The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites (18 page)

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Authors: Deborah Schneider

BOOK: The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites
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Essentially one giant tamal, this dish gives you all the great flavor of a tamal without the fuss of wrapping them individually. I prefer to think of making this dish as being practical, not lazy.
Torta de tamal
is a terrific party or buffet dish; just cut it into squares to serve. For filling, I particularly like to use
Carne Colorado
,
Carne con Chorizo y Papas
, or
Shredded Chicken
moistened with
Salsa Verde
.
¼ cup vegetable shortening
½ package dried corn husks,
soaked
, or 4 (12-inch) squares fresh banana leaf,
toasted
Masa for
Tamales
4 cups of your choice of tamale filling
With the shortening, liberally coat the bottom and sides of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker insert. Line the bottom and two-thirds of the way up the sides with the corn husks or banana leaves, slightly overlapping the edges. Place half of the masa in the bottom of the cooker and spread evenly to the edges and ½ inch up the sides of the insert. Cover evenly with the filling. Spread the remaining masa over the filling.
Cover the masa with a layer of corn husks or a piece of banana leaf. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The
torta
may be served at once or kept warm for several hours on low heat.
Basics, Rice, Beans, and Other Sides
Although these basic Mexican dishes are simple to make, they’re anything but ordinary. You will turn to this chapter again and again for directions on making shredded beef, pork, and chicken that can be used in all sorts of dishes, as well as other simple recipes to add authentic Mexican flavor to your meal.

Caldo
(stock or broth) is the foundation for great flavor in all your cooking. It’s the basis for hearty homemade soups, but it’s also used to add rich flavor to
guisados
, salsas, and rice. And using the slow cooker, creating a clear, delicious stock is practically effortless.

No Mexican meal is complete without rice and beans, and here I go beyond the plain pinto bean to explore an array of delicious bean preparations from all over Mexico. Why settle for plain brown beans, as good as they are, when you can have the black beans with red chiles, which are popular in San Luis Potosí, in central Mexico’s high desert, or you can indulge in the heart-stoppingly rich
Frijoles Puercos
from Mazatlán?

Surprise! You’ll also learn your slow cooker doubles as a rice cooker, oven, and
escabeche
(pickle) maker. Other authentic additions to your table found in this chapter include a lovely corn bread wrapped in corn husks (
Pan de Elote
) and a quick recipe for making
Chiles en Escabeche
.

All of these basic preparations, including the rice, freeze beautifully. So when you fire up the slow cooker, make enough for several meals and tuck the extras away in the freezer. You’ll be glad you did.

Caldo de Pollo
CHICKEN BROTH
Makes 12 cups
Using the slow cooker to make broth is much easier than fussing over a stockpot, and it yields perfect broths that are clear and delicious. You can use this simple broth, with its light flavor and golden color, to enrich a multitude of simple soups and rice dishes. Since the broth freezes beautifully, always keep some on hand so you have a head start whenever you want to make homemade soup. That alone is a good reason in invest in a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker, even if you usually only cook for two.
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 large white onion, diced
10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley or fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 large clove garlic, halved
2 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 ancho chile, stemmed, seeded, and
toasted
3 pounds meaty chicken wing tips or backs and necks
12 cups water
Combine all the ingredients in a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the lid, turn off the cooker, and allow the broth to cool and settle for 30 minutes.
Set a colander over a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, carefully lift all the solids from the cooker without scraping the bottom and drain them in the colander. Use a ladle or large measuring cup to remove the remaining broth from the slow cooker and pass through the colander. (Be careful not to disturb any of the small bits on the bottom; these will make the broth cloudy. Pour the last remnants of the broth and the bits on the bottom into a separate container and discard.) Do not press down on the solids in the colander, but allow the broth to drain on its own for 15 minutes. Once it has stopped dripping, discard the solids in the colander. Let the broth cool to room temperature and then chill. Before freezing it or using it in a recipe, remove any layer of fat that floats to the surface.
VARIATION
• To turn this broth into a quick and simple soup, substitute a whole chicken or 3 pounds of chicken pieces for the wing tips. Cook, covered, on low for 8 hours, then strain and defat the broth as described above. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and discard, then shred the meat. In large soup pot, combine the broth and shredded chicken and add diced carrots, corn, and any other vegetables you like, plus rice, noodles, or cooked garbanzo beans. Simmer on the stove top until the vegetables are cooked, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt before serving.
Caldo de Res
BEEF BROTH
Makes 12 cups
This recipe yields a light, clear beef broth that adds subtle flavor to
guisados
, soups, and sauces. The meat loses some of its flavor to the broth, but it can be shredded and then added to a soup such as
Sopa de Fideos
, used in any of the bean recipes, or added to tacos or burritos.
2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
½ white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and seeded (optional)
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 dried bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 guajillo chile, stemmed, seeded, and
toasted
1 pound boneless beef chuck, in one piece
2 pounds meaty beef neck or shin bones
12 cups water
Combine all the ingredients in a 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the lid, turn off the cooker, and allow the broth to cool and settle for 30 minutes. Remove the chuck in one piece and reserve for another use.
Set a colander over a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, carefully lift all solids from the cooker without scraping the bottom and drain in the colander. Use a ladle or large measuring cup to remove the remaining broth from the slow cooker and pass through the colander. (Be careful not to disturb any of the small bits on the bottom; these will make the broth cloudy. Pour the last remnants of the broth and the bits on the bottom into a separate container and discard.) Do not press down on the colander, but allow the broth to drain on its own for several minutes. Once it has stopped dripping, discard the solids in the colander. Let the broth cool to room temperature and then chill. Before freezing it or using it in a recipe, remove any layer of fat that floats to the surface.
NOTE
If you want plenty of leftover shredded beef to use in other recipes, double the amount of chuck, which will make the broth even tastier. Alternatively, the chuck may be left out altogether, though this will make a lighter-flavored broth.
Shredded Chicken
Enough for 12 tacos or enchiladas, 6 burritos, 24 quesadillas, or 24 tamales
This basic chicken recipe is used in
Tacos de Pollo
,
Enchiladas Suizas
, and
Burrito Ahogado
, among other dishes. To ensure a fresh-tasting dish, don’t overcook the chicken.
3 bone-in chicken breasts or 2 pounds boneless chicken meat (breasts, thighs, or a combination)
1 cup water
½ white onion, diced
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, split lengthwise
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Combine all the ingredients in 4-quart slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, but no longer. Let cool until cool enough to handle, then discard the chicken bones and skin and shred the meat into small pieces. Strain the cooking liquid, discarding the solids, and reserve for another use. Use the shredded chicken immediately or refrigerate until needed.
Shredded Beef
Enough for 12 tacos or enchiladas, 6 burritos, 24 quesadillas, or 24 tamales
The following is used in
Tacos de Res Dorado
,
Enchiladas en Salsa Roja
, and
Burrito “El Güero.”
For the best flavor, use select or choice boneless beef chuck (shoulder).
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into large chunks
1 cup water
½ white onion, diced
1 Roma tomato,
roasted
or raw, chopped to a pulp
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
2 serrano chiles, split lengthwise
10 sprigs fresh cilantro
6 sprigs fresh epazote or 1 tablespoon dried epazote
2½ teaspoons kosher salt

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