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The best guacamole recipe ever

18 · Jun 12, 2017 · 2 Comments

If you want to make the best guacamole, there are a few things you need to know. I swear by this recipe, but also by these tips that help make it the best it can be.

Not all guacamole is created equal, and it’s much easier to screw up than one might think. And since avocados are sometimes a splurge in your grocery budget, you really don’t want to waste them with bad guacamole. There are some common mistakes people make that cause their guac to suck: mashing the avocado so much that it’s totally smooth, adding too much of one ingredient so it throws off the flavor balance, not enough flavor so the whole thing is totally bland, or the opposite – too salty.

I’m not bragging (OK, I am totally bragging) but everyone I know who has ever eaten my guacamole has said that I make the best guacamole ever….

Mangonada popsicles

188 · Jul 27, 2015 · 5 Comments

If you love a traditional Mexican mangonada, then you’ll love this spin on the classic recipe: mangonada popsicles!

mangonada popsicles displayed on a baking sheet and a plate with tajín chili lime salt for dipping

The mangonada is a quintessential Mexican treat made with mango, orange juice, chamoy and Tajín and it’s a popular snack or dessert with street vendors and neverías (ice cream shops) in Mexico. The sweetness of the mango and orange juice is contrasted by the sourness of the chamoy, and together they make a perfect marriage of what’s known as an “agridulce” (sweet and sour) flavor. Agridulce candies and treats, such as tamarindo con chile, are common and beloved all over the country.

I’ve used store-bought liquid chamoy in this recipe because it has a very fluid, runny consistency that perfectly drips down into the mold to give the popsicles the marbled look.

Liquid chamoy is available in most Mexican and Latin American markets in the U.S., usually found near the bottled salsas such as Valentina, Cholula and Tapatío. You can pour the chamoy around the rim of each mold to get it to drip down as directed in the recipe below, or you can put the chamoy in a small plastic chef’s squeeze bottle if you want more control.

Close-up of mangonada popsicles that are red, orange and yellow

The real variable in this recipe, though, is how much Tajín you sprinkle on top! The more Tajín you use, the more sour and salty flavor you’ll get. If you haven’t had a mangonada before, I’d recommend that you start with just a pinch of Tajín sprinkled on top in case the salty-sour experience isn’t really your thing.

RELATED RECIPE: Frozen orange slices with Tajín

I’ve used a popsicle mold from Amazon which makes 10 three-ounce popsicles and holds the sticks perfectly in place while in the freezer. If this recipe makes a little more than what will fit in your popsicle mold, you can drip some chamoy down the inside of a drinking glass and fill with the remaining orange, mango and lime mixture to have a little mangonada. Just add a straw and a sprinkle of Tajín on top and enjoy!

Mangonada popsicles

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 10 3-ounce popsicles 1x
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican

Description

Make this fun spin on a traditional Mexican mangonada by adapting the recipe for your favorite popsicle mold!

Scale

Ingredients

2 cups fresh-squeezed orange juice (about 4 large Valencia oranges)
juice of 1/2 a medium lime
2 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks
1/3 cup store-bought liquid chamoy
Tajín, to taste

Instructions

Juice the oranges and lime.
In a blender, add orange juice, lime juice and frozen mango chunks. Blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside.
Measure out 1/3 cup chamoy. Pour a little chamoy (a few teaspoons) around the edges of each popsicle mold, allowing chamoy to drip down the sides and pool a little bit in the bottom of the mold.
Pour the mango mixture down the center of each mold, being careful not to let it disturb the chamoy dripping down the inside of the mold.
Put the top on the mold, add popsicle sticks and freeze for at least 8 hours.
To remove from mold, gently run lukewarm water over the bottom of the mold (opposite the sticks) to loosen the popsicles.
Sprinkle with Tajín to taste, or pour Tajín on a small plate and dip the tips of each popsicle in a little Tajín and serve.

RELATED RECIPE: Street food-style mango cups

Roasted chickpeas with tajin

17 · Nov 28, 2014 · 1 Comment

Roasted chickpeas (also known in Spanish as garbanzos) with Tajín, lime juice and cumin is an easy, healthy snack that’s also naturally gluten-free and vegan-friendly.

A roasted chickpea recipe made with safflower or grapeseed oil, lime juice, tajín and ground cumin. Gluten-free and vegan-friendly! Get the full recipe on theothersideofthetortilla.com.

