Although the Mixe do not eat meat on a daily, or even frequent, basis, they do go all out for a fiesta, and this rich, flavorful meat and vegetable soup soup uses as many kinds of meat as people can get. Either fresh or dried beef, plus both chicken and turkey, are frequently used.

This recipe for caldo mixe is not quite as elaborate, using only beef and chicken, but it is still good for a large gathering where a one pot meal is easiest. I personally like to add potatoes with the other vegetables, and to brown the meat first, before adding liquid. This is generally not done with this dish, but I think it gives it an extra depth of flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon corn oil
• 2 large onions, 1chopped and 1 thickly sliced
• 12 large cloves garlic, 6 peeled and chopped, and 6 left whole
• 1 ½ quarts beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thirds
• 1-2 carrots, julienned
• ½ pound cabbage, thinly sliced
• ¼ pound green beans, cut into 1 or 2 inch pieces
• 1 ½ pounds small, new potatoes, cut into fourths
• About ¼ cup each cilantro and hierbabuena (mint) leaves
• 2-3 plum tomatoes
• 2 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed, soaked in hot water until soft
• Salt to taste

Season the meat with salt, brown it in hot corn oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and chopped garlic. Stir to combine all, add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until the meat is almost tender. Add the chicken, vegetables, and herbs.

Toast the thickly sliced onion, the whole garlic cloves and the tomatoes on a dry comal or griddle. Peel the garlic and place toasted ingredients in a blender with the softened chile. Add enough broth from the pot to make a smooth puree.

Add the puree to the pot and continue cooking until the chicken and vegetables are tender.

Serve in deep bowls, garnished with chopped onions and chopped jalapeños if desired. Accompany with lime wedges and warm corn tortillas. Serves 6-8.

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Carrots add a subtle sweetness to broths, and beef shanks — with their rich, tasty marrow (called tuétano in Mexico) — make an extra nourishing broth.

Ingredients

• 6 beef shanks
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 4 cups water or vegetable stock
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• ½ pound mushrooms, cut into quarters
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stockpot, sauté the beef shanks in the oil until browned on both sides, turning once. Remove and set aside. Add the carrots, onion, tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme to the pot, and stir to cook the raw taste off the tomato paste.

Return the beef shanks to the pot, add the water or stock, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.

Add the potatoes and mushrooms and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves and thyme. Serve in shallow bowls, with each diner getting a beef shank, some vegetables and broth. Serves 6.

The post Mexican-style beef in broth with carrots: Chambarete en caldillo con zanahorias appeared first on MexConnect.

The combination of meat and squash is typically West African, combined here with tomatoes, an indigenous Mexican ingredient, and spices introduced by the Spaniards.

The original recipe, as presented by Raquel Torres and Dora Elena Carriaga in Recetario Afromestizo de Veracruz leaves out the tomatoes and spices, but nowadays most jarocha cooks use them.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 pounds beef short ribs, cut into serving size pieces
• ¾ pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• beef broth
• 1 pound calabaza squash (West Indian squash) or butternut squash

Preparation

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the vegetable oil, add the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove the short ribs from the pot and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.

Add the tomatoes and onion and cook until the tomatoes have rendered their juice and the onion is soft. Add the garlic, cook a couple more minutes; add the salt, pepper and spices and stir to combine.

Return the short ribs to the pot, add beef broth to cover, bring to a boil, cover the pot and lower the flame. Cook until the ribs are tender. (Here in Mexico, many cooks would use a pressure cooker, which cuts down considerably on time and fuel.)

While the meat is cooking, peel the squash, discard the stringy pulp, and cut into 2-inch cubes. Add to the pot with the short ribs and continue cooking until the squash is tender. Serves 4.

