BBQ CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CORIANDER, CINNAMON, AND GARLIC
BBQ CHICKEN WITH MEXICAN WALNUT SAUCE
GRILLED QUAIL WITH HIBISCUS SAUCE
BBQ BEEF WITH SPICY AVOCADO SAUCE
BBQ BEEF WITH MANGO-CHILE SAUCE
GRILLED FLATIRON STEAK WITH TANGERINE SALSA
BRAISED VEAL SHANKS, VERACRUZ-STYLE
BBQ PORK IN YUCATÁN ACHIOTE SAUCE
ROAST RACK OF LAMB WITH COFFEE, CHILES, AND CHOCOLATE
MEXICAN CHILI WITH LAMB AND BLACK BEANS
PULLED PORK WITH CHILES, ORANGE, AND CILANTRO
SERVES 4
This is a wonderful grilled chicken with all the intriguing flavors of Mexican cooking: sweet, sour, spicy, and smoky all united with plenty of chopped cilantro. From a cooking viewpoint, the challenge is to not overcook the chicken breasts. The solution is to first lightly brown the chicken by cooking the breasts directly over a medium-hot charcoal or gas grill, and then finish the cooking by moving the chicken away from direct heat, covering the grill, and cooking the chicken indirectly in a 300°F environment. Done in this manner, the chicken will be a marvel of tenderness. In order to ensure the correct temperature, use a combination instant-read meat-and-oven probe that has a cord attached to a little temperature monitor positioned next to the grill.
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
3 tablespoons chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
¼ cup honey or lightly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
1 teaspoon salt
6 boneless, skin-on chicken breast halves
Flour or corn tortillas, warmed, for serving here
Your choice of a salsa or guacamole, for serving
In a food processor, mince the garlic, then add the cilantro and mince again. Add the chiles, honey, lime juice, coriander, cinnamon, and salt. Process into a thick marinade.
Rub the marinade on both sides of the chicken breasts. Marinate for at least 15 minutes but ideally for 8 hours, refrigerated.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill. When hot, add the chicken. Sear the chicken on both sides until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. If using a gas grill, turn all burners off except one that is set on low, away from the chicken. If using a charcoal grill, move the chicken off the coals, and close the bottom and top vents 80 percent. Close the grill cover. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 155°F on an instant-read meat thermometer, about 20 minutes.
Warm the tortillas on the grill. Cut the chicken into slices. Serve the chicken with salsa or guacamole and warm tortillas.
SERVES 8
This recipe was inspired by a famous central Mexico dish, chiles en nogada, in which poblano chiles are stuffed with cooked chopped meat and fruit. It’s served at room temperature with a walnut sauce having the colors of the Mexican flag: green (chopped cilantro), red (pomegranate seeds), and white (walnut cream sauce). It’s a classic Mexican dish: multiple layers of flavor, vibrant color contrasts, and a lot of labor. This dish uses the same sauce, but as a finishing glaze on grilled chicken. It’s a wonderful dish to serve at a dinner party. But it does require last-minute assembling, so you will need a couple of friends to help you plate and present the dish.
1 cup walnut halves, toasted
1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, cut into thirds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup crema
3 pounds boneless, skin-on chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for brushing
2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional)
GARNISH
1 ripe avocado, sliced
½ cup pomegranate seeds or chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
8 lime wedges
Coarsely chop ½ cup walnuts and reserve.
In a blender, place the remaining ½ cup walnuts, the chicken broth, garlic, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne. Blend to liquefy. Transfer to a small saucepan. Stir in the cream and crema. The recipe can be prepared up to this point 24 hours ahead; refrigerate the chicken and sauce.
Prepare a medium dual fire in a gas or charcoal grill. Rub the chicken all over with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
To cook, grill the breasts over direct heat until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Then move the chicken away from direct heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the internal temperature of the chicken is 155°F, about 20 minutes.
Heat the walnut sauce to a simmer over low heat. If you want a thicker sauce, stir in the cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons cold water.
Slice the grilled chicken and transfer to warm serving plates. Spoon the walnut sauce over the meat and sprinkle with the reserved walnuts, pomegranate seeds, cilantro, and avocado slices. Serve at once accompanied by lime wedges.
