BANANA SALSA WITH FOUR VARIATIONS
ALL-PURPOSE MARINADE FOR CHICKEN, PORK, AND SEAFOOD
MAKES 2 TO 3 CUPS
Guacamole, margaritas, and salsa; For Americans, no other dishes so epitomize Mexican cuisine. And no other recipe is easier to make than guacamole—or to put it another way, is easier to ruin. Everything depends on the quality of avocado. A rock-hard avocado shipped thousands of miles from Chile is a sham, a pale pretender to the throne. Great guac starts with avocados from Mexico or from the Southern California coast. Check the label, then gently press the avocado. When perfectly ripe, there should be a slight give. As children, we were always told that placing the avocado pit on top of the guacamole prevents discoloration. This is a myth except for the guacamole lying just underneath the seed! To prevent discoloration, always stir in lime juice, and press plastic wrap directly across the exposed surface. Refrigerated, guacamole will keep its bright color for several days. Great guacamole should have a little texture, so avoid the food processor and just mash the avocado with the tongs of a fork. And please don’t turn guacamole into a sort of “garbage” dish by adding all sorts of extras such as chopped tomato, celery, or oddities such as sliced grapes. It’s the buttery avocado taste and texture that should dominate. Last, great guacamole depends on having the perfect level of salt. We always enlist dinner guests to help us do a taste test, and there is never a shortage of volunteers!
3 ripe avocados
2 whole green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, minced, including the seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems (optional)
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
½ teaspoon salt
Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh. Then mash the avocados with the tongs of a fork. Stir the avocados together with the green onions, garlic, chile, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings for salt, lime juice, and chile.
If making this more than 1 hour in advance, squeeze a little lime juice over the surface, then press plastic wrap directly across the surface of the guacamole. The guacamole will stay perfectly green for 2 days stored this way in the refrigerator.
Variation
Garnish with crumbled goat cheese, queso fresco, or crema.
MAKES 4½ CUPS
Only make this when vine-ripened tomatoes are available. The tomatoes are chopped by hand, including the skin and seeds. This takes time, but using a food processor gives the salsa an unappealing mushy texture.
4 cups chopped vine-ripened tomatoes, including skins and seeds
¼ to ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
2 whole green onions, minced
1 to 2 serrano chiles, minced, including the seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes with the cilantro, green onions, chiles, garlic, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings, especially for salt and chile flavor. This can be made 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Option
When vine-ripened tomatoes are unavailable, we have used hot house tomatoes and added 1 tablespoon tomato paste (from a tube, not canned) and 2 tablespoons Chinese oyster sauce.
MAKES 2½ CUPS
The green salsa served in every Mexican restaurant is made from the slightly sour tomatillo, a close relative to the tomato. For more information about tomatillos, click here. In this salsa, the roasted poblano chile deepens and lengthens the flavor of the salsa. An excellent variation is the addition of a finely diced avocado, used in place of or in addition to the poblano.
8 small green tomatillos, husks removed
1 poblano chile
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 serrano chile
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
½ teaspoon salt
In a dry, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, lightly char the tomatillos. (It’s impossible to brown the tomatillos on all sides. Just brown them on the tops and bottoms and on a few places on their sides.) Char the poblano and rub off the blackened skin as described on here. Then discard the seeds and stem. Cut the tomatillos into quarters. In the same dry, heavy frying pan over high heat, lightly brown the garlic and serrano chile. Cut the garlic and chiles a few times so they are in slightly smaller pieces.
Place the poblano chile, tomatillos, garlic, serranogarlic mixture (including the seeds), cilantro, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, if you have the time, finely chop the salsa ingredients by hand for a more interesting texture. Taste and adjust the seasonings for salt. This can be stored for 3 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Freshly picked tomatillos.
MAKES 2 CUPS
There is the element of surprise when serving banana salsa. Dinner guests look at this as odd and nibble at the edges suspiciously. Then in an instant, no more banana salsa remains. It’s great served as an appetizer with chips, with any meat or seafood entrée coming off the grill, or even eaten secretly spoonful after spoonful.
2 firm yellow skinned bananas
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
1 whole green onion, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 serrano chile, finely minced, including the seeds
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Peel the bananas and cut lengthwise into long strips. Cut across the strips so that the banana is in ½-inch cubes. Mince the red bell pepper and green onion.
Combine the bananas with the bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, ginger, chile, lime juice, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly across the surface. The salsa can be made 12 hours in advance of serving and kept refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.
Variations
MANGO SALSA
Replace the bananas with 3 perfectly ripe mangoes. Cut away the skin of the mangoes. Cut off the flesh in large pieces, and then chop coarsely to yield 2 to 3 cups. Combine the mango with the remaining ingredients as directed.
