These could probably be called empanadas, except that the dough is thinner, and if cheese-stuffed masa is called quesadillas, there is some logic to calling fish-stuffed masa pescadillas. Nomenclature aside, these are great for entertaining, because the fish filling can be made a day or two ahead. Ingredients 1 pound white fish, poached and shredded 2 tablespoons corn oil […]
Continue ReadingThis recipe uses more almonds than most and eliminates the chocolate. It is a Oaxaca style, rather than a Puebla style, almendrado. 1 3-4 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces salt and pepper corn oil for sautéing 4 cloves garlic, peeled 1 medium onion, peeled, halved, and stuck with 2 whole cloves 1 piece cinnamon stick […]
Continue ReadingTamarind chicken has become a Mexican restaurant standard in the past few years. This can also be made with duck breasts. 4 chicken breast halves salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ medium white onion, finely chopped 4 chiles de arbol, seeded and crushed ½ cup white wine […]
Continue ReadingThis visually appealing dish calls for achiote paste, a classic Yucatan spice paste made from the hard, orange seed of the annatto tree, blended with cumin, cloves and pepper. The market in Merida has a huge section devoted to spice pastes, in colors ranging from bright orange to green to black. The women who sell […]
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Jalisco often seems to symbolize nearly all things Mexican, especially in the country’s Golden Age movies, which abounded with charros, huge sombreros, and lots of mariachi music. The singer and actor Jorge Negrete seems to devour the food with as much passion as he performs the title song in 1949’s Cuando Quiere un Mexicano. From Tuxpan, Jalisco, this Jalisco-style […]
Continue ReadingThis is probably the most famous dish to come from the state of Durango, and can be prepared with beef, pork, or the dried, shredded meat called machaca. If made with beef, a cut called bola, rump, is usually used, but I have gotten better results with filet. When using pork, I use pierna, leg, rather than loin, since the pork […]
Continue ReadingThis is an easy, tasty way to prepare chicken, especially during warm months when a lot of cooking moves outdoors. I buy ancho chile powder from a chile and spice vendor in the mercado, but it can also be made by grinding ancho chile in a spice or coffee grinder. Ingredients ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice […]
Continue ReadingA specialty of Oaxaca, where fruit is often cooked with meat and poultry, this dish is easy and delicious. For a variation, try substituting pineapple slices for the oranges. This recipe is from Oaxacan cook Maria Conception Portillo, who collected over 250 Oaxacan home-style recipes. Ingredients 1 chicken, cut into serving pieces 2 tablespoons corn oil […]
Continue ReadingThe combination of chicken and fruit is a hallmark of southern Mexican cooking. This recipe is adapted from one by Maria Concepción Portillo, a native of Oaxaca who collected over 250 recipes from her home state. Freshly ground spices make a big difference in cooking, and I recommend buying a spice grinder or a coffee […]
Continue ReadingAlthough the season for outdoor grilling has just begun north of the border, here in Mexico grilling is done nearly year-round. Whenever our family and next-door neighbors in Cholula had a Sunday free of other events, someone would inevitably suggest having a parillada – building a fire and preparing a whole meal on the grill. Derived from […]
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