SERVES 8
Mole means “a mixture,” and there are dozens of varieties of mole. The most famous are the red moles from Oaxaca and Puebla made with dried chiles and chocolate. Traditionally this took days to prepare and necessitated the laborious hand grinding here of the chiles, along with as many as thirty additional ingredients (or more!), ground and added one by one. Now the electric blender has simplified the preparation, and mole sauces are everywhere. Usually the chicken or turkey is simmered in water until cooked, and then transferred to serving plates and topped with the mole sauce. But if the chicken is grilled, the dish has a more complex flavor and looks prettier on the plate. If you are serving this for a party of four instead of eight, don’t try to adjust the quantity of mole sauce. The extra mole sauce will keep for 2 weeks, refrigerated. To use the sauce, bring it to a low boil, and then spoon it over any grilled (or roasted) meat or seafood.
MOLE SAUCE
3 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
4 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 (750-milliliter) bottle inexpensive red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons Dry Rub #1 here
12 pieces chicken thighs, drumsticks, and breasts, 4 pounds
¼ cup olive oil
4 ounces queso fresco
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, or parsley
3 limes, cut into wedges
To make the mole sauce, place the dried chiles in a large bowl. Bring the chicken broth to a boil and pour over the chiles. Place a plate on top of the chiles to submerge them, and soak for 30 minutes. Place a 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, toast the garlic until lightly browned. Toast the sesame seeds in the same frying pan until the sesame seeds become golden, about 3 minutes. In a blender, put the garlic, chiles, sesame seeds, and broth. Blend to liquefy. Add the tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, and salt. Blend until extremely smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and add the brown sugar and red wine. Simmer over the lowest heat for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 4 cups. Finely chop the chocolate and set this aside. The mole sauce can be made up to this point 1 week in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.
Rub the dry rub on all sides of the chicken, then rub the chicken with the olive oil. Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, but for best results marinate 8 hours refrigerated. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Grill the chicken until the internal temperature of the thighs reaches 165°F and the breasts reach 155°F. Turn the chicken every 3 to 5 minutes during grilling.
To serve, bring the mole sauce back to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the chocolate. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Divide the sauce among serving plates. Place the grilled chicken on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with the queso fresco and chopped cilantro. Serve accompanied with lime wedges.
Corn is highly regarded in the culture of Mexico.
SERVES 8
We use this green mole mostly with grilled or roasted meats and seafood. But it is also excellent as an appetizer dipping sauce for chilled shrimp or chunky jicama, or served cold in martini glasses or sake cups. It always delivers a flavor jolt.
2 poblano chiles
¼ cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
3 tomatillos, papery skins removed
1 serrano chile (optional)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup parsley sprigs, including some stems
1 cup packed spinach
1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
2 green onions, green part only
½ ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
2 frying chickens, cut into pieces, about 4 pounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for brushing
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
3 limes, quartered
Roast the poblano chiles over a gas flame or in a dry cast-iron frying pan until charred. Place in a paper bag, seal, and let steam for 5 minutes. Using paper towels, rub off the charred skins. Seed and stem the chiles. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over low heat, about 2 minutes. Let the seeds cool slightly and then grind to a powder using a spice grinder. In the same frying pan over high heat, add the tomatillos, serrano chile, if using, and garlic. Brown the serrano chile and garlic, about 5 minutes. Be sure to brown the tomatillos on both sides; this will take about 3 minutes per side.
In a blender, put the poblano chiles, pumpkin seeds, serrano chile, garlic, tomatillos, chicken broth, brown sugar, salt, parsley, spinach, cilantro, green onions, and avocado. Liquefy and then transfer to a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. This recipe can be done up to this point 8 hours in advance, with the chicken and mole sauce kept refrigerated.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill, or preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub the chicken all over with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to cook. To cook the chicken, grill over medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 165°F for the thighs and 155°F for the breasts. If cooking in the oven, put the chicken on a baking sheet and roast in a 350°F oven for about 40 minutes.
Bring the green mole sauce to a simmer. Place the chicken pieces on serving plates and top with the green mole sauce. Garnish with the crumbled queso fresco and lime quarters.
SERVES 4
This fancy dish takes some planning and last-minute assembling. You’ll need to order the fresh quail, boned, from the butcher at an upscale market such as Whole Foods. Fresh quail usually come six to a package. Please don’t compromise on the quail. Fresh quail has a wonderful sweet taste totally absent from the frozen variety. Next you will need tolocate dried hibiscus flowers. These are available at Mexican and Middle Eastern markets and at some health food stores. What’s the reward for this effort? The dish is a fantastic combination of flavors, colors, and textures, the startling red sweet-sour-spicy sauce topped with the rich-tasting lightly charred quail. If you are stymied when it comes to locating the quail, substitute 4 boneless, skin-on chicken breasts. But for the hibiscus, there is no alternative.
