VIDEO: Tortilla 101

Alex Stupak, chef of Empellon in NYC, says tortilla making is more of a method than a recipe and I can't agree more. Tortillas are essential to authentic Mexican cuisine and they may seem simple, but mastering their texture and nuances has taken me years. My family made flour (harina) tortillas when I was growing up and we sometimes made maiz (corn). So when I went on this endeavor, I was like a fish out of water. I spoke with the tortilla flipping ladies of Mexico City and Oaxaca and finally at Casa Oaxaca, one of my best dining experiences I've ever had, the tortilla lady let me ask her questions that solved everything. I'm sharing those tips below.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 parts Maseca

• 1 part water (hot water)

• Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a bowl mix the masa and hot water for five minutes until well combined. These portions can change if the dough is too dry. You are going to have to do this many times to get the consistency right. Cover with a damp towel and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

2. On the highest heat possible, place a comal over the open flame. Let the comal get very, very, hot. Meanwhile press the first tortilla in a tortilla press.

3. Lay the tortilla on the comal and allow it to cook until the sides lift off the surface. Flip the tortilla and allow it to cook for another 45 seconds. Flip it a third time until the tortilla puffs, or fills with air. Immediately remove from heat and place in a basket or between two towels to stay warm. Serve as soon as possible.

*DISCLAIMER: In my video the tortillas did not puff. Due to technical difficulties, the gas on my portable stove top did not have enough BTUs to get hot enough.

RECIPE: Tacos de Pollo Adobado

An adobo in Mexico consists of a couple staples with variations: chiles, garlic, spices. It can be used as a cooking liquid for braising, a marinade or a sauce over enchiladas. Technically speaking, a marinade has vinegar which acts as (traditionally since the Renaissance) a flavor enhancer and preservative of the meat being marinated. This adobo has three chiles, vinegar, and spices and can be applied to any meat you'd like. Be creative with your adobos by adding different chiles, variations on spices, chocolate etc. I like to charr the meat over a grill or sear in a pan so as to bring out that smokey chile flavor.  

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 5 cascabel chiles
• 2 pasilla chiles
• 2 guajillo chiles
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 cloves
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 1 inch piece canela (Mexican cinnamon)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup water
• salt to taste
• 2 chicken breasts ( or other meat if desired)
• 1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 fresh lime, sliced into wedges
• cilantro, chopped

Method:

1. Heat the comal to low-medium heat and toast the chiles until fragrant and a visually darker shade. Place in a bowl of cool water for 30 minutes.
2. Place chiles, garlic, vinegar, cloves, allspice, canela, cumin, water, salt in blender and blend until smooth, roughly 3 minutes.
3. Pour the adobo over the meat and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. Heat the grill or pan to high heat and sear the meat until cooked (160 degrees for chicken) and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces for tacos and salt accordingly. Arrange over fresh tortillas and garnish with thinly sliced white onion, fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve with rice and beans.

Chiles:

Front: Cascabel

Right: Guajillo

Rear: Pasilla

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Tacos de Pollo Adobado

RECIPE: Carne con Chile Verde

This recipe hails from the Northern States of Mexico - the cuisine here is simple, quite representative of the ingredients growing in the desert highlands. Chiles are technically fruits and the dance of spice and sweet in this dish make the chiles the star of the show. The green Anaheim chiles from the North are superb and if a fruit had the ability to capture the flavors of the desert sun, an Anaheim would be just that.

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Carne con chile verde

Method:

1. Over an open flame, charr the Anaheim chiles until the skin has blackened. If you don't charr them all the way, the skin will not be able to be removed and will be difficult to digest. Once charred all over, place into a bowl and cover until the skin is cool enough to touch. Rub the chili of its burned skin and chop into pieces.
2. Place the meat and garlic in a pot and cover with water so that the meat is fully submerged. Salt accordingly. Bring to a boil and scrape off any impurities floating on the surface. Lower the temperature and allow the meat to cook slowly, roughly 1 hour or until the meat is tender and soft to the touch.
3. Once the remaining water has just about evaporated, raise the heat to medium, pour the lard or vegetable oil into the pot with the chopped onion. Allow the onion and the meat to caramelize slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the flour and constantly stir, for about one minute.
4. Place back over a high flame and add the chiles and tomatoes with 2 cups of water and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes and stir so that the chile doesn't scald. The sauce should thicken to a soup/stew-like consistency.

