Sopa de Papa

Try this hearty Mexican potato soup with a rich tomato broth. Serve it as the starter for the comida, the big meal of the day served around 2:00pm or as a light dinner. The photos are the step-by-step guide. The full recipe is at the end of the post. Accompany the soup with a slice of rustic bread or a few warm corn tortillas. Provecho!

Mexican Potato Soup

Ingredients

Peel the Potatoes First

Chop the Potatoes Into 1/2″ wide by 2″ Inch long Sticks

Add Salt

Add Bouillon

Blend the Tomatoes

Strain the Blended Tomatoes Into the Pot

Add Water to Cover Potatoes, Simmer for 30 Minutes

Mexican Potato Soup

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Hearty Mexican potato soup with a rich tomato broth. Serve it as the starter for the comida, the big meal of the day served around 2:00pm or as a light dinner.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 white or red potatoes
• 2 tomatoes
• ¼ white onion
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 6 cups of water

Instructions

1. Peel the potatoes
2. Cut the potatoes into ½" inch by 2" inch strips
3. Cut the onion in ¼" inch wide strips
4. Blend the tomatoes with a few ounces of water
5. Heat the cooking oil in your pot to medium
6. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes
7. Add the potatoes to the pot
8. Add 1 tsp salt
9. Add 1 tsp bouillon
10. Strain the tomatoes into the pot
11. Add water to cover potatoes with 1" of water, about 6 cups of water
12. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked

Notes

Serve the soup with a slice of hearty bread or warm corn tortillas.

Be sure to prepare the soup with waxy potatoes, white or red. Russet potatoes will lose their shape during cooking.

You can substitute chicken stock for the bouillon.

You can also substitute vegetable stock for the bouillon to make this soup vegetarian.

This soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

3.5.3208

More Mexican Soup Recipes

Mexican Onion Soup

Black Bean Soup Garnished with Avocado

Refreshing Guava Drink

Any drink made with fresh fruit and blended with water is known as an agua fresca or agua de fruta in Mexico. The literal translation of agua fresca is “fresh water” and the translation of agua de fruta is “fruit water.” The name of this drink is agua de guayaba which translates as “guava water.” It is delicious, refreshing and couldn’t be easier to make.

Refreshing Agua de Guayaba

You Just Might Avoid a Cold

In Mexico, drinking agua de guayaba is recommended as a way to avoid a cold due to the high levels of vitamin C and other nutrients in the guavas.. We drink it because it tastes great but if you are interested you can read the nutrition data for guavas.

Guavas and sugar, the only ingredients besides water.

The Ingredients

Water, guavas and sugar are the only ingredients. You can add a splash of lime juice which adds a nice tanginess to the drink. The recipe calls for a 1/2 cup of sugar although we add only about 1/4 cup of sugar because we prefer a slightly tarter taste.

Slice the guavas in half to blend.

The Whole Fruit

When you prepare agua de guayaba, you use the whole fruit. You don’t peel them or seed them. The drink will have a slightly gritty texture. If you don’t care for the texture you can always strain the drink. It will still taste great but you will lose some of the delicious fruit pulp which is high in fiber.

Add the guavas to your blender.

Blend Thoroughly

Blend the fruit for at least a minute to get it as smooth as possible. Strain if you prefer. We prefer the drink a bit on the pulpy side. Pour the mixture into a 1/2 gallon pitcher, add water and stir.

Blend until you get a smooth mixture.

Provecho!

Agua de Guayaba

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Recipe for agua de guayaba, a fresh fruit drink prepared with guavas typically served with the afternoon meal or "comida."

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Beverage

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: ½ gallon

Ingredients

• 6 or 7 guavas
• ½ cup sugar
• 6 cups of water

Instructions

1. Rinse the guavas in fresh water
2. Cut the guavas in half
3. Place the cut guavas in your blender jar
4. Add half the sugar
5. Fill the blender jar with water
6. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute
7. Pour the mixture into a half gallon pitcher
8. Add about 2 cups of water to fill the pitcher
9. Stir
10. Taste and add the rest of the sugar to if necessary before serving

Notes

The juice from 1 lime adds a nice tang to the drink.
Served lightly chilled or over ice.
The drink will separate in the refrigerator. Give a good stir before serving.

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More Mexican Drinks (Aguas Frescas)

Agua de Jamaica – Hibiscus Iced Tea

Mexican Style Beef

This dish is called bistec a la Mexicana which is a beef dish prepared with a spicy tomato and chile sauce. A la Mexicana means Mexican style and any dish that has a la Mexicana in the name, like this one, will always be prepared with tomatoes, onions and serrano chile. You will find variations of this dish served throughout Mexico. Bistec ( BEE-stake) means thinly cut beef filets. Did you know that bistec is the phonetic pronunciation of beefsteak?

Bistec a la Mexicana

Ingredients

To prepare this dish you need thinly sliced beef, tomatoes, onion, serrano chiles, garlic and salt. You should be able to easily find the ingredients at any market so you no excuses for trying this excellent beef recipe.

Ingredients you need to make bistec a la Mexicana.

Here’s what the ingredients look like when they have been prepped and are ready to cook.

Prepped ingredients.

Preparation – Start With the Sauce

Peeling and seeding the tomatoes is probably the most tedious part of preparing this dish but are important steps. This ensures a smooth sauce. If you really want to, you can omit peeling and seeding if you wish. The dish will still taste great the main difference is that the final dish will be more rustic with more texture in the sauce. We say “texture” although some might say “gritty.”

How to Peel and Seed Tomatoes

Score the tomatoes.

Put the tomatoes in boiling water.

Boil the tomatoes until the skin starts to separate.

Plunge the tomatoes in ice cold water.

Peel the tomatoes.

Cut the tomatoes in half.

Remove the seeds.

Ready to Blend

Once the tomatoes are peeled and seeded you are ready to make the sauce. Add the tomatoes, seeded serrano chiles, clove of garlic and 1 cup of water and blend for about a minute until the mixture is smooth.

Add the ingredients for the sauce to the blender.

The blended sauce.

Notice the color of the sauce before cooking. It will darken beautifully as it cooks.

Next Step – Cooking the Dish

Cut the beef and the onions into 1/2″ by 2″ strips.

Cut the beef into 1/2″ by 2″ strips.

Chop the onions into 1/2″ by 2″ strips.

Add oil to the preheated pan.

Add the chopped onions to the pan.

Cook until the onions just start to brown.

Add the meat to the pan.

The beef will start to release its juice.

Cook until most the of the juice has evaporated.

Add the cooked onions to the beef.

Stir the onions into the beef.

Add the tomato sauce.

Simmer to reduce the sauce.

Cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

The final dish.

Serving

Serve your bistec a la Mexicana with a big stack of warm corn tortillas and refried beans on the side. Garnish the beans with a sprinkle of queso fresco or queso cotija and 3 tortilla chips.

Provecho!

4.0 from 1 reviews

Recipe for Bistec a la Mexicana

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Recipe for "bistec a la Mexicana," a Mexican beef dish prepared with a spicy tomato and chile sauce. Variations of this dish are served throughout Mexico.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Beef

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound thinly sliced beef (bistec)
• 1 pound Roma tomatoes
• 1 medium white onion
• 2 serrano chiles
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of water
• 1 ounce of "queso fresco" a crumbly white cheese for sprinkling on the beans
• 12 tortilla chips to garnish the beans
• 12 corn tortillas

Instructions

1. Rinse all of the ingredients except the beef in water
2. THE SAUCE
3. Remove the seeds from the serrano chiles
4. Peel the garlic clove
5. Place a large pot of water to boil
6. While the water is coming to a boil, score the tomatoes
7. When the water has boiled add all of the tomatoes
8. Cook the tomatoes until the skins start to separate, about 1 minute
9. Plunge the tomatoes into ice cold water. This helps the skins peel away and stops the tomatoes from cooking more
10. Peel the tomatoes when they are cool to the touch
11. Slice the tomatoes in half
12. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes
13. Add the tomatoes, serrano chiles, garlic clove and water to your blender jar
14. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute
15. COOKING THE DISH
16. Slice the beef into ½" by 2" strips
17. Slice the onions into ½" by 2" strips
18. Preheat a large frying pan to medium hot
19. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan
20. Add the onions to the pan
21. Cook the onions until they are just starting to brown, about 6 to 7 minutes
22. Remove the onions from the pan
23. Add 1 more tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan
24. Add the beef
25. Cook the beef until it has released its juice and most of the juice has evaporated, about 6 to 7 minutes
26. Return the onions to the pan and stir to incorporate with the beef
27. Pour the blended sauce into the pan
28. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced and little liquid is left, about 15 minutes

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS
You can substitute jalapeño chiles for the serrano chiles. Jalapeños are milder. You can also omit 1 of the serrano chiles if you prefer a less spicy dish.
The recipe calls for corn tortillas but you can serve it with flour tortillas too.