HIBISCUS SAUCE
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
⅓ cup sugar
1 tablespoon Mexican chile sauce such as Cholula brand
2 tablespoons flavorless cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 boneless fresh quail, about 2 pounds
Your choice of Dry Rub here
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ripe avocado
¼ cup crema
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
To make the sauce, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and stir in the hibiscus flowers. Soak for 1 hour. Strain the broth into a bowl, discarding the hibiscus flowers. Stir the sugar and chile sauce into the hibiscus broth.
Place another medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flavorless cooking oil. When hot, add the garlic. Stir the garlic until it begins to brown. Add the hibiscus broth. Bring to a boil, and cook over high heat until it is reduced to 1⅓ cups, about 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust for sweet, sour, and spice. The sauce can be completed up to this point 24 hours in advance; let cool and then refrigerate in an airtight container.
Rub the quail all over with the dry rub, then rub with the olive oil. This can be completed up to 8 hours in advance, with the quail kept refrigerated.
Prepare a medium fire in a gas or charcoal grill. When ready to grill the quail, brush the grill grates with flavorless cooking oil and add the quail. Grill the quail for about 5 minutes on each side, keeping them moving, as they can easily stick to the grill. When just firm to the touch, about 150°F internal temperature, transfer the quail to a platter.
In a small saucepan, bring the hibiscus sauce to a low boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water. Stir this a little at a time into the hibiscus sauce, adding only enough to slightly thicken the sauce. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter.
To serve, pit, peel, and slice the avocado. Pour the hibiscus sauce onto warm serving plates. On each plate, position 2 grilled quail in the center of the sauce. Around the quail, place dots of the crema, a sprinkling of the cilantro, and 2 avocado slices per plate. Serve at once.
In San Miguel, the days of animal-drawn carts are not long past.
SERVES 4
The complex flavors of this sauce will get everyone’s mojo working at full speed. This recipe can be adapted to your taste. You can replace the game hens with boneless, skin-on chicken breasts, cooking them as described on here. Feel free to substitute a mix of fresh mint and basil for the cilantro. Or dress the game hens with one of the Zigzag Sauces.
MOJO SAUCE
8 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup minced fresh ginger
½ bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems, about 1 cup
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
⅓ cup flavorless cooking oil
2 tablespoons sriracha chile sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
3 Rock Cornish game hens or small frying chickens, split in half (about 3 pounds)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ cup crema
To make the sauce, combine the garlic, ginger, cilantro, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, cooking oil, sriracha sauce, brown sugar, oregano, pepper, salt, cumin, and paprika in a medium bowl. Set aside 1 cup to use as a finishing sauce; the rest will be used as the marinade.
On each game hen, loosen a little bit of the breast skin. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the mojo sauce between the skin and breast meat. Place the game hens in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in the remaining marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.
To cook the hens, prepare a medium fire in a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the game hens until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 155°F. Turn the pieces over every few minutes. We like to close the grill for 5 minutes at a time, so the smoke flavors the game hens. During cooking, brush with some of the marinade from the plastic bag (but don’t do this within the last 5 minutes of cooking time).
When cooked, transfer the game hens to warm serving plates. Pour the reserved mojo sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch in 1 teaspoon cold water. Stir in the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. Spoon the mojo sauce over the game hens. Drizzle with the crema and serve.
SERVES 4
The key is to use avocados that are at the peak of their season, such as the buttery Hass avocados grown along the coast of Southern California. We’ve also enjoyed the sauce with roasted or grilled chicken. Beef tenderloin can be expensive, so feel free to substitute your favorite steak, such as rib-eye, New York steak, or flat iron.
SPICY AVOCADO SAUCE
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
¼ cup packed spinach
2 to 4 tablespoons cilantro sprigs, leaves and tender stems
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 serrano chile, chopped, including the seeds
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
4 (6- to 8-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed by butcher of all silverskin
2 tablespoons of your choice of Dry Rub here
¼ cup olive oil
GARNISH
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ cup crumbled queso fresco or crema
To prepare the sauce, place the flesh from the avocado into a blender. Add the spinach, cilantro, ginger, garlic, serrano chile, lime juice, salt, and broth. Process the mixture until liquefied. Taste and adjust the flavors, if needed. If the sauce is too thick, thin by stirring in extra chicken broth. Transfer to a small saucepan. The sauce can be completed up to this point 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill. Rub the steaks on both sides with the dry rub, then rub with the olive oil. To cook the steaks, brush the grill grates with oil. Add the steaks and grill to the desired doneness (for medium-rare, about 10 minutes, and about 124°F on a meat thermometer).
