#90 :: Cinco de Mayo! :: Shredded Pork Tacos

We had quite the fiesta for Cinco de Mayo! We started with some fresh guacamole and fresh warm tortilla chips, then we had Tortilla Soup (which we made before during our Mexican cuisine week). Finally, we had Shredded Pork Tacos! Oh, and we can't forget the margaritas and Dos Equis!

These Shredded Pork Tacos were absolutely delicious, but they were also a bit spicier than I expected. I only put one chile in, just like the recipe said, but these little guys are apparently hot enough to spice up the whole pot! Be wary if you're sensitive to spicy foods....this is a spicy one! (Though I'm sure you could remove the chipotle chile and make a non-spicy version.)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in juice
• 1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from a small can), minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 16 (6-inch) toasted corn tortillas
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco, feta, or goat cheese
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. In a large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add pork, tomatoes (breaking them up) and their juice, chipotle, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves.
2. Using tongs, transfer meat to a large bowl; shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or gristle. Return meat to pan, and simmer until sauce is thick, 30 to 45 minutes more. Season, if necessary, with salt and pepper. Proceed to next step, or cover and refrigerate, up to 1 day.
3. Spoon pork and sauce into toasted tortillas, using 2 tortillas for each serving; top with queso fresco and cilantro. Serve with Crunchy Slaw with Radishes , if desired.

Makes 8 servings

Recipe from MarthaStewart.com

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

#58 :: Tortilla Soup

Finishing off our Mexican week is Tortilla Soup {and for dessert, Buñuelos}. This is hands down the best tortilla soup I think I've ever eaten, and the leftovers the next day taste even better! I was really proud of us on this recipe, too! We used a whole chicken for this, made our own stock, fried our own tortilla chips and strips....everything was fresh and homemade. It was great!

Ingredients

For the Stock:

• 1 (4 to 5 pound) whole chicken, innards removed and rinsed
• Salt
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup medium diced carrots
• 1 cup medium diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 cups water

For the Soup:

• 8 (7-inch) corn tortillas, recipe follows
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 cups chopped onions
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded (about 6 to 8 Romas)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Garnishes:

• 1 large avocado, peeled and diced
• 2 fresh limes, cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

For the Stock: Season the chicken with salt. Place in a large stock pot and add the remaining ingredients. Season with a teaspoon of salt. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the liquid into a another pan, discarding the vegetables. Remove the fat and bones from the chicken. Dice the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

For the Soup: Preheat the fryer. Cut half of the tortillas in quarters and thinly slice the other half. Fry both cuts of tortillas in batches, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and set aside. In a stock pot, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf and jalapeno. Continue to saute for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Crush the reserved fried tortilla quarters over the tomatoes. Stir to mix. Stir in the reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Using a hand-held blender, puree the soup until smooth or leave chunky. Re-season the soup. Stir in the reserved diced chicken and cilantro. Simmer for another 5 minutes. To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with the avocados, squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro and the fried tortilla strips. Serve warm.

Makes 6-8 servings

Recipe from Emeril Live on Food Network

Star Rating: 5+ out of 5 stars

#54 :: Chicken Mole Enchiladas

"Catastrophic flavor failure!" -Jamie

This was a disappointment. I'm not sure what I did wrong, I'm pretty sure I did something to mess this one up. The flavor of the mole was just...wrong. I have full confidence that it's a good recipe when it's done right...and I will definitely have to re-visit this one and try again someday soon. For now, feel free to try it yourself and let me know your results!

*There are no photos because the mole was so bad I didn't even roll up the enchiladas. I ate the shredded chicken breast for dinner instead!

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Mole:

• 5 dried pasilla chiles, (or dried anocho chiles) stemmed and seeded
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, grilled crisp, recipe follows (or handful of regular tortilla chips)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 5.5 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped, (recommended: Ibarra*)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Enchiladas:

• 12 corn tortillas, warmed
• Olive oil, as needed
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
• 3/4 cup queso fresco (or mild Feta)

Directions

For the chicken breasts: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a baking sheet, season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and olive oil, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through or, set aside to cool, then shred into small (1-inch) pieces.