SERVING
Serve with a big stack of warm corn tortillas and refried beans.

STORAGE
It will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
This dish freezes well.
Make a double batch and freeze half so that you can enjoy it at a later date with no extra prep time.

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More “a la Mexicana” Recipes

Huevo a la Mexicana

More Mexican Beef Recipes

Carne Asada Recipe

Chuletas de Puerco en Salsa Verde

Pork chops and salsa verde is a great combination. This is homecooking at its best. It’s a super easy dish to prepare especially if you already have some salsa prepared. You can put it together in about 40 minutes.

In Spanish, chuleta means “chop” and puerco means “pork.” Therefore, chuletas de puerco en salsa verde. Makes sense, right?

Pork Chops in Salsa Verde

Thinly Sliced Pork Chops are Key

To make this dish authentic, you want to use very thinly sliced pork chops. Thicker cuts of meat aren’t commonly used in Mexico. You will probably have to ask your butcher to cut them extra thin for you. Your best bet for finding typical Mexican cuts of meat is in a carnicería, a Mexican butcher shop. There is a good chance there is on in your area. Carnicerías are a great resource for recipes and authentic cooking techniques. If you are friendly and ask a few questions you will go home with a lot of great new ideas.

Step # 1 – Prepare the Salsa

The first thing you need to do is prepare a batch of salsa verde. This is a great recipe which works with many dishes. The salsa takes about 30 minutes to prepare. While it is cooking you can get work on the rest of the dish.

Start by preparing a batch of salsa verde.

Step #2 – Brown the Porkchops

Use very thinly sliced pork chops.

Trim most, but not all, of the fat off the chops. You want to leave a little fat because that remains will enrich the sauce.

Add about 2 tablespoons oil to your hot pan.

Preheat you pan until very hot. Add about 2 tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil.

Place the pork chop in a hot pan to brown.

Only brown, 1 or 2 pork chops at a time. Be careful, there is a good chance that the oil will spatter when you are browning them.

Brown both sides.

Make sure that they are nicely browned on each side.

Set aside the browned pork chops.

Set all of the browned pork chops aside until you are ready to cook them in the salsa.

Step #3 – Cook the Pork Chops

Add the salsa verde to the pan.

Add half of your salsa verde to the pan in which you browned the meat. The fat from the meat and the browned bits in the pan will incorporate into the salsa and enrich it.

Add the Pork Chops and Salsa Verde

Add the pork chops to the pan and cover with the other half of the salsa verde.

Pork chops simmering salsa verde

Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. You want the sauce to reduce until it is no longer runny. You want it to stick to the meat when you serve it.

Ready to serve. Yum.

Your pork chops in salsa verde are ready to be served. Notice how the sauce thickened after simmer for 15 minutes.

Provecho!

Pork Chops in Salsa Verde

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Recipe for Mexican pork chops in salsa verde, chuletas de puerco en salsa verde.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Pork

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 very thinly sliced pork chops, about 2 pounds
• 2 cups salsa verde,see recipe
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• Salt as necessary

Instructions

1. Trim most of the fat off the chops
2. Heat a frying pan very hot
3. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
4. Brown the pork chops on both sides
5. Set the browned pork chops aside
6. Once you have browned all of the meat add ½ of the salsa verde to your frying pan
7. Add all of the pork chops to the pan
8. Pour the remaining salsa over the pork chops
9. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until the salsa has noticeably reduced.

Notes

Serve 2 pork chops per person with white rice on the side.

Be careful when browning the meat. The oil tends to spatter and you want to avoid getting burnt.

3.5.3208

Sopa de Calabacita y Zanahoria

This carrot and zucchini soup has it all. First, it’s delicious, always the most important consideration. Second, it’s healthy. And third, it’s incredibly easy to prepare. Just follow the visual recipe. The full printable recipe is at the end of the post.

Mexican Style Carrot and Zucchini Soup

There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a cold day. This soup is a great light lunch or starter for the comida, the large meal of the day served around 2:00pm. It’s a good choice is you are looking for a vegetarian option.

How to Prepare

Start by collecting your ingredients: 2 medium zucchinis, 2 large carrots, 1 cup of tomato puré, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.

All of the soup ingredients.

Next, shared the carrots and zucchini. A box grater does the job in a few seconds.

The first step is to shred the carrots and zucchini.

Heat a soup pot over medium heat then add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.

Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to a medium hot pot.

Add the shredded vegetables to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes. Don’t brown the vegetables.

Add shredded vegetables to your pot and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato puré after you have sautéed the vegetables. Add the black pepper too.

Add the tomato puré to the pot.

Mix in the tomato puré.

Stir the tomato puré into the vegetables.

Add 1 quart of water and bring to a boil. The water should cover the vegetables by about 1/2″. If it doesn’t add just enough water until it does.

Add 1 quart of water and bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes.

Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the broth has reduced a bit.

Ready to eat.

A delicious carrot and zucchini soup.

Serve with a nice piece of hearty bread or with warm corn tortillas.

Provecho!

Let us know what you think of this recipe.

Carrot and Zucchini Soup Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

22 mins

 

Delicious Mexican style carrot and zucchini soup that only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchinis
• 2 large carrots
• 1 cup tomato puré
• 1 quart water
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Peel the carrots
2. Shred the carrots and the zucchini
3. Heat you pot over medium heat
4. Add the 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
5. Add the shredded vegetables to your pot
6. Sauté the vegetables for 2 minutes
7. Add the tomato puré and black pepper. Stir to mix with the vegetables
8. Add 1 quart of water, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer
9. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes until the carrots and zucchini are just cooked through and the broth has slightly reduced
10. Serve with bread or corn tortillas

Notes

The soup will keep well for two days in the refrigerator if you have any left over which is unlikely.

Variation
Mince ½ of a serrano chile and add to the vegetables when you sauté them to add some spice to the soup.

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More Soup Recipes

Chunky Potato Soup

Black Bean Soup

Mexican Onion Soup

Roll Like a Pro

In Mexico everyone seems to be born with the ability to perfectly roll a corn tortilla. Try it, but be warned. It’s more difficult than it looks. Follow the steps in the photos and see how you do.

Perfectly Rolled Corn Tortilla

“A Salt Taco”

A hot, fresh corn tortilla sprinkled with salt and then rolled into a tight tube is a common snack. There’s even a name for it which is taquito de sal, in English a “little salt taco.” Try this. You will be surprised how delicious it is.

How to Roll

A tortilla must be warm to roll it. Tortillas fresh from the tortillería are best. If your tortillas are cold warm them in a pan or on a griddle or heat them for about 20 seconds in the microwave. If your tortilla cracks it is because the tortilla is too cold or it is stale. Flour tortillas don’t work well for rolling.

Start with warm fresh corn tortillas. This is the key to a great roll.

Place the tortilla over your palm and fingertips.

With your fingertips lift the back edge of the tortilla.

In one motion push your hand forward to roll the tortilla.

That all there is to it. How did you do?

If you have have never tried to roll a tortilla, I can almost guarantee that you won’t do it all that well on your first few attempts. After that you will be a pro. Like any skill it takes practice.

Provecho!

Pork Stuffed Poblano Chiles

Chiles Rellenos are one of the best known and loved Mexican foods. Chile relleno translates as “stuffed chile.” If you have never had them, they are Poblano chiles that are stuffed with pork, beef or cheese and then are battered and fried and served covered in salsa roja. Heaven on a plate. Don’t you agree?

Visual Recipe for Authentic Chiles Rellenos

Follow the visual guide to prepare authentic chiles rellenos. The full printable recipe is at the end of the guide. Let’s get cooking!

How to Make Chiles Rellenos

Don’t be intimidated by this recipe. It does take some effort to prepare, which is well worth it, but anyone can do it. If you follow the guide carefully you will have prepared some amazing traditional chiles rellenos.

All the ingredients for pork filled chiles rellenos.

To make chiles rellenos start by gathering all of your ingredients. The recipe has many ingredients and it is good to collect them all to ensure that you haven’t forgotten any. You don’t want to get half way through preparation and then have to make a run to the supermarket. This reminder comes from hard earned experience.

Prepare the Poblano Chiles

The recipe calls for Poblano chiles which must be cleaned before using. If you are not sure how to clean chiles, see our guide to roasting and peeling Poblano chiles.

Fresh Poblano Chiles

Poblanos are flavorful and only mildly hot and hold up well to stuffing. They are the traditional chile for making chiles rellenos.

How to Make the Pork Filling

Pork filling for chiles rellenos.