Warm the avocado sauce over low heat on the stovetop. Pour the avocado sauce onto warm serving plates. Place the steaks in the center of the sauce. Garnish with the diced red bell pepper and queso fresco. Serve at once.
SERVES 4
There are lots of bright, exciting flavors in this easy-to-make recipe. If ripe mango is not available, substitute papaya. Plan a Mexican fiesta. A good menu might be this dish plus Marinated Goat Cheese with Chiles and Mint, Chilled Avocado Soup), Oven Fries Olé Olé!, Yellow Watermelon Salad, and Coconut Ice Cream. Or act therole of a party planner and ask your cooking friends to each bring a recipe ready to serve or to cook. Then sit back and relax!
MANGO SAUCE
1 cup chopped mango
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, minced, including the seeds
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground allspice or cinnamon (preferably Mexican) or freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, or mint leaves
4 (6- to 8-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed by the butcher of all silverskin, or your favorite steak
2 tablespoons of your choice of Dry Rub here
Olive oil, for brushing
To make the mango sauce, place the mango, ginger, garlic, chile, broth, lime juice, brown sugar, salt, and allspice in a blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and add the cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. The sauce can be made 12 hours ahead and kept refrigerated in an airtight container.
Rub the meat with the dry rub, then rub with the olive oil. Marinate anywhere from a few minutes to 8 hours. If marinating for more than 30 minutes, refrigerate the meat. When ready to grill the steaks, prepare a hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the steaks to your desired doneness (about 125°F for medium-rare). We prefer to sear the steaks over direct high heat, and then after they are charred (about 6 minutes), move the steaks away from direct heat, and finish cooking indirectly with the grill covered.
Transfer the steaks to warm serving plates. Bring the mango sauce to a simmer on the stovetop. Spoon the mango sauce over the meat and serve at once.
SERVES 4
Cascabel means “rattle,” and indeed, the seeds cause a rattling sound when the chile is shaken. These chiles are thick-fleshed, medium hot, and slightly smoky in flavor. If you can’t find the cascabel chiles, substitute two ancho chiles. This sauce is very versatile. It’s good spooned onto grilled jumbo shrimp or chicken hot off the grill. It also makes a great shrimp cocktail sauce in martini glasses with chilled cooked shrimp perched around the rim.
CASCABEL SAUCE
3 cascabel chiles
2 guajillo chiles
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup red or white wine vinegar
¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 (6- to 8-ounce) steaks of your choice, such as rib-eye, New York, or beef tenderloin
2 tablespoons your choice of Dry Rub here
1 whole nutmeg
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, or parsley
To make the sauce, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Use scissors to cut open the dried chiles and shake out the seeds. Discard the stem area. Transfer the chiles to a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over the chiles. Put a small plate on top of the chiles so they are completely submerged, and soak for 30 minutes. Remove the chiles from the soaking water and transfer the chiles to a blender. Add the orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar, and salt. Blend until completely liquefied.
Place a 10-inch frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic and half the olive oil. When the garlic begins to brown, add the chile–orange juice mixture. Bring to a rapid boil, and boil until reduced to 1¼ cups. The sauce can be made 24 hours in advance, transferred to a small saucepan, and refrigerated.
Sprinkle the dry rub on both sides of the steaks, then rub it vigorously onto the surface of the steaks. Rub the steaks on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Meanwhile, prepare a hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the steaks to the desired degree of doneness (125°F for medium-rare).
Bring the sauce to a low boil. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Place the steaks on warm serving plates. Top with the chile-orange sauce. Use a Microplane to grate a little nutmeg over the steak and sauce. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve at once.
SERVES 4
Flatiron is our favorite steak. Shaped like flank steak, but about half the size, it is from the top of the shoulder. Well-marbled flatiron steak has a slight “chew” similar to New York steak and a superb beef flavor that lingers long after the last bite. If you don’t see flatiron steak at your market, place an order with the butcher. In the meantime, choose your favorite steak. Cooked on a hot fire, it will taste fantastic topped with this salsa featuring tangerine segments. Please note to make this recipe only when tangerines are in season. Orange segments are larger, fleshier, and do not make a good substitute.
