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: Micheladas "To Taste"

A Michelada is like a Bloody Mary - minus the hard liquor. A beertail, if you will.

And the best part of a Michelada is that you can write the recipe - I'll just lay the base. Allow me to explain - a Michelada is a beer fortifified with tomato juice, lime, chile and flavorings and YOU get to pick the proportions. Want something more spicy? Just add more chili pequin or arbol to the rim.. want something more sour? Add more lime. ETC.

Ingredients:

*For one serving. All ingredients to taste.

MICHELADA

• 10 Chili pequin or 3 chili de arbol toasted on a comal until fragrant OR Sal de Muchos Chiles Rimming Salt

• Lime juice to taste

• 2 ounces Tomato juice

• 2 Dashes of Worcestershire

• Salt

• Hot sauce (like Valentina of Cholula) to taste

• 1 12-ounce bottle of Mexican Lager (claro or obscuro is fine)

Method:

1. Place glassware into the freezer for at least ten minutes. 

2. Toast the chili pequin or arbol on a comal until fragrant. Once cooled, chop into a fine powder with a pinch of salt.

3. Squeeze lime juice onto a plate, dip the frozen glass rim into the lime juice and then the chili powder to rim the edge.

4. Remove the glass from the freezer. Add tomato juice, lime, Worcestershire, hot sauce and stir the mixture well. This should equal approx. 1/3 of the volume of the drink. Add ice cubes 3/4 of the way up the glass. 

5. Pour the lager over the ice cubes and stir the drink to blend both layers. You will have beer leftover which is the best part of a Michelada, it changes flavor and consistency as you continue to dilute the tomato mix with the beer.