The pork filling for this recipe is adapted from a recipe in Diana Kennedy’s cookbook, The Art of Mexican Cooking. If this cookbook is not in your collection consider buying it. It’s a great resource for anyone who loves Mexican cooking. I was lucky enough to have Diana sign my copy at a book signing in San Miguel de Allende.

Prepare the Pork for the Filling

Loin roast is a good cut for this dish. Clean any tough membrane from the pork and then cut into 1″ to 1 1/2″ cubes.

Cut the pork into cubes.

You cube the pork so it cooks evenly. 1″ to 1 1/2″ cubes are fine. You don’t have to be too precise because you will shred and chop the meat after it is cooked.

Put the pork in a pot with 1/4 of a white onion and just cover with water.

Put the pork into a pot with 1/4 of a white onion and just cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes. Skim any scum that rises to the top.

Remove the pork and simmer the broth to reduce it.

Once the pork is cooked remove it from the pot and and simmer the broth until it has reduced to about 1 cup of liquid. Reducing the broth concentrates the pork flavor. It will take about 10 minutes to reduce.

The fully cooked pork.

You are ready to prep the filling.

Shred the pork with your fingers.

With your fingers break apart the pork into smaller pieces.

Then chop the pork finely.

Use a knife to chop the pork into fine pieces. Try to cut meat into evenly sized pieces.

Prepare the Salsa

You will make two batches of this salsa to make the chiles rellenos. One batch is used to prepare the pork filling and the other batch is used when you serve the chiles rellenos.

Put the ingredients in the blender jar with about 1/4 water.

Put the salsa roja ingredients into your blender. Add about 1/4 cup of water which is just enough to help the salsa fully blend without making it watery.

Blend mixture for 1 minute.

Blend the salsa for about 1 minute. It should still have a bit of texture but it shouldn’t be chunky. Don’t be put off by the pale pink color of the salsa. It takes on a beautiful red color when fully cooked.

Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil to pan and heat to medium hot.

Slowly pour the blended salsa into the hot oil.

Frying the salsa in hot oil helps develop a rich flavor. To fry it, slowly pour it into te hot oil. Be careful because it tends to spatter.

Simmer for 10 minutes until the salsa has thickened and darkened in color.

Simmer the salsa roja for about 10 minutes until it has thickened. As promised the salsa has turned a beautiful deep red color and the flavor has intensified.

Prepare Filling

Add the shredded chopped pork to 1 batch of the salsa roja.

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Then add the rest of the filling ingredients including 1 cup of pork broth and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

Stir well to incorporate all of the ingredients

It’s starting to look delicious.

Cook the filling over low heat for about 20 minutes until most, but not all of the liquid has evaporated. You want the filling to remain moist but it shouldn’t be dripping liquid when you fill the chiles.

Stuff and Close the Chiles

Stuff each chile with the pork filling. Do not overstuff the chiles because you won’t be able to close them with a toothpick and the filling will spill out. More isn’t always better. You want to maintain a balance between all of the ingredients.

Stuff each chile with pork filling.

Use a toothpick to close the Poblano chile.

Properly closed chile. The stuffing won’t fall out out of this one.

Prepare the Batter

Traditional chiles rellenos are battered in a light egg batter. Follow these steps to make a perfect batter.

Separate the egg whites.

Carefully separate the egg whites. If you get some yolk in the whites before they are whipped the batter won’t expand and become fluffy.

Separate the yolks.

Try not to break the yolks because you add them one at a time to the whipped whites.

Pour the egg whites into a mixing bowl.

Start by pouring the egg whites into a large mixing bowl.

Use an electric hand mixer to whip the egg whites.

Whip the egg whites with an electric hand mixer set on high.

Whip until the egg whites are fluffy and coat the back of a spoon.

It takes a few minutes of whipping for the egg whites to expand and become fluffy. When the egg whites have expanded greatly and the mixture starts to form peaks when you remove the beaters it is ready for the next step.

Add the yolks one at a time to the whipped egg whites.

Gently slide the yolks into the whipped egg whites one at a time. Add one and when it is fully incorporated add the next one until they are all incorporated.

Whip until the yolks are incorporated and the batter is light and fluffy.

When the batter is smooth light and fluffy and coats the back of a wooden spoon without dripping it is ready to use. If it separates while you are in the process of battering and frying the chiles just whip it with your electric mixer for a few seconds to incorporate again.

Batter the Chiles

Once the chiles are stuffed, it’s time to batter them in the egg batter.

Flour all sides of the chile.

Dust all sides of the chile with flour which helps the egg batter stick to the chile.

Dip the floured chile in the egg batter to cover both sides.

Very gently dip the floured chile into the egg batter. Be sure to cover all of the chile in batter.

Fry the chiles one or two at a time.

Very gently slide one of the stuffed chiles into your frying pan. Be very careful to not knock the batter off the chile.

Gently turn the chile to cook the other side.

When the bottom part of the chile has turned a golden color, use two spatulas to carefully turn the chile over. Be very careful to not knock the batter off the chile.

Looking good!

This chile is ready to be removed from the oil. The coating has turned a beautiful golden brown.

Place the chiles on a plate with paper towels to drain excess oil.

Drain the chiles on a plate covered with paper towels for a couple of minutes to remove excess oil.

Serve the Chiles Rellenos

Now comes the best part, serving and eating the chiles rellenos. To serve, spoon some salsa roja onto a plate place the chile in the middle of the salsa and then spoon a bit more salsa over the chile. It is ready to serve. Chiles rellenos are served warm not piping hot.

A perfectly prepared chile relleno.

Doesn’t it look great?

Provecho!

Recipe Chiles Rellenos

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

2 hours

 

Recipe for authentic chiles rellenos, Poblano chiles stuffed with a savory pork filling. Chiles Rellenos are one of the best known and loved Mexican foods. Give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Pork

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6 large Poblano chiles
• 2 pounds of pork loin roast
• 1 cup pork broth (made during preparation of the dish)
• 2 lbs Roma tomatoes
• 2 white onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup chopped raisins
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• ½ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 cups cooking oil

Instructions

1. PREP THE POBLANO CHILES
2. Follow these instructions to prep the Poblano chiles for use in the recipe
3. PREPARE THE PORK
4. Cut the pork into 1" to 1½" cubes
5. Put the pork in a large pot
6. Add ¼ of a white onion
7. Add just enough water to the pot to cover the pork
8. Bring the pork to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes
9. When the pork is cooked remove from the water and reserve
10. Continue simmering the pork broth until it has reduced down to 1 to 1¼ cups of liquid, about 10 more minutes
11. PREPARE THE SALSA ROJA
12. (Prepare 2 batches of this salsa)
13. Add 1 pound of roughly chopped tomatoes, ½ of a white onion, 2 cloves of garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ cup of water to your blender.
14. Blend for 1 for 1 minute minute until smooth.
15. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan
16. Slowly pour the blended mixture into your pan with the hot oil
17. Simmer for about 10 minutes to cook and thicken it
18. PREPARE THE FILLING
19. In a pan, to 1 batch of salsa, add the following ingredients:
20. All of the chopped pork
21. -1/2 finely chopped onion
22. -1/2 cup chopped parsley
23. -1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
24. -1/4 chopped raisins
25. -1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
26. -1/4 teaspoon ground clove
27. -2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
28. -1 cup pork broth
29. Stir to mix all ingredients
30. Cook over low heat stirring occasionally for approximately 20 minutes until moist of the moisture has evaporated from the filling
31. PREPARE THE BATTER
32. Separate the whites and yolks from 3 eggs
33. Put the egg whites in a large mixing bowl
34. Whip the egg whites with an electric beater until the egg whites are fluffy and can coat the back of a spoon
35. Add 1 egg yolk to the whipped egg whites and whip until incorporated
36. Add another egg yolk and whip until incorporated
37. Add the 3rd egg yolk and whip until incorporated
38. The batter is ready when it is light, smooth and fluffy
39. BATTERING THE CHILES
40. Sprinkle flour on all sides of each stuffed chile
41. With a spatula very gently dip each stuffed chile into the batter. Be sure that the batter coats all sides of the chile
42. FRYING THE CHILES
43. Preheat 4 cups oil to medium hot in a frying pan
44. Gently lower the battered chiles into the hot oil
45. Fry the chiles 1 or 2 at a time. Don't overcrowd them
46. When the bottom of the chile has turned golden brown turn the chile with 2 spatulas
47. Place the fried chiles on a plate covered in paper towels to remove excess oil
48. SERVING THE CHILES RELLENOS
49. To serve, spoon some salsa onto a plate, place the chile relleno in the middle of the salsa and then spoon a little more salsa over the chile.

Notes

If your egg batter starts to separate while you are battering chiles, a few seconds whipping with the electric beater will incorporate it again.

