoning ingredients make serving a salsa unnecessary.

Ingredients:
2 pound piece pork shoulder (do not substitute with loin)
2 guajillo chiles, seeded, deveined and soaked in warm water until soft
2 roma tomatoes, roasted but left unpeeled
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 peppercorns, crushed
salt to taste
1 medium white onion, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 orange, thinly sliced into rounds
1 sprig fresh marjoram or oregano
1 ½ cups white wine

Cut shallow slits into the pork and place it in a cazuela or Dutch oven. It should be fairly crowded in the pan to prevent it drying out as it cooks.

Grind the chiles, tomatoes, garlic, orange juice, peppercorns and salt into a paste in a blender, processor or molcajete and spread the paste over the meat. Top with the sliced onion and orange. Add the herb sprig and pour 1 cup wine over all.

Cover tightly and bake in a 350º oven for 1 ½ hours or until the meat is tender. Uncover, raise the oven temperature to 425º and bake until the top of the pork is golden.

Remove meat and keep warm. Add the remaining ½ cup wine to the pot and cook, stirring, until the sauce is reduced to the consistency of a glaze. Spread over the meat, slice and serve on a platter. Serves 6.

Chongos Zamoranos: Sweet Milk Curd Dessert

This dessert is so popular in Mexico that it comes in cans, but nothing beats home made. Chongo is the Spanish word for a chignon, which the curds resemble when they separate from the whey. This dessert should be prepared in an earthenware pot such as a Mexican clay cazuela.

Ingredients:
2 quarts raw milk (goat or cow's milk, but not homogenized)
4 egg yolks
2 rennet tablets or 5-6 drops liquid rennet
4 cinnamon sticks
1 pound sugar

Beat the egg yolks and milk together in the pot. Dissolve the rennet tablet in a little water and add to the egg yolk-milk mixture. Place this over a stove burner pilot, stirring from time to time, until the milk curdles.

When the milk has curdled, make a cross-shaped cut in the contents of the pot and insert pieces of cinnamon stick into the cut. Pour the sugar over all and let stand until the sugar has been absorbed.

Cook over low flame for 2-3 hours, or until the curds and syrup have separated and the syrup is golden brown. Curds should be removed from syrup as they form and set aside in a bowl. When all curds have been removed, continue cooking syrup until thick. Allow syrup to cool.

Spoon curds into dessert bowls and pour syrup over curds. Serves 6-8.

(To the rest of the Kitchen!)

Karen Hursh Graber - E-mail

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