The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites (12 page)

Read The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites Online

Authors: Deborah Schneider

BOOK: The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites
13.53Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
Tacos, enchiladas, tamales, and burritos are the beloved street foods of Mexico. Simple to make and fun to eat, they lend themselves to almost infinite variation using different fillings and salsas.

Almost any type of Mexican street food can be quickly assembled from the basic building blocks you will find in this book: tender, long-simmered shredded meats such
Shredded Chicken
,
Shredded Beef
, or
Carnitas
, or any of the thick, savory
guisados
. Although these dishes usually require long tending over a hot stove, they are easy to prepare using a slow cooker. Even the iconic tamale, which is trickier than it first appears, is a breeze to make in the slow cooker. And if you want to try your hand at using masa yourself, in this chapter are directions for making fresh tortillas and other typical Mexican street foods based on fresh masa dough, such as
sopes,
gorditas, and quesadillas.

Street food, above all, should be
quick
. When you are ready to serve, have everything prepared before you start assembling the food. The table should be set, the salsas and garnishes prepared, the fillings and meats hot and at the ready. These foods are meant to be consumed as soon as they are made—to quickly go from pan to plate to
panza
(belly)—so, with the exception of tamales, I do not recommend preassembling, holding, or reheating any of the foods in this chapter.

When it’s time to serve, learn from the
taqueros
and other street food vendors in Mexico, whose work is a lesson in organization and simplicity. The cook, who usually works alone, heats a freshly made tortilla (either soft or lightly fried,
dorado
style), fills it with some type of shredded and hands it to the waiting customer, who then adds garnishes
al gusto,
according to his or her preference. It’s this immediacy and freshness that makes Mexican food so exceptional.

 
MEXICAN STREET FOODS
Here is a quick rundown of the types of food you can find
en la calle
(on the street) in Mexico.
Enchiladas.
Corn tortillas dipped in salsa, filled, rolled, and topped with a little cheese and lettuce.
Gorditas,
huaraches
, and
tlacoyos
. Fresh corn masa patted into thick disks or ovals, toasted on a griddle, and topped with a
guisado,
beans, and salsa.
Tlacoyos
are made with blue corn masa.
Quesadillas.
Fresh corn masa folded in half over a filling, usually of vegetables or
flor de calabaza
(squash blossoms), and toasted on a griddle. If it is fried in oil, it is called an
empanada
.
Sopes.
Round disks of masa fried in oil until chewy-crisp, topped with beans, meat, shredded lettuce, cheese, and salsa.
Tacos.
White or yellow corn tortillas topped with a small amount of any number of meats, salsas, and garnishes. They may be served soft (with the tortilla briefly warmed on the
comal
) or
dorado,
toasted on a lightly greased griddle until golden brown and chewy. Flour tortillas are never used to make tacos.
Tamales.
Fresh corn masa filled with a little meat and sauce, wrapped in either corn husks or banana leaves and steamed. Tamales are a kind of cottage industry, often made in home kitchens and sold warm from modified bicycle baskets or coolers on street corners.
Taquitos.
Corn tortillas that are filled, rolled, and fried in a small amount of oil until crisp-chewy. Served with guacamole, lettuce, onions, and salsa, they are highly addictive.
Tostadas.
Small corn tortillas deep-fried until very crisp and golden brown. Tostadas are offered as
antojitos
or
botanas
(snacks) topped with hot or cold garnishes, and they are usually finished with
crema,
cheese, avocado, and lettuce.
 