Depending on the size of your chiles, you will probably have some pork filling left over. The left over filling makes a great taco.

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Other Recipes with Poblano Chiles

Rajas con Queso

Hibiscus Iced Tea

Agua de Jamaica which translates as “hibiscus water” is a typical beverage to accompany the mid-day meal in Mexico. It is sweet, tart, delicious and really refreshing all at the same time. You prepare it by steeping hibiscus flowers to produce a concentrate that you dilute with water and sweeten with sugar. It is a great alternative to soda.

Sweet or Tart?

Mexicans tend to prefer their agua de jamaica very sweet. If you add the full 1/2 cup of sugar called for in the recipe to make a pitcher of jamaica it will be sweet like served in Mexico. We prefer it on the tart side. If you prefer it on the tart side only add 1/4 of sugar per picture.

How to Make Hibiscus Tea (Agua de Jamaica)

It’s really quite simple to prepare. Follow these steps.

Two cups of hibiscus flowers (jamaica).

Start with two cups of hibiscus flowers (jamaica). Fresh flowers produce the best tasting drink. If the flowers are pliable they are fresh. If they are hard and brittle they aren’t fresh and your jamaica won’t be as tasty.

Add the hibiscus flowers to two quarts of cold water.

Add he hibiscus flowers to 2 quarts of water. Be sure you add the flowers to cold water. This makes a difference.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat.

Bring the water to a boil and as soon as it boils reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes turn off the heat and allow the concentrate to cool.

Fully extracted hibiscus concentrate. Note the deep red color.

As the flowers steep they absorb water and will sink to the bottom of the pot. That’s how you will know that the concentrate is ready to use.

Strain the hibiscus flowers.

Pour the concentrate through a strainer to remove the flowers.

Pour the concentrate into a jar to store.

You start with 2 quarts of water but after steeping the hibiscus you will only have 1 1/2 quarts of concentrate. The flowers absorb quite a bit of water. Pour the concentrate into a jar to store. A glass jar is preferable. A plastic container seems to give it an off taste. Also, the concentrate tends to stain plastic.

Ready to serve.

To prepare the drink, pour 1/3 of the concentrate into a 1/2 gallon pitcher. Add the sugar and water to fill the pitcher. Stir vigorously to dissolve the sugar. Serve over ice or well chilled.

Salud!

Agua de Jamaica Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

17 mins

 

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Beverage

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 6 people (3 times)

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers
• 2 quarts water
• ½ cup sugar per pitcher of jamaica

Instructions

1. HIBISCUS CONCENTRATE
2. Put 2 quarts of water in a pot
3. Add 2 cups of dried hibiscus flowers to the water
4. Bring to a boil
5. As soon as the water boils reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes
6. After 10 minutes turn off the heat and allow the hibiscus concentrate to cool
7. PITCHER OF JAMAICA
8. Put ⅓ of the concentrate in a half gallon pitcher and add the sugar
9. Fill the pitcher with cool water and stir vigorously to dissolve the water
10. Serve chilled or over ice

Notes

The concentrate will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.

Store in a sealed container so that it doesn't take on flavors for other foods in the fridge.

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More Mexican Drinks

Agua de Guayaba – Guayaba Drink

Tacos de Papa y Chorizo

Enjoy these taco stand style potato and chorizo tacos topped with salsa verde. They are salty, greasy and spicy, and that is a good thing, a very good thing. Big flavor! Yum! This is typical street food. In Mexico, food that is quick, tasty and served in bite size portions is known as antojitos which means “little cravings” and you will crave them after trying them, garantizado.

Potato and Chorizo Tacos Topped with Salsa Verde

Gather Your Ingredients

Gather all of your ingredients first. The recipe requires waxy potatoes. Russet potatoes won’t work because they will fall apart during cooking.

Prep the Main Ingredients

Chorizo is the star of these tacos. Try different brands until you find your favorite. Each brand has a distinct flavor.

Split the chorizo open.

Before using the chorizo you have to remove the outer membrane. Split each chorizo open and then use your fingers to to remove the membrane. Some chorizo pops out of the membrane really easily others take some effort to get out.

Use your fingers to remove the membrane from the chorizo.

Peel the potatoes. If you prefer you can leave the skins on for a more rustic filling.

Peel the potatoes.

Cut the potatoes into 1/4″ squares.

Cut the potato into 1/4″ squares.

Soak the potatoes in water for a few minutes after cutting. Soaking them keeps them from turning brown while you are preparing the other ingredients and removes some of the starch from the potatoes which helps them cook without sticking.

Chop the onions. The onion should be cut into pieces about half the size of the potato pieces.

Finely chop the onion.

Prepare the Filling

Start by adding the potatoes to 4 tablespoons of cooking oil pre-heated to medium hot. Stir the potatoes to coat evenly with the oil. The oil helps all of the great flavor from the chorizo stick.

When you have coated the potatoes in oil season with the salt and pepper then cook for 3 minutes over medium hot heat.

Add the onion and stir to incorporate.

Add the onions after frying the potatoes for 3 minutes.

Fry the onions and potatoes for an additional 5 minutes then add the chorizo. Stir to incorporate.

After frying the onions and potatoes for 5 minutes add the chorizo.

Cook the mixture over medium heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes taste the potatoes to be sure they are fully cooked. If the aren’t, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. During cooking the chorizo will break up and disperse evenly throughout the filling.

Cook for 10 more minutes.

As the mixture cooks the chorizo renders its fat which flavors the potatoes. The filling is ready when the chorizo has fully rendered its fat and just starts to get crispy.

Filling for Potato and Chorizo Tacos

Looks delicioso, doesn’t it?

Serving the Tacos

Prepare these tacos with the small taqueria size corn tortillas. Put 1 generous tablespoon of filling on each tortilla. Don’t overstuff the tortilla with filling. You want to be able to taste each one of the ingredients in every bite. Balance of flavors is important. Serve the tacos topped with chopped spring onions or chopped white onions and our favorite green tomato salsa verde.

Potato and Chorizo Tacos with Salsa Verde

What to Drink With Your Tacos

An ice-cold Mexican beer, agua de jamaica, hibiscus iced tea, or agua de guayaba, a refreshing guava drink are all drinks that go well with these tacos.

Provecho!

Recipe Potato and Chorizo Tacos

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Taco stand style potato and chorizo tacos topped with green tomato salsa verde. They are salty, greasy and spicy in the very best way. Big flavor! Yum!

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Tacos

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound waxy potatoes
• ½ pound chorizo
• ½ medium white onion
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• Salsa verde
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 16 corn tortillas (taqueria size, the small tortillas)

Instructions

1. TACO FILLING
2. Remove the outer membrane from the chorizo
3. Peel the potatoes
4. Chop the potatoes into ¼" pieces
5. Finely chop the onion
6. Heat 4 tablespoons of cooking oil in a frying pan over medium high heat
7. Add the chopped potatoes to your pan and stir to coat the potatoes with oil
8. Add the salt and pepper and stir again
9. Cook the potatoes for 3 minutes then add the chopped white onion
10. Cook the onions and potatoes together for 5 minutes
11. Add the chorizo and stir to incorporate
12. Cook the potato, onion chorizo mixture for 10 minutes
13. (The filling is ready to eat when the chorizo has rendered all of its fat and is just starting to get crispy.)
14. Adjust the salt if needed
15. SERVING
16. Chop the spring onions
17. Warm the tortillas on a comal
18. Put 1 tablespoon of filling on each tortilla
19. Garnish with the chopped spring onions and a spoonful of salsa
20. Serve 4 tacos per person

Notes

Substitutions
We like salsa verde with these tacos but any salsa you enjoy will work.

You can substitute flour tortillas for the corn tortillas.

If you don't have spring onions, you can use white onion to garnish the tacos.

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More Taco Recipes

Chicken Taquitos with an Avocado Salsa

Arroz Verde Mexicano

Mexican green rice, also known as cilantro rice is the perfect side dish and not just for when you are serving Mexican food. Its bright but not overpowering flavor goes well with fish or chicken.

Mexican Green Rice also Known as Cilantro Rice

Morelos Rice

We prepared this dish with Morelos rice which is the only rice in Mexico with a Designation of Origin. To receive the designation it must come from state of Morelos. (More about the Designation of Origen) It is considered to be the highest quality rice in Mexico. At the supermarket, Morelos rice costs about 60% more. If you can’t find Morelos rice, this dish will turn out well with your favorite white rice.

Morelos Rice, the Highest Quality Mexican Rice

How to Prepare Mexican Green Rice (Cilantro Rice)

This recipe makes a large batch of rice, about 12 portions. We always like to make a big batch so that we have rice all week. You can cut the recipe in half if you don’t need so much.

A few ingredients make surprisingly flavorful rice.