I prefer to use safflower or grapeseed oil, which are great for cooking with high heat, but you can also substitute canola oil if that’s all you have handy. Just keep an eye on the chickpeas as they roast. Canola oil has a lower smoking point than grapeseed or safflower oil at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so you should reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit if using canola oil, and extend the baking time by about 5-10 minutes or until the chickpeas are sufficiently browned and crunchy.

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How to make orejas

334 · Nov 4, 2014 · 9 Comments

Orejas, also known as palmiers, are a puff pastry cookie and kind of pan dulce commonly found in panaderías all over Mexico.

Pan dulce was made popular during the French occupation in the mid 1800s, and as Mexican President Porfirio Díaz was considered to be a Francophile, French influence on Mexico’s gastronomy was allowed to grow from the time Díaz first took control as president in 1880 and flourish into the early 1900s.

In 1911, Díaz left Mexico to live in exile in Paris when Madero became president; he would live there for four years before he died in 1915. And although Díaz died in exile, the French pastries and sweet breads adopted by Mexico morphed into uniquely Mexican creations, with a variety of shapes, textures and creative names that still exist today.

RELATED RECIPE: Cafe de olla

Pan dulce can encompass pastries, sweet breads and even cookies. Other popular kinds of pan dulce include conchas (circular sweet rolls with a sugary, crunchy, crumbly topping made of flour, confectioners’ sugar and butter or vegetable shortening, and shaped to resemble a seashell), sweet empanadas, mantecadas (similar to pound cake, and shaped like muffins or mini loaves), cuernitos (croissants), and puerquitos or marranitos (pig-shaped cookies). Of course, these are only a few of the most popular and common kinds of pan dulce. Some types have a directly translated name from the original French name, but others have more creative names in Spanish.

Orejas are a staple at my house and I often make a batch to enjoy with a cup of coffee throughout the week, to take to work for a breakfast meeting, or when I need to drop off something easy for a bake sale or party. Some of my other favorite variations include churros, garibaldi, and rieles (mini strudels with a fruit or cheese filling and coarse-grain sanding sugar).

RELATED RECIPE: Atole de vainilla

Orejas are made by spreading cinnamon sugar on both sides of a sheet of puff pastry, then rolling the puff pastry with a rolling pin to press the cinnamon sugar into the pastry. Then, the pastry is folded and sliced, and baked at a high temperature so the sugar caramelizes and creates a sort of glassy sugar glaze on the pastry dough.

Although every Mexican panadería is a little different, it’s guaranteed you’ll always find orejas. But you’ll feel like a fancy pastry chef and a little bit like a rock star when you make them on your own—and you’re likely to impress people who have no idea how easy they are to make!

2 votes

Orejas

Prep 10 mins

Cook 9 mins

Inactive 45 mins

Total 1 hour, 4 mins

Author Maura Wall Hernandez

Yield 15-16 cookies

One of Mexico's most popular kinds of pan dulce.

Ingredients

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
½ cup Zulka morena granulated cane sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Line a large cutting board with parchment paper and unfold the puff pastry sheet to defrost for about 45 minutes to an hour.
When pastry is defrosted, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread about ¼ cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture on it, roughly in the shape of the puff pastry.
Transfer the defrosted puff pastry to the baking sheet on top of the cinnamon sugar and peel the parchment paper off the other side. Spread the remaining ¼ cup of cinnamon sugar liberally over the top of the puff pastry.
Use a rolling pin to gently roll out the puff pastry both horizontally and vertically, which will cement the sugar into the pastry.
Fold the puff pastry inward from the edges to meet in the middle. Then fold again, in half. With a sharp knife, cut half-inch slices and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 5-7 minutes on one side, remove from oven and flip orejas with a spatula, and bake for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Recipe prep and cook time does NOT include 45-60 minutes of inactive prep to defrost frozen puff pastry sheets.

Courses Breakfast

Cuisine Mexican

How to Make a Carajillo: The Coffee Cocktail

651 · Sep 29, 2014 · 7 Comments

A classic Spanish cocktail popular in Mexico, the Carajillo is made with espresso and Licor 43.

I’ve often enjoyed this cocktail while in Mexico, whether it be at a fancy restaurant in Mexico City, a late-night coffee bar in Acapulco or at vacation resorts spanning the country from Los Cabos to Playa del Carmen.

This drink is also similar to Italy’s caffè corretto (meaning “corrected coffee”) which typically contains grappa, sambuca or brandy and espresso. The carajillo can be served hot or cold, over ice, as pictured here.