2 pounds flatiron steak or your favorite steak
2 tablespoons tricolor peppercorns, coarsely ground
¼ cup mushroom soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
Tangerine-Serrano Salsa, at room temperature
Rub the steaks on both sides with the ground pepper. Then rub the steaks with the soy sauce.
Prepare a hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill. When hot, brush the grill grates with oil. Grill the steaks for about 4 minutes on each side, until medium-rare in the center (about 125°F on an instant-read meat thermometer). Let the meat rest for 6 minutes off the grill.
Cut the steak crosswise against the grain into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to warm serving plates. Stir the salsa and spoon the salsa on top of the steaks. Serve at once.
SERVES 4
The combination of tomatoes and olives is common in Veracruz yet rarely appears on the menus of Mexican restaurants north of the border. It is most commonly used on grilled fish, but the sauce is also terrific as a braising liquid for veal shanks. In this recipe, we introduce an unusual technique. Instead of dusting the shanks with flour and browning them in a pan, the shanks are browned on a grill and then braised in the sauce. This extra step gives the dish a more complex taste. If veal shanks are unavailable, substitute 8 skinned chicken thighs, or 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into 2-inch cubes, or 4 pounds beef short ribs on the bone.
4 veal shanks, cut by the butcher into 2-inch-thick pieces
2 tablespoons of your choice of Dry Rub here
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for veal shanks
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped vine-ripened tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon salt
1 cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican
1 serrano chile, minced, including the seeds (optional)
½ cup chopped imported green or black olives (not canned)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 whole green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Rub the shanks with the dry rub. Rub with the olive oil. Place the shanks on the grill and cook the shanks on both sides until evenly browned but not blackened.
Add the ¼ cup olive oil to a deep 8-quart ovenproof pot with a lid. Add the garlic and lightly brown over low heat. Add the tomatoes, broth, allspice, salt, cinnamon, chile, if using, olives, parsley, and green onion. Stir to evenly mix. Bring to a simmer, then add the veal shanks to the sauce.
Cover the pot and transfer the shanks to the oven. Cook until the veal shanks are tender, about 1½ hours. The shanks can be done up to this point 24 hours in advance, with the veal shanks and sauce refrigerated together in the pot.
To serve, if the veal has been chilled, scrape off all hardened fat that has formed on the surface. If the dish has not been chilled, then blot up any oil floating on the surface with paper towels. Heat the veal shanks on the stovetop until they are piping hot. Taste and sauce and adjust the seasonings, especially for salt.
Transfer the veal shanks to warm serving plates. Bring the sauce to a low boil. If the sauce seems thin, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water and stir into the sauce little by little. Ladle the sauce over the shanks. Sprinkle with the grated lime and orange zests. Serve at once.
Many Indian conversion chapels are open for visiting in the countryside. You can tour them by horseback or four-wheel drive.
SERVES 4
To learn about the essential ingredient in this dish, achiote paste. There is no substitute for this complex, curry paste–like ingredient. Sold in brightly colored 3½-ounce boxes, achiote paste will keep for two years stored in the pantry. Press the box with your fingers. It should feel slightly soft to the touch. This sauce has a wonderful complex flavor. For a variation, spoon it onto heated serving plates and top with grilled jumbo shrimp, chicken thighs and breasts, or grilled steak.
YUCATÁN ACHIOTE SAUCE
1 ancho chile
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 ounces achiote paste
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, preferably Mexican
½ teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 (1½-inch) cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican
2 pork tenderloins or 4 chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
GARNISH
1 to 2 limes, cut into wedges
½ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, leaves and tender stems
1 ripe avocado
To make the sauce, stem and seed the ancho chile. Place the chile in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, and then pour over the chile. Submerge the chile using a small plate and soak for 30 minutes. Remove the chile from the soaking water and transfer the chile and soaking liquid to a blender. Add the achiote paste, orange juice, brown sugar, oregano, and salt. Blend until completely liquefied.
Place in a 10-inch frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic and olive oil. When the garlic begins to brown, add the cinnamon stick, and chile–orange juice mixture. Bring to a rapid boil, and boil until reduced to 1¼ cups. Discard the cinnamon stick. The sauce can be made 24 hours in advance, transferred to a small saucepan, and refrigerated.
