ACHIOTE ROJO. A spice paste made from annatto seeds and other spices, achiote rojo is sold in 3-ounce bars at Mexican and Caribbean markets. When cooked, the bright red paste imparts a unique, subtle flavor. There is no substitute.
AGAVE SYRUP. Made from the juice of the agave plant, agave syrup has a neutral flavor. It is a good all-purpose sweetener for drinks and sauces, but it cannot be substituted for sugar in baked goods. If possible, buy an organic syrup.
ASIENTO. Also known as fresh lard, asiento is a semiliquid pork fat that is sold in tubs at Mexican groceries. You can also use the white fat that is rendered when making Carnitas. Asiento is not the same as the blocks of white lard sold in supermarkets, which is a hydrogenated fat used in baking and making tortillas. Asiento smells and tastes delicious—like carnitas—and it browns food beautifully while adding a subtle, rich flavor. If you don’t have access to asiento, use a neutral vegetable oil such as corn or canola oil instead.
AVOCADO. The best-tasting variety is the Hass avocado, which has dark, pebbly skin and pale green, creamy flesh with a high fat content. A ripe avocado should just yield to gentle pressure at the stem end.
BANANA LEAF. Also called plátano or plantain leaf, banana leaves add a unique flavor when used to wrap baked or steamed foods. They are best fresh, but frozen banana leaves can be used in a pinch. Look for them at well-stocked Latin or Asian grocers. See the directions for cleaning and toasting them.
BEEF. Don’t buy expensive cuts of meat for slow cooking. Most of the recipes in this book use well-marbled boneless beef chuck (sometimes packaged as “pot roast”), which you can dice to the appropriate size or slow cook whole and shred for tacos. Choose choice grade beef. Bargain (ungraded) beef has little taste, and prime beef will cost you more without any improvement in flavor. Avoid precut “stew beef,” which may contain odd bits and gristle. Do not trim off any fat. It will add great flavor as it renders out.
CALDO. Caldo refers to broth or stock, as well as to a family of soups based on clear broths. Great-tasting caldo is very easy to make in the slow cooker. I make both chicken and beef caldo and freeze it in 1-quart freezer bags so it’s on hand for soups or guisados. You can substitute a good-quality low-sodium or unsalted canned chicken or beef broth diluted with an equal quantity of water.
CHEESE. Salty, crumbly, and sometimes slightly gamey flavored, cotija is the cheese most commonly used in Mexican cooking. If you can’t find it, substitute a dry, aged goat cheese or a salty ricotta salata. I don’t think feta is very similar in flavor, but it will do in a pinch. Mild, soft queso fresco is similar but has a fresh, creamy taste; farmer’s cheese or hoop cheese is the closest substitute. Chihuahua cheese, also known as menonita, is a mildly flavored soft block cheese that melts at a low temperature and does not turn stringy. Substitute mild Gouda, Muenster, or mild Monterery jack cheese. Oaxaca cheese is similar to mozzarella and will form long strings when melted; it is not suitable for use in a slow cooker.
CHICHARRÓN. Deep-fried in lard, pork skin will turn into crispy, melt-in-the-mouth sheets of golden yumminess. Needless to say, a little goes a long way. I use it like croutons to add crunch and flavor.
CHICKEN. The better the chicken, the better the dish. Free-range chicken (preferably organic) is the best-tasting chicken around. Kosher chicken is also tasty. Supermarket chicken, however, has improved in the last few years, even though it is almost too tender for the slow cooker. As in Mexico, the recipes in this book call for cooking whole chicken parts, complete with the skin and bones, which add flavor and nutritional value. It is easy to remove the skin and bones before serving. You can, however, substitute the same weight of boneless chicken. Be careful not to overcook chicken: it can easily turn into a paste. The chicken is done when you can easily slip the tip of a knife into the thickest part, which usually takes about 4 hours on the low setting.
CHILES. In many of the recipes in this book, chiles must be prepared in some way, such as by toasting and soaking, pureeing, or roasting. These simple steps bring out the authentic flavor of the chile and should not be skipped. Chiles are primarily used to add flavor—not heat—and many famous dishes, such as mole, are not at all spicy. However, you should still wear gloves when handling any kind of fresh or dried chile. You can knock down the heat factor by simply removing the seeds and ribs. For more on chiles, see Using Fresh Chiles and Using Dried Chiles.