Link to Source Article
Immigrant Cooking in Mexico: The Afromestizos of Veracruz

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This dish is found on restaurant menus throughout Mexico, but particularly in the western part of the country and in the Yucatan, where it is called zic de venado. This recipe is a good buffet dish, to be piled on tostadas or served with warm tortillas and habanero salsa. It makes an attractive presentation served on a bed of mesclun greens. Following are two variations on the traditional recipe, one savory and one sweet-and-hot.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds venison, cooked and shredded (venison is lean and shreds nicely, like flank or skirt steak)
• juice of 4 bitter (Seville) oranges or use half sweet oranges and half limes
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ½ red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped radishes
• salt to taste

Preparation:

Place the venison in a non-reactive bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients and let them rest for 15 minutes to combine the flavors. Add the mixture to the venison and serve immediately or refrigerate and bring to room temperature at serving time.

Serves 8-10 as part of a multicourse buffet or as an appetizer.

Variation I:

Omit the radishes and add ½ cup chopped green olives and 1 firm-ripe avocado, diced.

Variation II:

Omit the radishes and add 1 green mango, diced, 1 diced plantain and 2 (or more, to taste) serrano chiles, seeded and diced.

Link to Source Article

Back to the Kitchen!

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Chronicler Diego de Landa mentioned chaya in 1566, when he observed that the leaves were especially delicious when cooked with plenty of bacon. What isn’t? Chayas fritas is an excellent side dish; it also stars in the scrambled egg dish Huevos revueltos con chaya. Chaya continues in popularity to the present, with exuberant chefs pushing the envelope of its many possibilities: how about a chaya margarita? Or chaya mousse? Deep fat-fried whole chaya leaves also appear as a decorative and edible garnish on many “fusion” dishes at contemporary restaurants. Chaya is slowly becoming available in southern-tier states in the United States, but if you can’t find it, my favorite substitute is kale, which is hearty, robust, and nutty, much like chaya.

Prepare ahead note: Chayas fritas keeps well under refrigeration for a couple of days. Heat a bit of oil or lard in a covered skillet, add chaya, cover, and cook until heated through. Use leftovers to make Huevos revueltos con chaya.

For the bacon and sofrito

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Spanish olive oil
• 4 oz. (114 g) smoked slab bacon, cut into large dice
• 1 cup (170 g) red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup (140 g) red bell pepper, seeded, cut into small dice
• 5 medium cloves garlic (1 oz. / 30 g), peeled and finely chopped
• 1 medium chile habanero (1/4 oz. / 7 g), seeded and minced (Substitute: chile serrano)

For sautéing the chaya and finishing

• 10 1/2 oz. (300 g) fresh chaya leaves (Substitute: chard or kale), thick stems removed and cut into chiffonade or coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon (3 g) sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon (2.5g) freshly ground black pepper

Fry bacon and sofrito

Choose a large, heavy casserole equipped with a tight-fitting lid. Heat the olive oil in the casserole, add the bacon, and cook, uncovered, over low heat until the bacon is thoroughly browned, 6-8 minutes. Remove the bacon and set aside; reserve the cooking fat.

Adjust the heat to medium. Add the remaining sofrito ingredients to the reserved cooking fat and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and the bell pepper is softened, 2-3 minutes.

Sauté chaya and finish

Add the chaya, stir to thoroughly incorporate into the cooked vegetables, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook 20-25 minutes, or until the chaya is tender, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Return the bacon to the casserole and toss to incorporate. Add the remaining ingredients; check the seasonings and serve.

Yield: Approximately 6 servings

The post David Sterling’s sautéed chaya with smoked bacon: Chayas fritas / Tsajbil chaay appeared first on MexConnect.

This stew, a product of Mexico’s cattle ranches, originally utilized just about any part of the cow that was available, including the udders. It is a simple, tasty one-pot meal that reflects the lifestyle of the hard-working vaqueros, who often had to prepare their meals over a campfire.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lbs. beef chuck, cut into 1″ cubes
• 3 tablespoons achiote paste, dissolved in 1 cup water
• 1 cup rice
• 4 ounces fideos or thin noodles
• 1 lb. chayotes, cut into cubes
• 1 lb. zucchini or crookneck squash, cut into cubes
• 1 bunch spinach, washed and chopped
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 5-6 güero or largo chiles in vinaigrette (available canned)
• Salt or powdered beef bouillon to taste

Place the meat in a large stockpot with 2 1/2 quarts water to cover.