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How to make mangonadas

325 · Aug 20, 2014 · 8 Comments

A mangonada is a quintessential Mexican treat, made of mango, orange juice, chamoy and chile lime salt, and they’re sold just about everywhere from street vendors to neverías in Mexico.

This post is part of a compensated campaign with McCormick & Company but the recipe and opinions here are my own.

It’s very popular, especially in the warm weather months, as it resembles an American slushie. You can grab one to go on the street or enjoy it with friends in an ice cream parlor.

If you’ve been reading The Other Side of The Tortilla for awhile, you may remember I interviewed Chef Kevan Vetter about the 2013 McCormick Flavor Forecast and how global flavor trends were incorporating Mexican flavors and sensibilities on a worldwide scale. This year marks McCormick’s 125th anniversary of the company celebrating the role flavor plays in all of our lives, inspiring flavorful conversation and giving back to communities around the world.

I’m thrilled to see that this trend and interest in Mexican cuisine has been growing exponentially and is again incorporated in the most recent report. The McCormick Flavor Forecast 2014 report includes two flavor insights particularly suited to highlighting Mexican cuisine: A worldwide obsession with chilies and a growing taste for regional Mexican fare in North America. Of the Mexican flavors considered to be trending globally this year is chamoy, a sweet and spicy condiment made with apricot, lime, chiles and salt. Chamoy also happens to be a key ingredient in the mangonada.

Chamoy is a versatile condiment, as it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes; anything from a salsa for dipping fruit or making jicaletas (jicama popsicles) to marinating meats or using it as a meat glaze.

RELATED RECIPE: Mango and chamoy paletas

Although bottled chamoy can be found in most Mexican supermarket chains in the U.S. as well as for purchase online, I like to make my own so I know exactly what’s in it. Most of the commercially produced chamoy is loaded with sugar, preservatives and dyes. My version of chamoy uses apricot fruit spread (not jelly, jam or preserves) and natural ingredients so you can feel good about indulging in this treat. There are multiple brands that offer apricot fruit spread, which is more or less a jam or preserve made with little or no added sugar.

Ground ancho chile provides a subtle, earthy spice to this homemade chamoy without being overpowering. If you want to make your chamoy on the spicier side, you can add about 1/2 teaspoon more to the recipe below. And if you need to thin out the chamoy, you can add a little lime juice and store leftovers in the refrigerator. For a modern twist to the traditional mangonada, you can try substituting pineapple juice for orange juice.

Mangonada #recipe with homemade chamoy from theothersideofthetortilla.com #mexican #flavorstory @mccormickspice

2 votes

Mangonadas

Prep 35 mins

Total 35 mins

Author Maura Wall Hernandez

Yield 2 mangonadas

A traditional Mexican mango and orange juice slush with chamoy and chile lime salt, mangonadas are served everywhere from street vendors to neverías in Mexico and are very popular especially in the warm weather months.

Ingredients

For the homemade chamoy:

1/2 cup apricot spreadable fruit (not jelly, jam or preserves)
Juice of 1 lime
2 1/4 teaspoons McCormick Gourmet Collection ground ancho chile pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4-5 large dried apricots, rehydrated in warm water for 30 minutes

For the mangonadas:

2-3 tablespoons chamoy
2 cups frozen mango chunks
1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3-4 large navel oranges)
Chile lime salt, such as Tajín, to taste

Instructions

For the chamoy:

Add 4-5 large dried apricots to a cup of warm water and allow to soak for 30 minutes to rehydrate. When the apricots are rehydrated, discard the water.
Add 1/2 cup spreadable fruit, juice of one lime, ground ancho chile pepper and apple cider vinegar to a food processor and run on high until completely smooth.

For the mangonadas:

Add 2 cups frozen mango chunks to blender and pour orange juice on top. Seal the top of the blender and blend on high until completely smooth.
Spoon chamoy around the inside of the glass, then pour the mango and orange juice mixture into the cup.
Top with more chamoy and swirl with a spoon.
Sprinkle chile lime salt on top and serve.

Notes

The prep time in this recipe includes 30 minutes of inactive prep time for soaking the dried apricots.

Cuisine Mexican

Chiles toreados

217 · Jul 21, 2014 · 7 Comments

Chiles toreados are a dish that you’ll commonly find in taquerías in Mexico.

They’re usually made with serrano or jalapeño chiles that are sautéed in oil until the chiles are blistered. There are many different ways to make chiles toreados—some people use the chiles alone, but I like to cook onions with them too. There are also a variety of ways to make the sauce, which is part of the beauty of this recipe. There’s no wrong way to make them; it’s just a matter of personal taste.