TRANSFORMING MASA:
MAKING TORTILLAS,
QUESADILLAS, GORDITAS, AND SOPES AND HUARACHES
Fresh corn masa is the basis for nearly all Mexican street food. Along with the usual filled and rolled tacos, busy stands sell thick gorditas and
tlacoyos
(ovals made of fine blue corn masa) piled high with meats and salsas; small, thick
sopes
filled to the brim with beans and meat; oval
huaraches
, often topped with nopales and tomatillo salsa; and dozens of variations on all of these. Quesadillas are simply rounds of fresh masa that are filled, folded, and cooked on a
comal
(griddle).
Tortillas and quesadillas are cooked over medium-high to high heat on a dry or
very
lightly greased griddle.
Sopes
and gorditas are cooked with a little more oil or shortening in the pan. The masa is less likely to stick if you use vegetable shortening, fresh lard
(asiento)
, or a combination of the two instead of oil to grease the griddle.
Once you’ve prepared the
Basic Masa
, follow these instructions to explore its many uses.
To Make Tortillas
Heat a heavy griddle over medium-high heat. Form the masa into balls the size of golf balls. Flatten one of the balls slightly and press in a tortilla press lined with a plastic bag until it is 5 inches in diameter and about ⅛ inch thick. (After you have gained some experience, you can make them thinner.) Holding the tortilla in one hand, peel off the top layer of plastic. Flip the tortilla upside down into the palm of your other hand and peel off the bottom layer of plastic. Turn your hand upside down to place the tortilla on the hot surface of the griddle. Cook until the bottom has a few brown spots and the top begins to look dry. Turn and cook the other side until lightly browned. (Note: If the tortillas stick to the griddle, scrape it clean and rub with a paper towel dipped in vegetable shortening. Repeat this step as needed—the tortillas usually stop sticking after the first few.) Place the tortilla in a cloth-lined basket while you repeat with the remaining dough.
To Make Quesadillas
Follow the directions for making tortillas, but before you flip the dough over to cook the second side, fill the center with the filling of your choice and fold in half (but don’t seal the edges). Cook until the filling
is heated through, flipping it over as necessary. Note that quesadilla fillings should not be juicy. Cheese, zucchini blossoms, sautéed mushrooms or chiles, cooked chorizo and diced potatoes, refried beans, shredded chicken or beef, and carnitas, however, all make excellent quesadillas, which are best served with your choice of salsa.
To Make
Gorditas
Heat a griddle over medium-high heat. Divide the masa into portions slightly larger than a golf ball, about 1¾ ounces each. Flatten the dough into a circle about 4 inches in diameter and ⅜ inch thick, either by patting the dough between your palms or gently pressing it in a tortilla press lined with a plastic bag. Grease the griddle with a light coating of vegetable shortening or fresh lard and cook the gordita, turning it once, until browned on both sides and fairly firm. Set the gorditas aside in a stack while you repeat with the remaining dough. Top with a thick, full-flavored
guisado
or shredded meat, crumbled cotija cheese, salsa, and onions. Some people also like to add shredded lettuce and sour cream.
To Make Sopes and Huaraches
To make a
sope
, heat a griddle over medium-high heat. Divide the masa into ¼-cup portions, about 1½ ounces each, and roll each portion into a ball. Flatten the dough into a circle about 4 inches in diameter and ¼ inch thick, either by patting the dough between your palms or by gently pressing it in a tortilla press lined with a plastic bag. Grease the hot griddle with a light coating of vegetable shortening or fresh lard and cook the
sope
until a crust forms on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for 1 minute. The center will still be soft. Set aside to cool for several minutes. When cool enough to handle, hold the
sope
with the side you cooked for 2 minutes facing up. Use your thumb and forefinger to pinch up a shallow rim around the edge. The
sopes
may be made ahead to this point. To finish them, reheat on a dry griddle or fry in ½ inch of hot vegetable oil or shortening. Top with refried beans, shredded meat, crumbled cotija cheese, and
Salsa Mexicana
.
A
huarache
is formed from 2½ ounces (about ⅓ cup) of dough formed into a long oval shape about ¼ inch thick, like the sole of a shoe. Cook and form a rim as directed for the
sopes
.
Huaraches
are often served with cooked nopales, refried beans, cheese, meat, and both a cooked salsa, such as
Salsa Verde
or
Salsa Mexicana
.
Basic Masa for Tortillas, Quesadillas, Sopes, and More
Makes enough for 12 sopes, 18 (5-inch) tortillas, or 12 quesadillas
Mexican cooks have access to fresh masa, made from dry corn and lime, at their small local
tortillerías
. Although it doesn’t have quite the same authentic flavor, masa made from dry masa harina (such as that made by Maseca) is easy to make, economical, and works just as well.
The following recipe makes a plain masa, but you can play with the basic recipe by adding a small amount of dried ground chiles, minced garlic, chopped herbs, ground spices such as cumin, or whatever else you fancy. In fact, you can even add food coloring to make your masa bright pink, yellow, or purple, as Mexicans sometimes do for fiestas. Or check out the
Masa Verde
recipe, which adds the color and flavor of pureed herbs.
Masa is easy to work with. If made properly, it’s not sticky, and it’s forgiving because it has no gluten and cannot be overworked. An inexpensive tortilla press is a useful tool. Line the press with squares cut from a crinkly plastic bag and practice pressing out the dough to the desired thickness. The masa can be gathered up and pressed again and again until you are satisfied.
3 cups dry masa harina (preferably Maseca brand)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups lukewarm water, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir thoroughly to form a smooth, damp dough that does not stick to your hands. If the dough feels too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and work it in with your hands; the dough should be the consistency of playdough. Divide the masa into portions as needed for your recipe and
proceed as directed
. Keep the dough covered with a dry towel while you work.
The amount of water you need will vary. The masa is too dry if it cracks around the edges when pressed. If this happens, reform the ball, dip two fingers into water, and work the water into the masa.
VARIATION
• Add 1 tablespoon ground ancho chile to the dry masa before mixing.
Masa Verde
JALAPEÑO-CILANTRO MASA
Makes enough for 12 sopes, 18 (5-inch) tortillas, or 12 quesadillas
Use this masa as you would the Basic Masa. Once cooked, it is supple and fragrant.
3 jalapeño chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups water, or more as needed
⅓ cup vegetable oil
3 cups dry masa harina (preferably Maseca brand)
Put the jalapeños in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. Add the cilantro and garlic and salt to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add 1 cup of the water and process to a puree. Add the cilantro mixture to the jalapeños in the bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup of water and the oil and stir to combine.
Place the masa harina in a mixing bowl. Add the cilantro mixture all at once and mix thoroughly to form a smooth, damp dough that does not stick to your hands. If the dough feels too dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, and work it in with your hands; the dough should be the consistency of playdough. Divide the masa into portions as needed for your recipe and
proceed as directed
. Keep the dough covered with a dry towel while you work.

Other books

Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon
The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
And He Cooks Too by Barbara Barrett
Blaze by Andrew Thorp King
Weekend by Jane Eaton Hamilton
Keep (Command #2) by Karyn Lawrence
Last Chance for Glory by Stephen Solomita
Zombie Fallout 2 by Mark Tufo