CHIPOTLE CHILES IN ADOBO. Sold in small cans, these smoked dried jalapeños are simmered in an adobo sauce of garlic, vinegar, and tomatoes.
CHOCOLATE. Mexican chocolate comes mixed with ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. The best brand is Ibarra, which is sold in a distinctive red and yellow box. Tiny amounts of chocolate are used in the Mole Negro and Asado de Bodas, in which the sweetness is a perfect foil for the strong chiles. If you can taste the chocolate flavor, however, you’ve added too much. Crushed Ibarra is a great dessert garnish.
CORN. Fresh corn is called elote. Grilled, boiled, or cooked on a griddle with butter and chiles, it is a favorite snack in Mexico. Fresh yellow corn is preferable to the sweet white varieties. Once dried, the corn (now called maiz) is treated with edible lime and boiled to make nixtamal (what we call hominy), which is ground to make corn masa for tortillas and tamales. Nixtamalized corn kernels also appear in pozole (both Pozole Rojo and Pozole Verde).
CREAM. Thick Mexican crema is a luscious garnish for soups, enchiladas, or desserts. Sour cream may be substituted.
DULCE DE LECHE. Sweetened condensed milk is boiled for hours right in the unopened can until the sugar caramelizes into a dense, rich confection. Cajeta is the same but made with canned sweetened condensed goat’s milk.
GARLIC. For the best flavor, buy whole heads of fresh garlic and peel the cloves as needed. (Prepeeled or minced garlic, sold at some stores, tastes foul; your cooking deserves better!) To peel garlic, tap the clove with the side of a chef’s knife to loosen the skin and remove it. When mincing garlic, slice it first, then sprinkle it with a pinch of salt before mincing. The salt will prevent the garlic from sticking to the knife.
Cilantro. Fresh cilantro has a distinctive smell and taste. It’s a necessity in fresh salsas, is often used as a garnish, and plays a lead role in Salsa Verde and Arroz Verde. The fresh taste disappears quickly, so chop it just before using it. There is no substitute for the flavor, but if you dislike cilantro, minced flat-leaf parsley can be used to add a touch of green to dishes instead.
Epazote. A native of the Americas, epazote has a strong and unusual flavor that is slightly reminiscent of both oregano and mint. Generous handfuls flavor corn, beans, guisados, and soups. Dried epazote leaves may be substituted for fresh. I buy it fresh whenever I see it and dry it myself. Epazote is very easy to grow in a kitchen garden.
Marjoram. This mildly flavored herb, which came from Spain with the monks in the sixteenth century, is reminiscent of an earthy, floral oregano. It can be used in any recipe calling for oregano.
Oregano. Mexican oregano is very fragrant, with a sweeter and milder flavor than Mediterranean (Greek or Italian) oregano. It is sometimes available fresh at Mexican markets, or you can grow your own. If you can’t get Mexican oregano, substitute fresh or dried marjoram.
Parsley. This mildly flavored leafy herb can be sprinkled on dishes for a burst of green color and fresh flavor, added to soups, or stirred into a meat mixture to make albondigas (meatballs). If you can’t abide cilantro, substitute parsley.
LIMES. Freshly cut limes are served alongside many soups and tacos. A bright spritz of lime juice wakes up the flavor of food in a way no other seasoning can. Small, thin-skinned yellowish limes have the best flavor. Do not substitute lemon juice or bottled lime juice.
MASA. See Transforming Masa.
MOLE. Mole is an Aztec word that means crushed or pureed (as in “guacamole”). Mole sauces—of which there are many—predate the arrival of the Spanish in the New World. Complex combinations of chiles, nuts, corn, spices, vegetables, and fruit that have been toasted, ground, simmered, pureed, and strained, moles are usually served with meat (cooked separately), such as turkey, venison, chicken, or tamales. Mexican groceries sell very good mole pastes packed in plastic tubs, which can be reconstituted with the broth from a cooked chicken. Avoid mole sauce sold in jars.