This post and recipe are part of a compensated campaign in collaboration with Kikkoman and Latina Bloggers Connect.

Rather than cook the chiles in vegetable oil, I’ve opted for a slightly healthier method by using coconut oil spray to cut down on the amount of oil used. No need to worry about your chiles tasting like coconut, though—the taste won’t infuse into the chiles.

This dish can be served as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to tacos of your choice. Chiles toreados are also naturally vegan-friendly!

I’ve eaten this spicy, salty side dish in both hole in the wall and upscale taco joints and the taste varies slightly from place to place. Some cooks like to add oyster sauce for a little umami flavor, but I prefer to keep mine classic with just lime juice and soy sauce. Kikkoman soy sauce is a versatile ingredient that can be used to cook many different types of cuisines. In Mexico, you’ll also often see chiles toreados served in sushi bars and restaurants, as it’s a perfect pairing for dipping rolls, similar to the spicy mixture of soy sauce and wasabi paste that is traditionally used in Japanese cuisine.

This particular dish is most commonly made with regular soy sauce, but if you’re trying to keep your sodium intake down, you can substitute Kikkoman low-sodium soy sauce or even the lime ponzu for a lighter, less salty flavor. I typically use the low-sodium Kikkoman soy sauce in my kitchen. If you want to make the dish spicy, use serrano chiles (and if you like it REALLY spicy, add another chile or two); if you want to make it less spicy, substitute jalapeño chiles for the serrano chiles.

2 votes

Chiles toreados

Prep 5 mins

Cook 15 mins

Total 20 mins

Author Maura Wall Hernandez

Yield 2-3 servings

A classic Mexican taquería dish, chiles toreados are roasted serrano or jalapeño chiles, blister cooked with onion and marinated in a soy sauce and lime juice mixture.

Ingredients

Three 1/4 inch slices of white onion, cut in half moons and rings separated
7 serrano chiles, stems trimmed or cut off as close to the top as possible (I like to leave a little stem because they look nicer)
1/4 cup Kikkoman low sodium soy sauce
Juice of one lime

Instructions

Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray or coconut oil spray and preheat the pan over medium heat for two minutes.
Add chiles and onions to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes, remove the lid and stir. Replace the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
While the onions and chiles are cooking, in a measuring cup, mix 1/4 cup soy sauce and the fresh-squeezed juice of one lime. Stir to incorporate.
At this point your chiles should be blistering and charring nicely in the pan and splitting open slightly. Keep cooking them until they’re as blistered and charred as you like, but remove the onions if necessary so they don’t blacken completely and burn.
When the chiles are blistered and charred to your liking, add the onions back into the pan and pour the soy sauce and lime juice mixture into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to coat the onion and chiles.
Remove from heat and transfer to a glass or ceramic bowl and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Cuisine Mexican

Here’s a video I made of this recipe at the Kikkoman test kitchen after I won a contest and was invited to Kikkoman headquarters in San Francisco in September 2014:

Check out more recipes using Kikkoman soy sauce and other products on the Kikkoman Sabor website.

Paletas de fresas con crema

186 · May 11, 2014 · 6 Comments

Fresas con crema are a traditional, popular dessert all over Mexico.

Irapuato, a town in the state of Guanajuato, is particularly known not only for its bountiful strawberry fields, but also its roadside stands where you can get freshly picked berries or an impromptu treat of fresas con crema. Most of the roadside stands keep a cooler with crema on ice for highway travelers hankering for this sweet and simple treat. With only three ingredients—strawberries, cream and sugar—it’s easy to fall under this dessert’s spell.

You’ll love these popsicles so much, you’ll want to eat them all spring and summer long until you can’t get any more strawberries.

Mexican strawberries and cream popsicles

Variations on the traditional fresas con crema mostly come in the choice of the “crema” part of the recipe. Some people like to use crema Mexicana, while others may use a canned version known as media crema table cream. These Mexican strawberries and cream popsicles are made a little less dense—but equally creamy—with a quick homemade whipped cream made from scratch.

Paletas de fresas con crema are one of my absolute favorite desserts for spring and summer, and my friends, family and co-workers all love when I make a big batch of these popsicles to share. During the hottest days of the summer, I suggest freezing them overnight before serving so they aren’t quick to melt in the heat.

Supplies I used to make this recipe:
Progressive International Ice Pop Mold
Wooden popsicle sticks
Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus food processor

Paletas de fresas con crema

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 9 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 10 3-oz popsicles 1x
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican

Description

Fresas con crema, a traditional Mexican dessert of strawberries, cream and sugar, gets a warm-weather makeover as popsicles.

