There can be no better combination than creamy mac and cheese mixed with fresh roasted Hatch green chiles, topped with lightly crisped but meltingly tender carnitas. That is unless you’re on a diet, but let’s not talk about that right now. Roasting Your Green Chiles You don’t need an open fire to roast green chiles, […]
Dried Chile Guide
Understanding dried chiles is key to understanding Tex-Mex and Mexican cooking. They are the workhorse of Tex-Mex and Mexican kitchens. Their flavors vary widely from fruity and raisiny to acidic and smoky. The heat levels (measured in SHU units on the Scoville Scale) can vary from just perceptible to volcanic. It’s not only important to […]
Chilaquiles Rojos – Red Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles rojos is the red version of chilaquiles, as opposed to chilaquiles verdes, the green version. It’s a simple Mexican breakfast that’s like a deconstructed version of enchiladas, topped with fried eggs, cheese, crema, and cilantro. Like chilaquiles verdes, there are as many versions of chilaquiles rojos as there are cooks that make it. This […]
Chilaquiles Verdes – Green Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles verdes is the green version of chilaquiles, as opposed to chilaquiles rojos, the red version. It’s a simple Mexican breakfast consisting of fried corn tortillas simmered in green salsa and then topped with your favorite ingredients. I like fried eggs, queso fresco, cilantro, and a little Mexican crema on mine. There are as many […]
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos rancheros (or “rancher’s eggs”) is a simple but popular Mexican breakfast consisting of fried tortillas and eggs topped with salsa ranchera. While the traditional recipe is just a few ingredients, you can dress it up with a layer of refried beans between the tortilla and eggs and garnish it with chopped cilantro, avocado slices, and/or queso fresco. […]
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Salsa verde (or “green sauce”) is a super tangy salsa that goes very well with fatty meats, such as carnitas. The high acidity helps balance out the fattiness of the meat. If you want to make this into a table salsa, just blend in half an avocado. The creaminess and fattiness of the avocado will […]
Esquites – Mexican Corn Salad
If you aren’t familiar with esquites, you should get acquainted. It’s the absolute best way to eat fresh corn. The combination of the smokiness, the cheese, the creaminess from the mayo, the fresh herbs, and the lime juice is perfection. They’re the perfect side for your next barbecue. You may be familiar with elotes, the […]
Sopa de Tortilla – Tortilla Soup
Sopa de tortilla, or tortilla soup, is an excellent go-to meal for the fall and winter, but can easily get out of balance if you overdo one of the ingredients. Too many tomatoes and it starts tasting like tomato soup. Too many chiles and it tastes like chili. The key is to strike a subtle […]
Salsa de Chile Cascabel
Cascabel chiles are a dried chile that you don’t run across as often in Mexican cooking as others. That’s unfortunate since they make for an excellent salsa, imparting a slightly fruity and nutty flavor. This salsa makes an excellent condiment for pork and a superb table salsa. I can’t take the credit for this recipe, […]
Carne Picada
In Spanish, carne picada means “minced beef.” This is not to be confused with “carne molida,” which means ground beef. In our carne picada recipe, we chop beef chuck into 1/4-inch cubes before we cook it. Cutting the beef into cubes like this makes for a much better texture than using ground beef. You’re welcome […]