PAPAYA SALSA
Replace the bananas with 2 firm, underripe Hawaiian papayas or a 3-inch-thick slice of Mexican papaya. Peel, seed, and chop the fruit to yield 2 to 3 cups. Combine the papaya with the remaining ingredients as directed.
TROPICAL SALSA
Replace the bananas with a mix of chopped fruits— avocado, papaya or mango, strawberries, and kiwi—to yield 2 to 3 cups. Combine the mixed fruit with the remaining ingredients as directed.
PINEAPPLE SALSA
Replace the bananas with 2 to 3 cups chopped fresh pineapple. Omit the lime juice. Combine the pineapple with the remaining ingredients as directed.
MAKES 3 TO 4 CUPS
Don’t try this with orange segments, but wait until tangerines are in season. The salsa will have a much better taste and texture.
1 tablespoon finely grated tangerine zest
4 tangerines, peeled, segments separated and chopped
½ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
1 serrano chile, minced, including the seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Combine the tangerine zest and segments, onion, cilantro, chile, garlic, ginger, lime juice, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. This can be made 24 hours in advance and kept refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Brightly flowering vines fit in with the colorful palette of house paints.
MAKES 3 CUPS
It’s the contrast between the watermelon reduction with its spicy seasonings and the refreshing crunchy cubes of watermelon that makes this relish a visual and textural treat. Serve at room temperature, spooned on meats and seafood just removed from the grill. Garnish with crumbled queso fresco or a drizzle of crema.
3 pounds seedless red watermelon
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
½ serrano chile, minced, including the seeds
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Remove all the rind from the melon and cut the melon into ½-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place 4 cups of the watermelon in a blender. Add the ginger, chile, lime juice, brown sugar, and salt. liquefied. Transfer to a large saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil over medium-high heat and boil until reduced to 1 cup. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Stir in the remaining 2 cups chopped watermelon, the cilantro, and mint. This can be made 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated in an airtight container. Serve at room temperature.
MAKES 3 CUPS
This sauce can be spooned over grilled meat, or spread on each dinner plate, topped with grilled meat, and garnished with avocado slices. It can also be spooned into martini glasses with three large chilled cooked shrimp nestled inside. Garnish the sauce with crema and then start plunging the shrimp into the sauce.
1½ ounces guajillo chiles, about 6
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, 12 to 16 ounces
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 serrano chile
¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, or 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano, preferably Mexican
½ teaspoon salt
Cut the stem ends off the guajillo chiles and shake out the seeds. Place the guajillos in a bowl and cover with boiling water (put a small plate on top of the chiles to submerge them). Soak for 30 minutes, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the chile soaking water.
Cut the stems off the tomatoes and slice them in half horizontally. Place a dry cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, lightly brown the garlic, tomatoes, and serrano chile, 5 minutes. Discard the tomato skins.
In a blender, add the guajillo chiles, garlic, tomato, serrano, brown sugar, cumin, oregano, salt, and the 1 cup reserved chile water. Blend until liquefied. Taste and adjust the seasonings. This will keep refrigerated for 3 months stored in an airtight container.
There are still a number of horses in the city center. Young tourists can have their photos taken on this gentle beast.
MAKES 2 ½ CUPS
This recipe was given to us in 1992 by Houston chef Robert Del Grande. It has a sweet, slightly spicy, complex flavor, with hints of plum from the ancho chiles. We swirl it into soups, or float little lettuce cups on the soup with Ancho Chile Jam balanced on the lettuce. It’s also great used as a chutney next to meat hot off the grill or rubbed on meat or seafood just before grilling. Or you can also make a zigzag garnishing sauce by combining the jam with mayonnaise or Mexican crema.
2 ounces ancho chiles, about 5
2 cloves garlic, peeled
6 tablespoons any kind of red jam or jelly
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
Using scissors, cut the ancho chiles open, discard the stems, and shake out all the seeds. Place the chiles in a bowl and add enough boiling water to cover the chiles. Place a small plate on top of the chiles to submerge them. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the chile soaking water.
Place the chiles, garlic, jam, honey, vinegar, and salt in a blender. Add the 1 cup reserved chile soaking water and blend on high speed for 1 minute. Transfer the jam to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 6 months.
In addition to providing security, walls and doors impart a sense of mystery about the patios and gardens they hide.