Scale

Ingredients

1 pound ripe strawberries, stems removed
1/2 cup Zulka Morena sugar (a Mexican non-GMO sugar)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3–4 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

Wash and dry 1 pound of strawberries, then remove stems.
Slice strawberries and put them in a deep bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over the strawberries and stir gently to coat. Allow strawberries and sugar to macerate for 1 hour to draw out the juices.
While the strawberries are macerating, measure 1 cup heavy whipping cream and put it in the freezer for 1 hour, gently stirring once after 30 minutes so no ice chunks form.
After 1 hour, add the macerated strawberries to a food processor (I use a Cuisinart mini prep) or a blender and pulse a few times until the strawberries are chopped but not liquified. Add them back to the bowl.
Clean out your food processor cup or blender and dry thoroughly. Remove the heavy whipping cream from the freezer and add to the food processor cup or the blender. Add 3 tablespoons sugar (or 4 tablespoons if you like your fresas con crema to be very sweet). Run the food processor or blender on high until you have a thick, sweet whipped cream. (Be careful not to overwhip,or you’ll end up on your way to making butter.)
Spoon the whipped cream into the bowl of macerated strawberries with a flexible spatula and gently fold the whipped cream into the berries.
Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for a minimum of 6-8 hours or overnight.

Notes

Active prep time is 1 hour and 15 minutes; inactive time is for freezing the popsicles until solid.

To loosen the popsicles from the molds, run the bottom of the molds under cool or lukewarm water for a few minutes. They should slide right out.

*If you use processed white sugar for this recipe, you will want to reduce the amount of sugar by 1/3 to 1/2 and taste along the way to make sure that it’s not too sweet for your liking. I prefer not to cook with white sugar and do not keep it in my pantry.

Keywords: fresas con crema, strawberry, strawberries, popsicles, paletas, ice pops

How to make a Paloma Margarita

22 · Jul 29, 2012 · 10 Comments

A paloma is a refreshing, classic Mexican cocktail. Some people call it a margarita, some don’t; it depends where you’re from. Some people also call this drink a “paloma tequila.”

Traditionally, it has tequila in it, and is part of the margarita family, but if you’re not a drinker you can leave the tequila out for a homemade grapefruit soda—technically a“toronjada.”

The drink is often made with grapefruit-flavored soda such as Jarritos de toronja or Peñafiel toronja or even Squirt or Fresca, but I also like to make the classic recipe with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and agua mineral (sparkling water) for a little fizz.

How to make a paloma cocktail, a classy Mexican grapefrult margarita. Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

If you love margaritas, you should also try these recipes:

Paloma Margarita

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 cups 1x
Category: Beverages
Cuisine: Mexican

Description

A paloma is a classic and original Mexican tequila cocktail made with grapefruit juice, mineral water, tequila and sugar.

Scale

Ingredients

2 tablespoons pure cane sugar (not refined white sugar; I use Zulka Azúcar Morena Pure Cane Sugar)
1/4 cup of water
One 12.5-ounce bottle of agua mineral (sparkling water), chilled
3 grapefruits, juiced (should yield about 1.5 cups of juice) and one slice for garnishing
1/4 cup tequila blanco
Optional: A small pinch of kosher salt in each glass

Instructions

Dissolve 2 tablespoons of pure cane sugar in 1/4 cup of water to make a simple syrup. Set aside.
Juice the grapefruit into a large measuring cup. If you’d like to garnish the glasses or float a small wedge, be sure to cut one quarter-inch thick slice from one grapefruit before you do all the juicing.
Over a pitcher, strain the grapefruit juice to remove any pulp or seeds. Add the simple syrup mixture, 1/4 cup tequila blanco and the chilled agua mineral to the pitcher. Stir well.
Garnish with grapefruit wedges or twists and serve over ice.

Notes

Zulka Azúcar Morena Pure Cane Sugar is a Mexican brand of granulated cane sugar sold at many Latin grocers and can also be purchased online.

Keywords: margarita, paloma, cocktail

Cebollitas asadas

90 · Jun 20, 2011 · 22 Comments

At any parrillada, cebollitas asadas are the one side dish you can count on one s being the same, no matter what kind of meats are chosen for the main dish. These grilled onions are marinated in Maggi and lime juice before being served.

