The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites (13 page)

’Tinga
has no meaning—except maybe “delicious.” Here shredded chicken is combined with a smoky chipotle salsa and strips of sautéed onion. It’s a perfect potluck or party dish, as guests can build their own tostadas, heaping on the chicken and adding some diced avocado and a little Mexican
crema. ’
Tinga is also excellent on
sopes
or wrapped up in enchiladas and burritos. The “pole-to-pole” technique of slicing onions described here produces curved strips of onion that keep their shape and texture when cooked. The chicken and salsa can be made well ahead of time, refrigerated, and then reheated when you are ready to serve.

Place the chicken in the slow cooker and add the water and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until just tender.

While the chicken cooks, make the salsa. In a 2-quart saucepan combine the tomatoes, tomatillos, and jalapeño. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the tomatillos are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the vegetables well and transfer them to a blender along with the garlic, chipotles, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Blend until fairly smooth and refrigerate the salsa until needed.

Peel the onions and cut ½ inch off the stem and root ends. Cut each onion in half vertically. Set one onion half on the root end and cut from top to bottom to create ¼-inch slices. Repeat with the remaining onion halves.

When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and break it into large pieces. Strain the cooking liquid, discarding the solids, and reserve for another use.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and oregano and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the salsa and chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

To serve, pile the chicken mixture on tostadas and top with the avocado and
crema.

I usually keep a batch of cooked meat in the refrigerator for impromptu use in tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. If you have some shredded chicken in your fridge, these simple, fresh-tasting tacos take only minutes to finish in a sauté pan. Or make the
quick version
from start to finish in the slow cooker, which turns out more like a
guisado
but is equally good.

Heat the lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and the pan is dry, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and salt and cook until the chicken is heated through. Add the broth and simmer until the chicken has absorbed the liquid.

To serve, divide the filling among the warm tortillas, a few to a plate, and fix to taste with any of the garnishes.

This recipe is more like a shredded chicken
guisado
than traditional tacos. Though these tacos won’t have the same fresh taste as those that you cook at the last minute, the recipe still makes perfectly acceptable tacos that are very easy to prepare.

Combine all the ingredients in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the chicken and shred the meat into small pieces. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and cook on low until the broth is mostly absorbed, about 1 hour more.

To serve, divide the filling among the warm tortillas, a few to a plate, and fix to taste with any of the garnishes.

Simple, but so good! A
dorado
taco is crisped a bit on a lightly oiled griddle before being filled, in this case with succulent shredded beef. This is another perfect dish for a crowd, as most of the preparation can be done ahead of time. Serve the filled tacos on a platter with the garnishes on the side.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, serrano, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and the pan is dry, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth and simmer until the beef is moist and most of the broth has been absorbed. Taste and add salt, if needed. Keep warm.