Bring the meat to a boil, skim off any foam, and add the achiote dissolved in water.

Cook until the meat is tender, then add the rice, noodles and vegetables and cook another 20 minutes or until the rice is done.

Meanwhile, arrange the onion, cilantro and chiles on a platter, so that each diner may add condiments to taste.

Add salt or beef bouillon to the stew according to taste.

Serve in deep bowls, or serve the broth first, with rice and noodles, followed by the meat and vegetables.

Serves 10.

The post Zacatecas cowboy stew: Puchero vaquero de Zacatecas appeared first on MexConnect.

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This is an easy and delicious one-pot meal that can be made ahead and reheated. For a less picante taste, remove the chipotle before blending the cooked ingredients. The weight given for the meat reflects the fact that there is a marrowbone in the center of each piece of shank. The comadre always used epazote in this stew, but cilantro can be substituted.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef shanks, including marrow bones
• ½ medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 plum tomatoes cut in quarters
• 1 whole dried chipotle chile
• 1 sprig of fresh epazote or cilantro
• 1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
• salt to taste
• 3 small white potatoes, quartered
• 3 ears of corn, cut into 4 slices each
• 1 large chayote, peeled, pitted and cut into 6 wedges
  

Place the meat, onion, garlic, tomatoes, chipotle, epazote, tortilla and salt to taste in a stockpot or cazuela with water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the meat is just tender. Remove the meat and set aside.

Strain the liquid from the pot and set aside. Place the ingredients that remain in the strainer in the blender. (At this point, the chipotle may be removed if desired.) Blend the ingredients into a smooth puree.

Return the cooking liquid, puree and meat to the stockpot. Add the potatoes, corn and chayote and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender. Serve in soup bowls, evenly distributing the meat and vegetables.

Serves 6.

The post Stewed beef shanks with vegetables: Guisado de chambarete appeared first on MexConnect.

Ingredients:

• For the beef roullades:
• thinly sliced beef
• raw bacon and ham, sliced into strips
• raw potato, cut french fry style
• string beans cut into 1″ pieces

  For the mole:

• a few lettuce leaves
• 1/4 cup roasted green pumkin seeds
• 1/3 cup of roasted sesame seeds
• 2 small serrano chiles
• 4-5 tomatillos
• a few radish leaves
• 5 sprigs cilantro
• 2 green onions
• 1/4 onion
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 sprigs epazote
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups chicken stock

Preparation:

1) Lay beef flat and place strips of bacon, ham, potatoes and green beans in the center of each piece; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2) Roll tightly into cigar shapes and secure each end with a toothpick.

3) Blend mole verde ingredients with a little water. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the sauce and salt to taste.

4) Add the chicken stock to the mole sauce and stir.

5)Place rolled meat packages into the sauce and simmer briskly for about 1/2 hour, or until the vegetables inside are soft.

Variation: For a vegetarian mole verde, follow directions for the sauce, substituting chunks of vegetables for the beef rolls. Some suggestions are potatoes, carrots, chayote, zucchini, green beans.

The post Beef roullades in green mole: Bistec relleno con mole verde appeared first on MexConnect.

Russian-Mexican beef soup is obviously a holdover from the Mennonites’ days as grain farmers in the Ukraine, with the distinctly Mexican additions of chile and tomato. The original recipe calls for the cut of beef called chamorro, or shanks, which provides a much richer taste than other cuts for soups. Use bone-in beef shanks because, like the Italian oso bucco, this recipe gets a lot of its character from the marrow at the center of the crosscut shanks.

Ingredients

• • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 pounds meaty, bone-in beef shanks
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 chiles de arbol or other small, dried red chiles
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 sprigs parsley
  • 8 peppercorns

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