Grilled knob onions with lime and salsa Maggi

I love grilling. The smell of the charcoal, the crackling sound of the fire roasting the food and the anticipation of what’s about to land on my plate. And whenever we grill in Mexico, my suegro (father-in-law) is the king of the barbecue.

Cebollitas asadas are so simple and easy to make (and almost totally impossible to mess up even if you’re not a grilling pro), it’s the single dish that most reminds me of a Sunday parrillada in Mexico.

RELATED RECIPE: Calabacitas con elote

You can add as much or as little lime juice and salsa Maggi, a Worcestershire-style seasoning sauce, or soy sauce as you like – it all depends on your taste buds. The Maggi sold in the U.S. doesn’t taste the same as salsa Maggi sold in Mexico, so I sometimes substitute low sodium soy sauce because we always keep some in the cabinet or the refrigerator.

Not only is this dish often served at barbecues and family gatherings, you can also often find them at little street food stands around Mexico. I especially love to pair this side dish with tacos de rib eye and my Mexican chimichurri-marinated flank steak.

RELATED RECIPE: Calabacitas rellenas

A note for my gluten-free friends: Salsa Maggi contains wheat gluten, wheat and wheat bran among its ingredients. A suitable alternative for you to be able to enjoy this dish is Kikkoman’s gluten-free soy sauce.

Cebollitas

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings 1x
Category: Side dishes
Method: Grilling
Cuisine: Mexican

Description

Cebollitas are a classic side dish staple at any Mexican barbecue.

Scale

Ingredients

1 bunch of large spring onions (the kind with the little bulb on the end); these are sometimes called cebollitas cambray or knob onions
fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lime
Salsa Maggi (jugo sazonador) or soy sauce to taste

Instructions

Wash and grill the onions until they start to get grill marks and the bulbs look mostly cooked through. Leave the green stem tails on. (Some people don’t eat the tails; it’s up to you!)
Once you’ve removed the onions from the grill, put them on a plate or in a bowl and squeeze the desired amount of lime juice over them.
Add desired amount of Maggi or soy sauce over the top and let the onions sit in the juices for a few minutes. Pick up by the stems and eat the bulbs.

Keywords: onions

Crock-Pot frijoles de la olla

94 · Jan 31, 2011 · 6 Comments

Frijoles de la olla are a staple in Central Mexican cuisine. Traditionally, they’re cooked in a clay pot, but this version is adapted for cooking in a slow-cooker or Crock-Pot.

There are three types of beans you typically see in frijoles de la olla recipes: frijoles bayos, flor de mayo or pinto beans. Frijoles de la olla made with those type of beans are most common in Central Mexico. All three varieties have a pinkish hue, with pinto beans being the lightest in color among them. These are also the same kind of beans I use for making frijoles charros.

While individual recipes for frijoles de la olla may vary, they will also often include common ingredients such as onion, garlic, manteca de cerdo (pork lard), salt and hierbas de olor (herbs such as epazote or cilantro that are cooked in with the beans for flavor). Other variations may include different spices such as cumin or bay leaves.

In Eastern Mexican states such as Veracruz and others bordering the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the South and Southeast states of the country such as Oaxaca, black beans are preferred over bayo, flor de mayo or pinto varieties. Accompaniments may also vary by region to include a fresh squeeze of lime juice, diced onion, chile serrano, chopped cilantro or crumbled fresh cheese.

Cooking tips for frijoles de la olla

To prep this dish the night before, add everything to the crock-pot except the liquids, pork neck bones and salt. The next day, add the liquid and pork neck bones and turn on high.

If you’re planning to let this cook all day while you’re not home, use a slow-cooker that has a timer that will turn the heat off or to a very low “keep warm” setting after the cooking time. You can then add the salt, reheat them for 30-60 minutes in the slow-cooker and enjoy!

If you don’t have a guajillo chile at home but you have other dried chiles, any other dried red chile you like and have on hand is an acceptable substitute. Just be sure to portion based on the heat factor! Or you can leave the chile out altogether if you prefer.

For those who like their beans with a thicker stew-like consistency instead of broth, some cooks mash or blend a portion of the beans and then re-add to the pot as the broth cooks down.

To make this dish vegetarian-friendly, leave out the pork neck bones and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

This recipe will give you plenty of leftovers, and it’s great as a snack, a side dish, or even a main dish with some garnishes and mix-ins.

Crock-Pot frijoles de la olla

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 10 servings 1x
Method: Slow-cooker
Cuisine: Mexican

Description

Frijoles de la olla are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Traditionally, they’re cooked in a clay pot over a fire or on the stove, but this version is adapted for cooking in a slow-cooker or Crock-Pot.