Serve with fresh flour tortillas cooked on the comal and a if you want more heat, as Anaheims can rather mild, serve with seared serranos torreados.

Ingredients:

• 10 Anaheim chiles
• 2lbs beef shoulder (or pork if you so choose), cut into 3 inch cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon pork lard OR vegetable oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 fresh tomatoes, broiled and crushed by hand

 

RECIPE: Cochinita Pibil Tacos

Cochinita Pibil is an exquisite dish from the Yucatan Peninsula, a region whose cuisine is so different from the rest of the country, it deserves its own category. Cochinita means a suckling pig in Spanish and Pibil is Mayan for cooked underground. This underground cooking method is one of the oldest forms of roasting meat safely and every culinary tradition has some form it. I'm not sure what the legality of digging a pit and cooking a pig underground in New York City is, but I don't want to run the risk, so this recipe is for an oven. This is a great recipe for staying home on Sundays, letting the meat slowly render out its flavor.

Serves 6.

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Cochinita pibil tacos

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons achiote / annato seeds
• 2 teaspoons cumin seed
• 6 whole allspice berries
• 10 peppercorns
• 5 cloves
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 - 3 habanero peppers
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup white vinegar
• salt
• Banana leaves (optional)
• 3lbs pork butt or shoulder, cut into large pieces
• 1 small red onion
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Method:

FOR THE MEAT:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheiht.
2. Put achiote, cumin seed, allspice, peppercorns, and cloves in blender and grind into a coarse powder. Achiote is a very tough seed and needs ample time to break down in the blender.
3. Add garlic, habaneros, orange juice and 1/2 cup of vinegar to blender and salt to taste. The habaneros can be too spicy for some, so be careful here on the quantity. Blend everything for roughly 4 minutes, or until most of the garlic and spices are broken up.
4. Line a dutch-oven with the banana leaves, if using, place pork pieces inside and pour the blended spice mixture over the meat. If the meat is not 3/4 submerged in the liquid add water. Cover with more banana leaves and put into the oven. Roast for 4 hours or until the meat is falling apart and the fat has rendered out.
5. Allow the meat to cool slightly before shredding and assembling the tacos.

FOR THE PICKLED ONIONS:

1. Slice the onion thinly and habaneros thinly.
2. In a non-reactive bowl (I use glass) place the onion, oregano, salt, habanero. Pour vinegar over the onions and mix by hand. Let this chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. 

Assemble the tacos using handmade tortillas on a comal. Garish with the pickled red onions. Serve with black beans and white rice.

RECIPE: Puerco en Chile Colorado

This family recipe hails from the northern states of Mexico (Chihuaha, Coahuila, Durango) and is often seen on many restaurant menus in the US. The cuisine of The North is much like the climate where the ingredients come from - sparse and simple. The simplicity of the northern gastronomy is refreshing, and lends itself to a non-complicated cooking style allowing for more exploration with meat cuts, ingredients etc. Feel free to improvise with meat cuts - spare ribs would be excellent! 

GUAJILLOS

Submerge the chiles in water and bring to a boil, lowering the temp to a slow simmer for 10 minutes.

Cooking time: approximately 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 7 dried guajillo chiles
• 2 puya chiles
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon lard
• 1.5lbs of boneless pork, cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Salt to taste
• Sliced avocado

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Tortillas de harina en comal.

Method:

1. Toast the chiles on a comal over medium height, until they are fragrant and a darker shade of brown. Don't let them burn, as the entire dish will have a bitter taste. 
2. Submerge the chiles in water and bring to a boil, lowering the temp to a slow simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the chiles and put into a blender with the garlic, oregano, cumin and 1 cup of water. Blend until smooth.
3. While the chiles simmer, heat the lard in a large pot (I prefer cast iron) over medium-high heat and once smoking, sear the meat in batches (so as not to cool the pan) until the meat is browned. Add all the pork back to the pan. Lower the heat and sprinkle the flour over the meat, stirring constantly so that the flour doesn't burn.
4. Raise the heat to medium and place a mesh strainer over the pot. Pour the blended chile mixture over the meat, straining out any thick chili skin pieces. Remove the strainer and pour 3 cups of water into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower to low-medium and let the sauce cook for 1 hour or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. 
5. Garnish with sliced avocado. Serve with flour tortillas, beans and rice.