Start by getting all of your ingredients together.

Prepare the Cilantro Mixture

Add the cilantro, garlic, onion and 1/2 cup of water to your blender. Use the freshest cilantro you can find. It makes a big difference in taste. Before blending, discard any sprigs that are pale in color or have black spots.

Ready to blend.

Blend the mixture for 1 minute until smooth.

Looking good.

Cooking the Rice

Pour the rice into a pan that has 2 tablespoons of medium hot preheated oil. This is an important step to build flavor and get the proper texture.

The rice is coated in oil before cooking.

Stir the rice to coat with oil. Keep stirring for about 30 seconds until the rice just begins to turn golden and become fragrant. Don’t let the rice burn.

Stir continually so that it doesn’t burn.

Pour the cilantro mixture into the rice.

Add the cilantro mixture.

Add 4 cups of water and the teaspoon of salt. Stir once and reduce the heat to low.

Add 4 cups of water and only stir one time.

The rice will absorb the liquid as it cooks. It takes about 30 minutes to for the rice to fully cook. If the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and it hasn’t quite finished cooking add 1/4 of water at a time until the rice is cooked and all of the water has been absorbed. Getting perfect rice is an art. It may take you a few times to get it just how you want it.

When the rice is cooked to your liking turn off the heat and fluff it with a fork. Let it rest 5 minutes and then serve.

Ready to Serve

You will enjoy the results of this recipe.

Provecho!

Mexican Green Rice Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Recipe for Mexican green rice, also known as cilantro rice, a perfect side dish and not just for Mexican food. Its bright but not overpowering flavor goes really well with fish or chicken.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups short grain rice (preferably Morelos type)
• 1 bunch cilantro (reserve a few sprigs for garnish)
• ½ medium white onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 to 5 cups of water

Instructions

1. CILANTRO MIXTURE
2. Add the cilantro, onion, garlic and ½ cup of water to your blender jar.
3. Blend until smooth about 1 minute
4. RICE
5. Preheat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot over medium heat
6. Pour the uncooked rice into the hot oil
7. Stir to coat the rice with oil and cook for about 30 seconds until the rice is just starting to brown and become fragrant
8. Add the pureed cilantro mixture to the rice
9. Add 4 cups of water to the rice
10. Add 1 teaspoon of salt
11. Stir once to evenly disperse the cilantro mixture
12. Reduce the heat to low (do not cover)
13. Cook the rice for about 20 minutes. It will completely absorb the liquid
14. If the rice isn't fully cooked after it has absorbed the liquid add ¼ cup of water as needed until the rice is fully cooked and the water has been absorbed
15. Once the rice is done cooking. Turn off the heat. Fluff the rice with a fork and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving
16. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro

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Mexican Style Ground Beef

If you are tired of typical ground beef dinners try making Picadillo (pea-KA-dee-yo), a flavorful but not hot Mexican ground beef dish. Raisins add a touch of sweetness; tomato sauce adds tang.

How to Make Picadillo

Start by gathering all of your ingredients for the picadillo: ground beef, potatoes, carrots, green peas, raisins and tomato sauce. Seasoned or unseasoned tomato sauce both work well in this dish. It is more typical in Mexico to use seasoned tomato sauce. Frozen peas are preferable to canned.

Ingredients to make picadillo.

First Steps

Peel the carrots and potatoes first.

Peel your potatoes and carrots.

Chop the potatoes. We like the potatoes and carrots on the chunky side especially when we serve the picadillo over rice. If you plan on making tacos de picadillo cut the potatoes and carrots into smaller pieces.

Chop the potatoes.

Chop the carrots.

Chop the carrots.

Time to Cook

Add the ground beef to a large frying pan with 2 tablespoons of preheated cooking oil. Gently break up the meat so that it browns evenly.

Add beef to preheated pan to brown.

Lightly brown the ground beef. Try not to over brown the meat because it will be on the dry side. Use this picture as a guide. Don’t drain the liquid that the meat gives off. It incorporates into the dish and enriches the flavor.

Lightly brown the ground beef.

Add the potatoes to the ground beef and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the potatoes to the ground beef.

Next add the carrots and cook for another 3 minutes.

Then add the carrots.

Add the raisins to the mixture.

Add the raisins.

Add the green peas.

Then add the green peas.

Mix well until all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed.

Stir to mix all ingredients.

Add the tomato sauce. Add this point you will also add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.

Lastly, add the tomato sauce.

Mix in the tomato sauce until it is fully incorporated.

Stir in the tomato sauce until incorporated.

Cook the picadillo over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are fully cooked and have softened. Taste the picadillo and add salt if necessary.

Cook the picadillo for 20 minutes until the vegetables are fully cooked.

How to Serve Picadillo

You can serve the picadillo over white rice, on a tostada or in a taco.

Picadillo served over white rice.

Looks good doesn’t it?

Picadillo Served on a Tostada.

Which do you prefer? Over rice? In a taco? Or on a tostada? If you make tacos, corn and flour tortillas are good choices.

Picadillo

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Picadillo recipe, Mexican style ground beef with carrots, potatoes, green peas, raisins and tomato sauce. Great in a taco, over white rice or on a tostada.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Beef

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lower fat ground beef
• 2 medium white potatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 cup green peas (preferably use frozen peas not canned)
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Peel the carrots and potatoes first.
2. Chop the potatoes.
3. Chop the carrots.
4. Preheat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
5. Add the ground beef to the frying pan and lightly brown the ground beef. (about 5 minutes)
6. Add the potatoes, stir and cook for 3 minutes.
7. Add the carrots, stir and cook for 3 minutes.
8. Add the raisins and peas.
9. Mix well.
10. Add the tomato sauce, salt and black pepper.
11. Mix well.
12. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes.
13. Taste the picadillo and add salt if necessary.

Notes

If your picadillo is starting to get dry before the potatoes and carrots are cooked add 2 tablespoons of water as needed so that it remains moist.

Chop the potatoes coarsely if you are going to serve it over rice or on a tostada. Chop them finer if you are going to serve it in a taco.

If you are making tacos, it goes well with both corn and flour tortillas.

If you use canned peas, rinse them well to remove excess salt.

Substitutions
If you don't have any tomato sauce, use 3 Roma tomatoes that have been smoothly blended as a substitute.

Optional
You can add ½ cup chopped white onion if you like. Add the onion with the potatoes.

If you want your picadillo to be spicy, add 1 or 2 very finely chopped serrano chiles when you add the potato.

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More Mexican Beef Dishes

Bistec a la Mexicana

Carne Asada

Ensalada de Calabaza y Chayote

This Chayote and zucchini squash salad is a favorite of our photographer’s family. It regularly appears on their lunchtime table. It is so simple to prepare with just a few ingredients. You may think it looks bland but don’t be fooled. Lime juice brings out the bright, full flavor of the vegetables.

Chayote and Zucchini Squash Salad

You only need 3 ingredients to prepare the salad: chayote, zucchini squash (calabacitas or calabaza). When you are purchasing the chayote, choose the spineless variety for this dish.

Just a few ingredients: chayote, zucchini squash and lime.

How to Prepare

Slice the chayotes in half.

Slice the chayotes in half lengthwise. Don’t peel them.

Put the chayotes in a pot and cover with 3 inches of water.

Put the chayote in a large pot and over with 3 inches of cold water.

Cover and bring to a boil then reduce the heat. Cook for 5 minutes.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the chayotes for 5 minutes

Cut the zucchini into spears.

While the chayote is cooking, remove the ends of the zucchini squash and slice into in spears.

Add the zucchini to the pot with the pot chayote.

Add the zucchini squash to the simmering chayote. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes until the vegetables are soft but not mushy. You want them to hold their shape when you serve them.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the vegetables from the pan. When the chayotes are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to remove the hard pithy center. Discard the centers.

Remove the tough centers from the chayotes.

Chop the chayote into 1″ pieces.

Chop the chayote.

Arrange the vegetables on a serving plate sprinkle with lime juice and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature. Don’t serve this salad chilled. It make the flavors taste flat.

Arrange vegetables on a serving plate.

Chayote and Zucchini Squash Salad

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Chayote and zucchini squash salad recipe - simple to prepare with just a few ingredients. Lime juice brings out the bright, full flavor of the vegetables. Serve as a side dish for the midday meal. or dinner. In Spanish it is called, ensalada de calabaza y chayote.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Salad

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3 chayotes
• 3 small zucchinis (calabacitas)
• 3 limes
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

1. Cut the chayotes in half lengthwise.
2. Put them in a large pot and cover with water.
3. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Slice the zucchini into spears.
5. Add them to the pot with the chayote. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Drain the vegetables.
7. Chop the chayote into 1" pieces.
8. Arrange the vegetables on a serving plate.
9. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and the juice from the 3 limes.