Within 8 hours of cooking, rub the pork with the cumin, coriander, and black pepper. Then rub with the oil. Refrigerate if done more than 30 minutes prior to cooking. Meanwhile, prepare a medium-hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill, or preheat the oven to 400°F.
Grill the pork to an internal temperature of 142°F, or the chicken to an internal temperature of 155°F. Alternatively in a 325°F oven, roast the pork or chicken for approximately 30 minutes.
Pit, peel, and slice the avocado. Bring the achiote sauce back to a simmer, if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Spoon the sauce onto warm serving plates. You will have extra sauce! Slice the pork and place on top of the sauce; or place the chicken breasts whole on top of the sauce. Garnish with the lime wedges, parsley, and avocado.
Vintage garden fountains can still be seen at ranchos outside of town.
SERVES 4
As with most stews, this dish tastes better if made a day before serving. You’ve got the advantage, too, of being able to lift off the hard layer of fat that forms on the top surface after the stew chills. For a variation, substitute veal shanks, bone-in chicken thighs, or 2-inch cubes of pork shoulder.
4 pounds lamb shanks, cut by the butcher into 2-inch-thick pieces
3 tablespoons of your choice of Dry Rub here
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped into ½-inch dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped vine-ripened tomatoes, including seeds
1 cup dry red wine or low- sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste from a tube
1 bay leaf
1 chopped fresh oregano, preferably Mexican
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup crumbled queso fresco or crema
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 limes, cut into wedges
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Rub the shanks with the dry rub, then coat lightly with the flour. Place a large ovenproof pot with a lid over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the onion. Turn the heat to low and cook the onion until it caramelizes, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the onion and set aside. If the surface of the pan is dry, add a few more tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the shanks. Brown the shanks on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic. Push the garlic down between the shanks to make sure they touch the bottom of the pan. Cook until most of the garlic has just begun to brown, about 1 minute.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the cooked onion, tomatoes, wine, chipotle chiles, tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano, and salt. Pour this mixture around the shanks. Bring to a low boil, then cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat easily pulls away from the bone when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours. Midway through the cooking, turn the shanks over. The shanks can be made up to this point 2 days in advance and refrigerated in the pot.
To serve, remove the layer of hardened fat on top of the stew. Or, if you have not refrigerated it, then dab up the surface fat using paper towels. Bring the stew to a simmer. Transfer the shanks and sauce to warm serving plates. Sprinkle with the crumbled queso fresco and chopped parsley. Serve at once with the lime wedges on the side.
SERVES 4
This recipe takes the favorite Mexican seasonings of coffee, cinnamon, cayenne, chocolate, and cilantro and uses them to augment the flavor of grilled racks of lamb. There are layers and layers of complex flavors in this dish, so choose a menu of milder dishes to accompany it, such as Saffron Rice Pilaf and Grilled Vegetables.
2 racks of lamb, trimmed and cut by the butcher into double-rib pieces (you will have 8 pieces)
2 tablespoons Dry Rub #1 here
2 teaspoons espresso powder
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup strong brewed coffee
½ cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
¼ cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
Trim any excess fat from the chops. Rub the meat with the dry rub, then with the espresso powder, and finally with the olive oil.
In a small saucepan, combine the coffee, cream, garlic, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. The recipe can be prepared up to this point 24 hours in advance, with all food refrigerated.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the lamb on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast in the oven until the internal temperature registers 130°F on an instant-read meat thermometer, about 20 minutes depending on the size of the racks.
Stir the sauce, then bring to a low boil. Turn off the heat. Stir in the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro. Place the lamb on warm serving plates. Pour the sauce over the lamb. (Or pour the sauce onto each plate, and then center the lamb on top of the sauce.) Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro and the queso fresco and serve at once.
SERVES 8
Lots of goat is eaten in Mexico but very little lamb. Yet lamb is a perfect canvas for the aggressive seasonings of Mexican cuisine. Don’t be alarmed by the daunting list of ingredients here. After soaking the chiles and toasting the garlic, onion, and serrano, the recipe is quickly finished in a blender. The complex flavors of this dish intensify when it is made a day in advance.