Scale

Ingredients

2 cups frijoles pintos (pinto beans)
2 cups chicken broth (substitute with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
4 cups boiling water
1/2 of a white onion, sliced 1/4 inch-thick
1 chile guajillo
1/2 of a small head of garlic (about 4–6 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
a few pork neck bones (leave these out for a vegetarian version)
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (to be added in last 45 minutes of cooking)

Instructions

First, rinse your beans under cool water to remove any dirt or debris and get rid of any broken beans. There’s no need to soak the beans overnight!
Layer the onion slices along the bottom of the crock-pot. Place the beans directly over the top of the onions. Tear off the stem of the chile and tuck it into the beans and nestle the pork neck bones in the beans, too. Add the chicken broth. Remove the papery skin from the garlic cloves and place in the crock-pot whole. Add the ground cumin.
You’ll notice the chicken broth isn’t enough to cover the beans and keep all the ingredients moist while cooking. Add 4 cups of boiling water over the top, making sure all the ingredients are under the broth and water and then put the cover on the slow-cooker.
Turn the heat on to high for 5-6 hours (individual slow-cookers can vary slightly in temperature). If the beans start to get dry during cooking, add 1-2 extra cups of boiling water. I only had to add about one cup in the last hour. You can substitute boiling chicken broth in place of the extra boiling water if you like. Add the salt in the last 45 minutes of cooking and stir it in gently to incorporate.
Serve warm.

Notes

The beans should be soft to bite and have a nice broth when they’re finished, but shouldn’t be watery.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

How to make frijoles charros

124 · Nov 8, 2010 · 18 Comments

Frijoles charros is one of my all-time favorite Mexican dishes.

For weeks, José had been bugging me to make his Tía Carola’s frijoles charros. Outside of El Charco de Las Ranas, his favorite taquería in Mexico City, Tía Carola’s frijoles charros are the only ones he has ever raved about.

Until the day I decided to make them.

When I asked for the recipe, it felt like I was playing “teléfono descompuesto” with at least three people – where something surely gets lost every time someone relays the message on to another person. José called his sister, who called his aunt; then his sister called him back and he translated the ingredients to me. Note that he only relayed the ingredient list and not the portions. And he only got a vague set of instructions. Apparently, Tía Carola is not exactly keen on lots of details and also hadn’t made this dish in at least 10 years. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous about making this vaunted recipe with such a vague idea of what I was supposed to do.

I returned from the store with a big bag of pinto beans. José argued with me that I had bought the wrong beans because they were supposed to be frijoles bayos. I knew that, but couldn’t find them at the store so I settled confidently on a hand-sifted bag of carefully chosen pinto beans. I settled the argument with a quick google search that ended in my favor, which had me secretly feeling proud on the inside that I knew frijoles pintos and frijoles bayos were not the same, but often interchangeable because of their similarities in taste, color and texture ‑ especially in this recipe.

I knew when José argued with me about the beans that he was going to be a tough customer to please. I lit one of my San Judas Tadeo candles (the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations) and hoped for a culinary Hail Mary with my limited instructions and the guesswork lying ahead. I was short on time with no room for mistakes since I was making the frijoles charros for lunch on a weekday and all I had as a backup were some emergency TV dinners in the freezer. Who could have ever imagined there could be so much pressure behind a pot of beans?

As I served the frijoles charros, my stomach was in knots. Would they live up to Tía Carola’s recipe? I waited for the verdict as he savored the first spoonful.

Resounding success! “Muy bien!” José said as he nodded and ate another spoonful – as if he had perhaps doubted that I could get the recipe down on the first shot with such vague instructions. I couldn’t blame him. After all, I hadn’t been quite sure I’d be able to pull it off either, to be honest. But three servings and a high-five later, I was convinced I had gotten it perfectly right. I’ve now been making this dish for years and it’s become a staple in my kitchen, especially during the fall and winter months.

You need an olla express (a pressure cooker) for this recipe. Like I’ve said many times before to those who’ve asked me, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a fancy pressure cooker with lots of bells and whistles. I have a pressure cooker that I bought at a national household goods chain for $20 (less a 20% off coupon) that I’ve had for several years and it works perfectly fine. It’s the easiest, quickest way to make just about any kind of beans from scratch. It’s a shortcut even your abuelita would approve of – trust me.