NOPALES. Nopales are the small, tender paddles of beavertail cactus. The thorns are scraped off and the paddles are cut up and boiled until tender. The flavor is similar to cooked green beans. Nopales are very nutritious.
OIL. For cooking, use a neutral-flavored vegetable oil, such as canola or corn oil. Olive oil is too strongly flavored for the recipes in this book.
ONIONS. For cooking, white onions are preferable, but yellow onions may be substituted in a pinch. For fresh salsas, such as Salsa Mexicana, or garnishes, use white or red onions.
PEPITAS. Raw pumpkin seeds can be toasted and ground to season and thicken moles, salsas, and pozoles. They add flavor and richness.
PILONCILLO SUGAR. Dark brown raw sugar, mildly sweet and with a gentle molasses taste, piloncillo is sold in rock-hard cones that must be crushed before use. It is generally dissolved in liquid, such as for café de olla, but it is also delicious sprinkled on cakes or fruit. To crush, place the sugar in a plastic bag, wrap in a kitchen towel, and pound with a mallet or a small cast-iron pan (my weapon of choice). Dark brown cane sugar is a good substitute.
PLANTAIN. Also known as plátanos machos, plantains are large, starchy members of the banana family. For frying into tostones, choose ripe plantains whose skin has turned black but that are still firm. Plantains are sold at Asian, Mexican, Latin, and Caribbean markets.
PORK. Boneless pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) is the perfect choice for many recipes in this book, from carnitas to guisados. Do not trim the fat before cooking; it will add terrific flavor as it renders out from the meat. If possible, cook the pork the day before you want to eat it and refrigerate it overnight. The fat will rise to the surface, where it can easily be removed. Save the fat (asiento) for browning and sautéing.
POTATOES. For slow cooker use, choose firm white rose, red, or Yukon gold potatoes. Russet or baking potatoes will crumble when cooked. Always peel them for slow cooker use.
RICE. For slow cooking, I get best results with converted (not instant) rice, such as that made by Uncle Ben’s. Regular long-grain rices, because of their inconsistent quality and moisture content, cook unpredictably and may become sticky during the long cooking time. Short-grain Arborio rice is the best choice for rice puddings. Do not use Asian short-grain rice.
SALT. I suggest kosher or sea salt; iodized table salt has a slight bitterness.
SAUSAGE, CHORIZO. Mexican chorizo is a fresh, soft pork or beef sausage flavored with garlic, dried chiles, black pepper, and vinegar. It must be thoroughly cooked before eating. Do not substitute Spanish and Filipino chorizos, which are dried sausages.
SAUSAGE, LONGANIZA. Mexican longaniza is a fresh pork sausage flavored with garlic, spices, and herbs. It is uncured and must be thoroughly cooked before eating. Substitute fresh garlic sausage.
SPICES. Because of medieval Spanish culinary influences, during colonization, “sweet” spices such as Saigon cinnamon and clove appear in many savory dishes along with black pepper. Other common spices include native allspice (which tastes like a cross between pepper and cinnamon), bay leaf, and cumin.
STOCK. See Caldo.
TOMATILLOS. Resembling small green tomatoes in papery husks, tomatillos taste fresh and surprisingly tart. Choose small to medium tomatillos for the best results. Before using, remove the husks and wash the tomatillos well with warm water to remove the sticky coating.
TOMATOES. Meaty Roma tomatoes are the best choice for Mexican cooking. Other types of tomatoes are too juicy and full of seeds. The flavor of fresh tomatoes can be intensified by charring, boiling, or pureeing seeded tomatoes in a blender and frying the puree.
To roast tomatoes, line the bottom of a heavy skillet with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Place the whole tomatoes directly on the foil (don’t add any oil) and allow them to blacken before turning them. Turn the tomatoes and continue to char on all sides. In cooked dishes, canned tomatoes in juice are an acceptable substitute.
TORTILLAS. Fresh, warm corn tortillas make an appearance at nearly every meal. (See Transforming Masa to make your own.) Flour tortillas are served like bread with meals, or they can be fried into cinnamon-dusted buñuelos.
VANILLA. With its mild flavor and lovely scent, Mexican vanilla is among the finest in the world. Always use a good-quality real vanilla extract for baking.