These dry rubs are great on any meat that can be grilled or oven-roasted. Each rub makes about 6 tablespoons, enough to season 8 of your favorite steaks, or 8 chicken breasts, or 3 pounds of fish. Just rub the dry rub into the surface of the meat or seafood, then rub the meat with extra-virgin olive oil. As another option, after rubbing the meat with the dry rub, we like to rub the meat with Chinese mushroom soy sauce or Chinese dark soy sauce. This is not authentic Mexican, but it is delicious! Remember, the rub has to be massaged with vigor into the meat fibers. Then when you brush the meat with a marinade or olive oil before cooking, the rub will not dislodge from the meat during grilling.
MAKES ABOUT 6 TABLESPOONS
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican
Place all of the ingredients in a clean electric coffee grinder or spice grinder. Grind into a fine powder. Transfer to an empty glass spice jar, label, and store in your spice rack for up to 6 months.
MAKES ABOUT 6 TABLESPOONS
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon rainbow peppercorn mix
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon espresso powder
Place all of the ingredients in a clean electric coffee grinder or spice grinder. Grind into a fine powder. Transfer to an empty glass spice jar, label, and store in your spice rack for up to 6 months.
MAKES ABOUT 6 TABLESPOONS
¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ancho or chipotle chile powder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican
Place all of the ingredients in a clean electric coffee grinder or spice grinder. Grind into a fine powder. Transfer to an empty glass spice jar, label, and store in your spice rack for up to 6 months.
The well-stocked kitchen pantry of the Rancho Cooking School.
MAKES ½ CUP
Be sure to rub the seasonings into the meat or seafood before adding the olive oil. Done in this manner, the seasonings will stay embedded throughout the cooking process. You can marinate the meat or seafood this way for up to 2 hours before cooking. This marinade makes enough to use on the same quantity of protein as described in the headnote for Three Dry Rubs.
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon ground coriander or cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine the pepper, zests, coriander, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend over the surface of the meat or seafood. Next, rub the olive oil over the entire surface as well. Proceed with grilling or roasting, as desired.
Many types of beans are sold in the produce markets, such as these fresh garbanzos
MAKES 2 CUPS
Refried beans are such a staple of Mexican cuisine that they make an appearance on nearly all plates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s only fancy Mexican restaurants that eschew refried beans. Use them as another flavor/texture element served with any of the entrées in this book. Add the refried beans as one of the layers when creating your own tacos and tostados. And serve them whenever you are making eggs for breakfast. But no matter how you serve them, for great-tasting refried beans, lard is the essential ingredient. It’s the lard that gives the refried beans a more rounded taste and a richer flavor that lingers longer on the tongue than when using something “healthy” such as sunflower oil, corn oil, or olive oil. How bad is lard? Lard has more monounsaturated fats (“good” fats) than sunflower oil and corn oil. It has more polyunsaturated fats (also “good” fats) than olive oil. Lard has 30 percent less saturated fat than butter. And lard has no trans fats at all. So for the sake of your health, don’t wait. Make this recipe today—with lard!
1 cup dried black beans
3 tablespoons lard
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
Spread the beans on a plate and pick through the beans to remove any pebbles. Rinse the beans, then cover with cold water and soak overnight.
Drain the beans and add to a saucepan. Add 4 cups hot water to the soaked beans. Simmer over medium heat until tender, about 1½ hours. Remove and reserve 2 cups of the cooking water. Alternatively, follow the quick-cooking directions on the bean package.
In a large frying pan, melt the lard over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion becomes golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the salt and beans. Mash the beans with a fork, adding just enough of the reserved cooking water to make the beans smooth. Alternatively, place in a food processor and process until smooth. The beans can be made up to 4 days in advance. Let cool and then refrigerate in an airtight container.
dried beans, right, for refried bean recipes (frijoles).
Here are three sensational Mexican sauces that can be used in a multitude of ways. Use these to flavor chilled shrimp or to add flavor and a color boost to meat or seafood just taken off the grill. Add a new and exciting taste to chilled smoked salmon or roasted vegetables. Enhance just-cooked panfried dumplings with these or use when “building” tacos and tostados. Experiment!
MAKES ¾ CUP
½ cup crema, mayonnaise, or sour cream
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Combine all of the ingredients together in a small bowl or an electric mini-chop. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container and use within 1 week.
MAKES ¾ CUP
½ cup crema, mayonnaise, or sour cream
½ cup fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Combine all of the ingredients together in a small bowl or an electric mini-chop. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container and use within 1 week.
MAKES 1 CUP
½ cup crema, mayonnaise, or sour cream
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves or cilantro leaves and tender stems
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
½ serrano chile, minced, including the seeds
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
½ teaspoon salt
Combine all of the ingredients together in a small bowl or an electric mini-chop. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container and use within 1 week.
The dining room at Camp San Miguel, set up for a festive lunch.