One of the key ingredients in the flavoring of this recipe is Mexican beer, and to help you out in advance, here are a few brands I recommend: Victoria, Indio, Sol, Modelo, Bohemia, and Pacifico. In a pinch, you could also try Tecate or Corona. No matter where you live in the world, you should be able to get at least one of them!

This recipe is perfect as an appetizer, as a meal itself or as a side. It’s especially perfect in the fall and winter because it’s hearty and will keep you warm and full. And José will tell you: it’s even better the second day. That is, if you have any leftovers.

Frijoles charros

Prep 20 mins

Cook 1 hour

Total 1 hour, 20 mins

Author Maura Wall Hernandez

Yield 6-8 servings

Frijoles charros (cowboy beans) are a hearty, meaty Mexican dish that can be served as a main dish or a side.

Ingredients

1 cup pinto beans (frijoles bayos can be substituted)
5 cups water
2 teaspoons powdered chicken bouillon (such as Knorr Suiza)
5 strips of thick center-cut bacon
4 ounces Mexican chorizo, cooked (I use pork, but you can also use beef)
4 Roma tomatoes (known in Mexico as jitomate Saladet)
4-5 serrano chiles
½ of a large white onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic (optional)
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) Mexican beer
1-2 small sprigs of cilantro
salt to taste

For garnish:

Finely diced white onion
Finely diced serrano chile
Crushed chicharrón (called pork cracklings in English)

Instructions

Rinse your beans well and remove any broken pieces. Add the beans and chicken buillon to the pressure cooker and cover with the water. Close the lid and heat on high until the safety valve closes on the pot and the pressure gauge begins to rock gently and consistently (or if your pressure cooker doesn’t have a rocking gauge, follow the directions that came with the pot). Allow the beans to cook for 20-25 minutes.
While the beans are cooking, remove the stems of the tomatoes and roast them under the broiler in the oven with the onion, chiles and optional garlic. Turn them to the other side when you notice them getting darkened. Remove from the broiler and set aside.
On the stovetop, cook the bacon in a frying pan until it is moderately crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Tear the bacon into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Next, cook the chorizo over medium heat in a frying pan, making sure to break up the meat into small pieces. Be sure not to overcook the chorizo. Drain on paper towels if necessary.
By this time, the beans should be halfway done. Remove the pot from the heat. If desired, you can gently alleviate the pressure by using an oven mitt to set the pressure gauge slightly off-kilter to allow steam to escape until the safety valve unlocks. Caution: it will be very hot and will burn you if you don’t protect yourself with an oven mitt. I like to also use a kitchen towel to catch the steam carefully in addition to wearing the mitt. If you’re not confident about trying this method, don’t worry – just let the pot sit after you’ve removed it from the heat until you hear the safety valve unlock. It will take a little longer that way, but if you’re at all nervous about safety because you’re a first-time pressure cooker user, just let it rest and cool on its own.
Add the roasted tomatoes, chiles, onion and optional garlic into the blender and puree until completely smooth. Add torn bacon and chorizo to the blender and pulse blender until incorporated. The mixture will turn a shade of reddish-orange thanks to the chorizo.
Open the pressure cooker once the safety valve has unlocked. You still should handle the pot carefully – using oven mitts, slowly open the pot facing away from you so any remaining steam escapes safely. There should still be a decent amount of liquid in the pot covering the beans. If not, add a little water until the beans are completely covered.
Add the mixture from the blender to the pot and then the beer; stir once, throw the small sprig of cilantro on top and close the pot back up securely. Put it back on medium-high heat until the pressure gauge rocks gently and consistently again (it should not spin or spit liquid; if it does, the heat is too high). Reduce the heat just slightly and cook for another 25-30 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool using the same method as before. Once you open the pot, the beans are ready to be served; just add salt to taste.
Garnish with finely diced white onion, serrano chile, crushed chicharrón and if desired, a few fresh cilantro leaves.

Notes

The cook time for this recipe is based on using a pressure cooker.

Cuisine Mexican

Sopa de fideo

396 · Mar 8, 2010 · 26 Comments

I’m sharing my sopa de fideo recipe because this tomato-broth and noodle soup is a comfort food for me that evokes one specific fond memory.

After more than a decade of dreaming about visiting Teotihuacan, I finally made the 40-kilometer trip northeast of Mexico City in 2009 with my suegro and my cuñada. I yearned to visit this archaeological site since I first learned about it in history books as a kid. The Aztec pyramids fascinated me and I never dreamed I’d be able to travel there, let alone make it all the way to the top of the Pirámide del Sol.

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