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More Mexican Salads and Side Dishes

Mexican Green Rice

Cactus Salad

Cucumber Salad

Spicy Tuna Salad

Sandwich de Pescado Frito

Our Photographer Andrés used to have a cafe in the Bay Area and this fried fish sandwich was the biggest seller. It isn’t a traditional Mexican recipe but the chipotle mayonnaise gives it some Mexican flavor. We wanted to share it with you because it is an outstanding sandwich.

If you choose a mild white fish, the sandwich has a great fish taste without tasting “fishy”. We used tilapia for this one.

Preparing the Chipotle Mayonnaise

Start with one one two canned chipotle peppers.

Finely Chop the peppers.

Add one or two spoonfuls of the chopped chipotles to the mayonnaise and stir to incorporate.

Preparing the Fish

Season the fish fillet with salt and pepper on both sides.

Cook the fish in a well oiled pan until nicely browned on both sides.

Assembling The Sandwich

Start by pan toasting your bread. Toast both sides. Extra toasty is nice with this sandwich.

Once the bread is toasted, spread the chipotle mayonnaise on one or both sides of the bread. Andrés prefers it with mayonnaise on only one side. I love mayonnaise so it gets slathered on both sides. Since it’s his recipe, we prepared it his way.

After spreading the chipotle mayonnaise, place the fish on the bottom piece of your bread.

Add the tomatoes.

Add two or 3 slices of avocado.

Add the bean sprouts.

Top your sandwich.

Slice in half and serve with homemade sweet potato chips.

Fried Fish Sandwich

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Fried fish sandwich flavor boosted with chipotle mayonnaise. Topped with tomato, avocado and bean sprouts. A favorite at our photographer's Bay Area Cafe. (Sandwich de pescado frito)

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Sandwich

Cuisine: Mexican / American

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 french rolls
• 4 fish fillets (about 4 ounces each)
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1 large avocado
• 1 small container of bean sprouts
• 8 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 small can of canned chipotle peppers
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE
2. Finely chop 1 or 2 canned chipote peppers.
3. Add 1 or 2 spoonfuls of the chipotles to your mayonnaise and mix well. Taste and add more chipotle if desired.
4. PREPARING THE SANDWICH
5. Pan toast each roll.
6. Slice the tomatoes and avocados
7. Salt and pepper the fish on both sides.
8. Fry the fish in a well oiled pan preheated of medium heat until nicely browned on both sides.
9. Spread the chipotle mayonnaise on your bread.
10. Add the fish fillet to the bottom piece of the bread.
11. Top with tomato and avocado slices and the bean sprouts.
12. Cut the sandwich in half and serve with sweet potato chips.

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Making the Sweet Potato Chips

Remove the ends from the sweet potatoes and peel.

Slice the sweet potatoes as thinly as possible.

Put the sweet potatoes in boiling water and cook for two minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes very well.

In 1/2″ of preheated oil, fry the sweet potatoes until the have turned golden brown. Don’t overcrowd them in the pan. You will have to cook them in 2 or 3 batches. Watch them carefully. They go from golden to burnt very quickly.

When they are golden an crispy, drain them well on paper towels.

Homemade Sweet Potato Chips

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Recipe to make homemade sweet potato fries.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 cup cooking oil
• Salt

Instructions

1. Cut off the ends of the sweet potatoes and peel.
2. Slice the sweet potatoes very quickly.
3. In a medium-sized pot bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
4. Add the slice sweet potatoes to the boiling water.
5. Cook for 2 minutes.
6. Drain the sweet potatoes well.
7. Preheat 1 cup of cooking oil over medium-hot heat.
8. Add 1 layer of sweet potatoes to the hot oil.
9. Cook until golden brown turning once.
10. Drain well on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

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Fall in Love with the Food of Mexico

We want to share with you some of the best authentic Mexican food blogs which we think express the depth and diversity of Mexican cuisine. All are written by authors who fell in love with the food of Mexico. Some are written by professional chefs and some are written by people who through circumstance have been immersed in Mexican culture and cuisine. All of the blogs have wonderful recipes and we have linked to some that we think you will enjoy.

Here Are The Blogs

Mexico in My Kitchen

One of our favorite blogs is written by Mely Martinez original from Taumalipas and now residing in the U.S. Mely’s recipes bring back fond memories. Many come from Northern Mexico where I first learned to cook Mexican food. Try the Nuevo Leon style pork stew or the Mexican style beef tips for a taste of the North. Mely has been very generous with us sharing our recipes on her social media accounts. Much appreciated!

Pati Jinich

Mexican cookbook author and television host Pati Jinich has a truly beautiful blog. You may have seen her as the host of  Pati’s Mexican Table on PBS. She was born and raised in Mexico which installed a deep love and understanding of mexican Cuisine. Her recipes are accessible and use ingredients that are easy to find in the U.S. Try the huitlacoche and squash blossom crepes.

The Mija Chronicles

Leslie Téllez is a food writer and culinary guide who spent four years in mexico City. She runs the culinary tourism company Eat Mexico and recently published Eat Mexico: Recipes from Mexico City’s Streets, Markets & Fondas. Try the chiles rellenos with panela cheese and epazote.

Rick Bayless

Rick Bayless is one of the best known names in Mexican cuisine.He host the show Mexico, One Plate at a Time on PBS. He has written 9 cookbooks and owns the Frontera Grill and Topolobambo restaurants in Chicago. He is a recipient of the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor authorized by the Mexican government to foreigners for his lifelong work promoting Mexican Cuisine. He knows his Mexican food. Try the classic white pozole.

La Cocina de Leslie

A celebration of mexican culture and food written by Leslie Limón, a Southern California native transplanted to a small town near Guadalajara. She also blogs about life in Mexico. Try the molletes; they look amazing.

The Mexican Food Journal

We couldn’t leave ourselves off this list could we? Some of our favorites, guacamole in the molcajete, classic salsa verde and Mexican pork chops.

RollyBrook

A very personal blog written by Rolly Brook which will give you insight into small town Mexican living. Lots of photos of cooking with his adopted family in Lerdo, Durango. Take a look at the Spanish English food lexicon. It will come in handy.

If you know of any other authentic Mexican food blogs that you think we should list please let us know.

Salsa Roja or Salsa de Mesa

Simple, fresh and easy to make. A winning restaurant style salsa prepared fresh tomatoes, onion cilantro and serrano peppers. Fresh tomatoes, not canned, star. In Mexico, it is known as salsa roja (red sauce) or salsa de mesa (table sauce). And just like in the U.S., it is served in every restaurant before your meal with tortilla chips.

Restaurant salsa just like at your favorite restaurant, but better. Way better.

Fresh Ingredients Count

Start with fresh ingredients. The fresher they are the better the results. Don’t use canned tomatoes. It gives the salsa a metallic taste. Notice that there aren’t any limes. Whhhaaatt? Limes throw off the balance of flavors by overpowering the flavor of the tomatoes. If you prefer your salsa with lime try adding the juice from only one lime.

All the ingredients you need, tomato, onion, cilantro and serrano chile. Make sure they’re really fresh.

Chop Before Blending

You need to chop the ingredients before adding them to the blender. Precise chopping isn’t important. You just need smaller pieces so that it is easier to blend.

Chop ingredients coarsely before blending.

Don’t Add Water

Put all of the ingredients in your blender. Adding the tomatoes first makes it much easier to blend. Do not add an water unless it won’t blend and then only add 2 tablespoons of water at a time. Most of the time you won’t have to add any. Too much water makes the salsa runny. You want a full-bodied salsa.

Add vegetables to blender. Don’t add water.

Pulse to Get It Started

The easiest way to get it started it too pulse the blender 5 or 6 time until the blades start to catch. Then blend for about 30 to 45 seconds until it is fully blended but still has a coarse texture. The salsa sticks to tortilla chips better when it has a little texture.

Coarsely blend the salsa. This is how it should look.

Fry in Hot Oil

Once the salsa is blended, you are going to fry it in 2 tablespoons of hot cooking oil. To fry it you just pour it into the hot oil. This step is important to develop the flavor of the salsa and helps bind it. Don’t skip it.

Pour the salsa into 2 tablespoon preheated oil. This develops a richer flavor.

Simmer Until Perfect

Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until it has taken on a deep red color and has more body. Looks good, doesn’t it?

Simmer for 15 minutes. Notice how the color has changed to a beautiful dark red.

Cool and Serve

Allow your restaurant salsa to cool and then serve with tortilla chips, tacos or anything else you enjoy with salsa.

It is so easy to make you should always have some in your refrigerator.

Let us know what you think!

Provecho!