2 cups dried black beans
2 ancho chiles
2 guajillo chiles
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
¼ cup flavorless cooking oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1½ pounds ground lamb
8 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, preferably Mexican
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 serrano chiles, chopped, including the seeds
1 tablespoon achiote paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
4 ears white corn, shucked
Crema, for drizzling
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
Spread the black beans on a dinner plate, and pick through the beans, removing any pebbles. In a small bowl, cover the black beans with cold water. Soak the black beans overnight. Drain the beans.
Cut the stems off the ancho and guajillo chiles. Cut in half, and shake away all the seeds. Put them in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, and then pour over the chiles in the bowl. Place a small plate on top of the chiles to submerge them. Soak for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the cooking oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add the lamb. Stir the lamb to break it apart and cook it until it loses all its raw color.
Coarsely chop 4 of the tomatoes, including the seeds. Stir the tomatoes into the lamb. Cut the remaining 4 tomatoes into quarters and put into a blender. Add the rehydrated chiles and chicken broth, oregano, thyme, serrano chiles, achiote, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and brown sugar to the blender and blend until liquefied.
Pour this blended mixture into the saucepan holding the lamb. Stir in the black beans. Bring to a simmer, and simmer constantly for 1½ hours. The chili can be done up to this point 2 days ahead, with the chili refrigerated in the pot in which it was cooked.
Cut the corn kernels off the cobs. Bring the chili to a simmer. Taste the chili, adding more salt if necessary. And taste the beans; they should be very tender. Stir in the corn. Cook the chili for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Ladle the chili into bowls and drizzle with the crema and chopped cilantro. Serve at once.
One of many Indian conversion chapels in the countryside.
SERVES 4
This delicious recipe takes time and special equipment. You’ll need a smoker such as a Big Green Egg or a Komodo Kamado and an electronic meat probe attached to a screen that will display the internal temperature of the meat, a small wire rack, and a pizza stone to act as a heat diffuser. There are lots of recipes on the Internet providing directions for making pulled pork in a slow cooker or oven. But smoking is the only way to achieve the true smoky flavors that are the essence of this dish. Serve the pork as soft tacos or tostados, or as the filling for chiles rellenos. Note that despite the names, pork “shoulder” and “butt” are the same cut of meat.
3½ pounds pork shoulder/butt
2 tablespoons of your choice of Dry Rub here
¼ cup olive oil
CHILE-ORANGE MOP
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup thin soy sauce
¼ cup vinegar, any type
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup honey
¼ cup minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
¼ cup minced fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 whole green onions, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
FOR SERVING
Flour or corn tortillas
Your choice of salsa here
Your choice of Zigzag Sauce
Rub the pork vigorously with the dry rub. Then rub all over with the olive oil. Bring the meat to room temperature.
To make the chile-orange mop, combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.
Prepare a 250°F fire in a barbecue smoker. Place a heat-diffusing stone in the smoker. Line a small baking pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Also spray a small wire rack on both sides. Place the baking pan in the smoker, add the wire rack, and then place the meat on the rack. Close the lid of the smoker, and cook the meat until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, about 4 hours (observing the rise of temperature on the digital screen of the meat thermometer). Do not open the smoker! At this point, the meat will still be very tough.
Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil on the counter. Gently transfer the meat to the foil, positioning it so that it is stable. Bring the foil up around the sides of the meat so that the meat is resting in a foil bowl. Brush the meat with the chile-orange mop, and pour the rest of the mop into the foil bowl. Close the top of the foil package (completely sealed but not tightly wrapped!). Insert the temperature gauge through the foil and deep into the meat. As described in the headnote, the meat thermometer should be the kind attached by a cord to a temperature screen. Gently return the meat to the smoker (you can place it on the rack or directly on the stone). Cook until the internal temperature reaches 190°F, about 1½ hours more.
Carefully remove the foil package from the smoker, and even more carefully open the foil to let the steam escape. Pour the mop into a small saucepan or bowl. Using paper towels, soak up the fat. Let the meat cool on the foil for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Use forks to pull the meat into shreds; the meat should be so tender that it falls apart with just the lightest prodding with a fork. Place in a baking dish and pour the mop over the meat. You will have approximately 6 cups of shredded meat and 1 cup of the mop. The pork can be prepared and kept warm in the oven for 1 hour, or stored, refrigerated, up to 2 days before serving, with the pork still moistened by the Chile-Orange Mop in an airtight container.
To serve, cover the meat and warm it in the oven until hot. Drain away the Chile-Orange Mop. Warm the tortillas. Serve the pork with the warm tortillas, salsa, guacamole, and a zigzag sauce.