Restaurant Salsa

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

A great restaurant style salsa prepared fresh tomatoes, onion cilantro and serrano peppers. It's simple, fresh and easy to make.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound Roma tomatoes
• 1 half medium white onion
• 2 serrano chiles
• 8 sprigs of cilantro
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Remove the seeds and veins from the chiles (Leave them in if you want a hotter salsa)
2. Roughly chop the tomatoes, onion, chiles and cilantro
3. Add the chopped vegetables to your blender (Do not add extra water unless needed and then add a couple tablespoons at a time)
4. Add ½ teaspoon salt
5. Blend the salsa until it has a coarse texture
6. Preheat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan
7. Pour the blended salsa in the hot oil
8. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low
9. Simmer for 15 minutes
10. Adjust the salt

Notes

Variations
Only use 1 serrano chile if you prefer a milder salsa.
Add any or all of the following:
*1 clove of garlic
*Juice from 1 lime
*1/4 teaspoon cumin

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More Salsa Recipes

Salsa Verde

Guajillo Salsa

Grilled Tomato Salsa

Enchilada Sauce

Mexican Style Quesadillas

Quesadillas are a staple in every Mexican home and fonda, the small mom-and-pop restaurants found throughout the country. You might be surprised to find that quesadillas in Mexico aren’t the cheese filled extravaganzas we are used to in the U.S. A typical quesadilla is made with a corn tortilla and small amount of cheese served with a good salsa and some guacamole on the side.

Authentic Mexican Quesadillas

Sincronizadas

Sincronizadas are ham and cheese quesadillas. The name translates as “synchronized.” Most often sincronizadas are prepared with flour tortillas but corn tortillas are on option. The tortillas aren’t folded with cheese in the middle. The tortillas are stacked with the filling in the middle and then cut into half moons or triangles.

Sincronizadas, ham and cheese quesadillas.

Good Cheese Makes a Good Quesadilla

If you want a good quesadilla or sincronizada you have to use a good quality cheese. Oaxaca cheese, asadero cheese, manchego cheese and Chihuahua cheese are all good options. In a pinch you can use mozzarella. Quesadillas are never made with cheddar.

Ingredients to make quesadillas and sincronizadas.

Try Preparing With Different Cheeses

Each Mexican cheese gives your quesadillas a distinct flavor. Try a number of different cheeses until you find your favorite. My favorite is asadero.

How to Make a Mexican Quesadilla

You always want to make quesadillas on the griddle never in a microwave. Microwaving them makes the tortilla soggy. You want them to be golden brown with the cheese evenly melted. Don’t overdo it with the cheese. The flavors of the cheese and tortilla should be nicely balanced. Quesadillas prepared with flour tortillas are more popular in Northern Mexico in the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon and Taumalipas.

Start by heating your tortilla until it is pliable.

Add a small amount of grated cheese, about 1/2 ounce.

Fold the tortilla over the cheese.

Cook until the tortilla is golden brown on both sides.

How to Make a Sincronizada

You will enjoy this ham and cheese variation on a quesadilla. It makes a heartier meal.

Start by warming your tortilla until pliable.

Top with grated cheese, about 1 ounce.

Add a few slices of ham.

Add a little more cheese, about 1 ounce.

Top with flour tortilla.

Cook until the tortilla is golden brown. It’s ready to serve.

Did you know that quesadillas are delicious when you prepare them on the grill?

Provecho!

Quesadillas

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

How to make authentic Mexican quesadillas.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of your favorite Mexican Cheese
• 16 corn tortillas.

Instructions

1. Grate the cheese.
2. Warm each tortilla until pliable.
3. Add ½ ounce of cheese to each tortilla.
4. Fold in half.
5. Cook on each side until golden brown.
6. Serve with salsa and guacamole on the side.

Notes

You can also prepare with flour tortillas.
In Guanajuato, they serve quesadillas with lime slices.

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Salsa de Chile Cascabel

Enjoy this amazing chile cascabel salsa created by Mely Martinez from Mexico in My Kitchen, our favorite Mexican food blog. Mely was born and raised in Tampico, Tamaulipas in Northern Mexico where she learned to cook traditional dishes from a young age. Now she shares her favorite recipes on her blog and her Facebook page. Be sure to visit. You won’t be disappointed.

An Uncommon Salsa

There are very few popular dishes or stews in Mexico that mention the Cascabel pepper as an ingredient. In fact, I have only seen it as a part of salsas cooked with tomato or tomatillo in Central Mexico, in those small street stands where a woman offers freshly made thick corn tortillas cooked on a small charcoal stove.

Those thick tortillas, made of either white or blue corn, are a really delicious treat when topped with this Cascabel salsa and fresh crumbled cheese. And that’s just the way I like to use the salsa in this recipe!

Cascabel Chiles, the “Rattle” Chiles

The Cascabel pepper has a dark brown-colored skin with a spherical shape, and is unique because of its particular taste and aroma. The peppers are not too spicy; I would say they are rather mild and sweet for my personal taste. The flavor, however, is incomparable. It has a rustic nutty taste after you roast it and soak it for some minutes, in order to soften them.

Cascabel means “rattle” in Spanish, and this spherical pepper rattles when you shake it because of its loose seeds inside (hence the name Cascabel). It’s Scoville rating is 1,300-2,000 SHU. Just to give you an idea, Ancho and Pasilla peppers are also around the same spiciness level.

Preparing the Chiles

Toast the chiles to develop flavor.

Reconstitute the chiles.

Perfectly reconstituted cascabel chiles.

Preparing the Tomatillos

Roast the tomatillos on a griddle, or “comal.”

Blacken the tomatillos all over.

Perfectly roasted tomatillos ready to make salsa.

Cascabel Salsa

 

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Recipe for a smoky cascabel chile salsa typically served at street stands in Central Mexico, created by Mely Martinez from Mexico in My Kitchen, our favorite Mexican food blog.

Author: Mely Martinez

Recipe type: Salsa

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 5 ½ ounces tomatillo
• 1 ounce cascabel peppers (about 7 peppers)
• 1 garlic clove
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Break the peppers into pieces for a better roasting. Slightly roast the peppers on a medium hot griddle, turning the peppers to have an even roasting. Turn frequently to avoid burning the peppers. This step will take about 1-2 minutes.
2. Once you roast the peppers, place them in a small saucepan with 2 cups of hot water to soak for about 15 minutes, or until they are soft.
3. Meanwhile, roast the tomatillos on the hot griddle, and once they are roasted, wrap them in an aluminum foil to keep warm while the peppers are soaking.
4. Place tomatillos, softened peppers, garlic clove, and ½ cup of water into your blender pitcher and process until you have a smooth sauce. If you like, you can also puree the sauce in a food processor to give the salsa a coarse texture. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes

Serve over meats, beans, eggs, and potato tacos.

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Mores Salsa Recipes

Salsa Verde

Red Enchilada Sauce

Restaurant Salsa

Tex-Mex Chorizo and Cheese Dip

We are thrilled with our first Tex-Mex recipe on the Mexican Food Journal, Queso con Carne provided by Mary The Cake Chica, a Houston native. Queso was a delicious and fun part of her Friday nights when she was growing up. Here she shares the recipe with you. Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Style Queso con Carne Dip

Friday Night Favorite

Growing up as a kid in my house, Friday nights were all about simple and easy dinners. That meant, my mom would make some queso , or cheese dip as she would call it, get a table cloth and lay it out in front of the TV while we watched T.G.I.F. (Am I showing my age?) and we would all have a little bit of a Tex-Mex picnic right there. That was Friday night dinner and it was perfect!

Queso Dip

Queso is a warm dip you can find at any Tex-Mex restaurant around Houston and other areas of Texas, usually for an additional charge served as an appetizer, with complimentary chips and salsa. If the chips and salsa are not free, I suggest eating at another restaurant. In my experience that is never a good sign. Moving forward, there are several ways to enjoy your queso other than just a dip. You can use it as a condiment for many Tex-Mex dishes, such as tacos, nachos, fajitas and enchiladas just to name a few.

Mom’s Queso

My mom’s version of queso was made with Velveeta and a can of Rotel. Velveeta is a type of processed cheese and Rotel is canned tomatoes with chilies. I am one who likes to keep things real in the kitchen as much as possible, however sometimes real food just doesn’t work out for certain things, like queso. I’ve tried a mix of cheddar and Monterey jack cheese, and while good, the texture was just off. Nothing comes close to the creaminess of Velveeta cheese and is what is most commonly used here for queso in Texas. I did however use fresh chilies for this recipe. I have to add some freshness in somewhere.

A Favorite at Every Gathering

Queso or Queso con Carne always makes an appearance at my family get-togethers no matter if we are making Tex-Mex food or not. It’s just what we do here in Texas. Queso should be served warm. The best way to do this is by pouring the dip into a slow cooker to keep warm for your guests. Serve with tortilla chips.

How to Make Queso con Carne

Sauté the chiles, onions and chorizo.

Add the cubed Velveeta cheese.

Mix in the Velveeta and stir as cheese melts.

When cheese is fully melted add milk to get desired consistency.

Add the tomatoes and cilantro and mix into your queso.

Queso con carne ready to serve.

Garnish with sliced jalapeño and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

Queso con Carne Cheese Dip

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Texas queso dip from Mary The Cake Chica - Velveeta cheese with chorizo, onion, tomato, cilantro and jalapeño peppers. Guaranteed to be a favorite at every family gathering.

Author: Mary The Cake Chica

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Tex-Mex, Mexican

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 3 serranos, seeded and chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped, about ½ cup
• 12 ounces Mexican chorizo
• 2 pounds Velveeta, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ½ -3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
• Tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

1. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and saute the chiles and onion with the chorizo, until vegetables are soft and chorizo is cooked, about 5 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to low and add Velveeta cubes and stir until Velveeta has melted and is smooth and creamy. Slowly add milk if the queso is too thick. Add as much or as little as you like to achieve your perfect consistency.
3. Add canned tomatoes and cilantro and stir to combine. Serve with tortillas chips.

Notes

Party Tip: Queso con Carne is best served warm. To do this, simply transfer the queso to a slow cooker to keep warm. This also works great as a way to transport it to your next family gathering.

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Provecho!

More Cheesy Recipes

Quesadillas

Tostadas de Pollo

Tostadas are crunchy tortillas like hard taco shells but flat. Tostadas also refers to a prepared dish in which the crunchy tostadas are topped with refried beans, shredded chicken, shredded iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced white onion, Mexican cream, crumbly cheese and your favorite salsa. We prepared these with our homemade salsa roja.  Tostadas are so good and so easy to prepare!

A chicken tostada, yum, yum, yum…

A Party Favorite

Tostadas are great for parties and get togethers. Everything is prepped in advance so that everyone can prepare their tostadas to their liking. Don’t like cream? Want extra chicken? Extra salsa? Make em however you want.

Tostada Making Station

Set up your tostada making station for quick and easy preparation. Tostadas are great with any type of salsa. If you are serving them for a party put out a variety of salsas. Consider any of these: salsa verde, cascabel salsa, or restaurant salsa. The beans are served warm and the rest of the ingredients at room temperature.

Ready to prepare some tostadas.

How to Make Tostadas Step-by-Step

I guess you don’t really make chicken tostadas you build them. Stack the ingredients and build flavor. Just follow the steps and then enjoy. Kids love making their own tostadas.

Start by spreading refried beans on a tostada.

Then add shredded chicken.

Add shredded iceberg lettuce.

Add thinly sliced white onion.

Add a few dollops of Mexican cream.

Sprinkle on some crumbly cheese, queso ranchero or queso fresco.

Finally, top with your favorite salsa.

Looks tasty! Provecho!

Preparing the Chicken

You want the chicken to be really tender. To cook the chicken perfectly, start by adding the chicken breasts to cold water and then bring the water to a gentle boil. Cook for about 20 minutes until fully cooked. Remove them from the water and allow them to cool. Shred by hand. Cut each chicken breast into thirds and then tear off thin strips of chicken with your fingers. If you have never shredded chicken before at first it is really slow and tedious. After a few minutes you will get the hang of it and be able to work must faster. TIP: Make a double batch of shredded chicken and freeze half to use later.

Add chicken breasts to cold water.

Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 20 minutes.

Chicken Tostadas

 

Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Mexican chicken tostadas, crunchy corn tortillas topped with refried beans, shredded chicken, shredded iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced white onion, Mexican cream, crumbly cheese and your favorite salsa.

Author: Douglas Cullen

Recipe type: Chicken Tostadas

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and shredded and lightly salted
• 1 16 oz. can refried beans / 2 cups homemade
• ½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 medium white onion, very thinly sliced
• ½ cup Mexican cream, crema or sour cream
• 4 ounces queso ranchero, a white crumbly Mexican cheese
• 2 cups of your favorite salsa: restaurant salsa, salsa verde
• 8 to 12 tostadas

Instructions

1. ASSEMBLING TOSTADAS
2. Start by gathering all your ingredients
3. Heat the refried beans
4. Spread about 1 tablespoon of beans on each tostada
5. Add shredded chicken
6. Add shredded lettuce
7. Add sliced onion
8. Add 1 tsp. of cream
9. Add ½ oz. crumbled or grated cheese
10. Top with salsa to taste

Notes

This recipe will make 8 to 12 tostadas.

Substitutions
Any off these cheeses are good for preparing tostadas: queso ranchero, queso panela, queso fresco or grated mozzarella.

Red onions add a colourful touch.

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Grandma Lolita’s Recipe

Dora Stone, from Dora’s Table and Mi Mero Mole shares her grandmother Lolita’s recipe for Coahuila style handmade whole wheat tortillas. Dora is graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and she creates vegan recipes with a Mexican touch which appeal to the heart and stomach. You can also find Dora on her Instagram and Twitter. Enjoy her recipe and be sure to visit her blog!

The Real Tortilla Deal

These are not your flimsy, tasteless, gummy grocery store whole wheat flour tortillas. They are a completely different animal all together. They are hearty, hand rolled, tender pockets of wheat, perfect for sopping up stews and lots of salsa.

I don’t want to be cliché, and name my grandmother to evoke all sorts of feelings, but I have no other choice. This is my abuelita Lolita’s recipe. She would make them for us every time we would visit. Skillfully rolling out each tortilla and placing them on the comal one after the other. Then she would take a warm tortilla, slather it with the “good” butter and sprinkle some salt on them, and give it to us with a nice bottle of Coca-Cola to wash it down. I can’t even describe how much of a special treat this was for us!

Coahuila Style Flour Tortillas

These tortillas are typical of the states of Coahuila and Nuevo Leon. They are not really meant for burritos, but you can use them to make all sorts of delicious tacos. You might be under the impression that flour tortillas are not authentic Mexican food, but this is so not true. Northern Mexico, especially the border states use flour tortillas for everyday meals, almost as much or maybe more than corn. It is thought that corn was harder to cultivate in the northern states, but wheat grew abundantly. Thus, flour tortillas were born. I am from one of those border states, Coahuila, from a small city called Acuña, which borders the Rio Grande and the city of Del Rio, TX. I grew up eating flour tortillas, and my grandma’s are definitely the best.

How to Make Whole Wheat Tortillas: Step-By-Step Guide

The secret to really tender flour tortillas is how long you let the dough rest. Let it rest for at least an hour and up to 24. Try to roll them out as thin as possible, and be careful not to overcook them or they will become dry and hard. Enjoy!

Start with the dry ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients, then add the shortening.

Work the shortening in with your hands.

This is how the mixture should look after incorporating the shortening.

Add the water and incorporate with a fork.

Form the dough into a ball.

Check consistency of dough. It should be soft and stretchy.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces and form each piece into a ball.

Roll each dough ball thinly. It is now ready to cook.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

 

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Grandma Lolita's recipe for Coahuila style whole wheat tortillas provided by Dora Stone of Dora's Table and Mi Mero Mole. A true homestyle recipe.

Author: Dora Stone

Recipe type: Tortilla

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups flour, all-purpose
• ¼ cup wheat germ
• ¾ cup wheat bran
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• ⅓ cup vegetable shortening
• ¾ cup water, warm

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine the flour, wheat bran, wheat germ, baking powder, salt, and mix well. Add vegetable shortening and use your fingers to to rub the shortening into the flour mixture until completely incorporated.
2. Pour water in and mix with a fork until. If the dough is too dry, add a bit more water.
3. Scoop mixture out into a cutting board and knead until smooth (about 3-4 minutes). The dough should be soft and stretchy, but not as soft as bread dough.
4. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 1 hour. (The longer the dough rests the softer your tortillas will be.)
5. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Heat a cast iron skillet or comal to medium-high heat.
6. Sprinkle flour on your work surface, flatten the ball of dough with your hand. Using a rolling pin, begin to roll back and forth across the ball, rotating it slightly each time, and sprinkling more flour as necessary, until the dough has stretched out to make a large thin circle. Try to roll it as thin as you possibly can.
7. Lay the tortilla on the comal and flip after 30 to 40 seconds The tortilla should bubble up almost immediately. Cook 30 more seconds on the other side and remove from pan. Be careful not to overcook the tortillas or they will become crisp. Remove tortillas from pan and place in a tortilla warmer or kitchen towel.
8. Repeat this process with the rest of the dough.

Notes

For really tender tortillas let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator.

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