For the Mole: Reconstitute the dried chiles by soaking them in 1 1/2 cups hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. Grill the 2 corn tortillas in a grill pan until dry, crisp and golden. Tear into pieces and set aside. In a heavy large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, season with a little salt and saute 3 minutes, or until translucent. Then add the minced garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer onion and garlic mixture to blender with all remaining mole ingredients (except for the chocolate and chicken) and blend until very smooth. Then transfer the sauce to a medium saute pan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in the chocolate. Season the mole with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1 cup of mole for garnishing the enchiladas, the rest will be used for dipping the tortillas.

To assemble the enchiladas: Re-heat the shredded chicken if necessary and keep warm. In a medium saute pan (wide enough to fit the tortillas laying flat) over high heat add the oil to reach 1/2-inch up the side. When oil is hot, dip one tortilla at a time, and fry for a few seconds just until soft and heated through. Lift out, let excess oil drip, then dip the fried tortilla directly into the warm mole (which should be right next to the pan for easy dipping) and place on a cutting board. Working quickly, put about 1/3 cup of the warm shredded chicken in the center, being careful not to over fill. Roll the tortilla like a cigar to enclose the filling and place in serving dish seam side down. (Individual gratin dishes work great to hold the extra mole sauce or if serving family style, a baking dish will work as well.) If necessary, use tongs or a spatula to place each enchilada seam side down in the dish. Continue to fill all of the tortillas and place them side-by-side. Pour the remaining, reserved Mole over the top, drizzle with a little creme fraiche, sprinkle with queso fresco, and serve.

Cook's Note: Queso Fresco is a white, mild, fresh Mexican cheese with the texture of fresh farmer's cheese in the US. Queso fresco can be found in many supermarkets, or can also substituted with a mild feta cheese.

Cook's Note: The pasilla is a Mexican dried chile, also known as "ancho" or "chile negro" in the U.S. It is often used in moles and other Mexican sauces. It also can be sold as a fresh chile in the U.S. - similar to the poblano. They can be found at most supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or online.

*Cooks note: Ibarra chocolate is a brand of Mexican chocolate that can be purchased in most national supermarkets. If you cannot find Ibarra or any Mexican chocolate, you can substitute one ounce of Mexican chocolate for: 1 (1-ounce) of semi-sweet chocolate, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and one drop of almond extract.

Makes 4-6 servings

Recipe from Mexican Made Easy on Food Network

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

(but we'll try it again!)

#49 :: Baja Fish Tacos

This fish came out perfectly! The batter was light and crisp. The salsa borracha was sweet and spicy, and the crema cooled it down.... I didn't think I would be a fan of fish tacos, but these kind I could definitely eat again.

Ingredients

Beer Batter:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup dark Mexican beer*

Cream Sauce:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup Mexican crema** or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fish Tacos:

• Oil, for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 pounds skinned halibut cut into 5 by 1/2-inch strips (we used Ocean Perch because it was fresh that day at the meat market)
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 medium tomato, diced
  

Directions

For the Beer Batter:

Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually add in the beer while whisking. Set aside and let the batter rest for 15 minutes before using.

For Cream Sauce:

Add the mayonnaise and crema to a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (can be made 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated).

For the Fish:

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of 1-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when inserted into the oil.

On a large plate, combine the flour and salt. Season the fish pieces all over with salt and pepper and coat with the flour. Working in batches, dip the fillets in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Make tacos with the tortillas and fish and top each with cream, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, salsa borracha and anything else you desire (jalapenos, salsa, etc...)

*Cook's Note: Crack open a cold Mexican cerveza like a Negra Modelo or a 2 Equis (XX) Amber to make this tasty beer batter, which will change the way you think about fried fish! You can use it for vegetables, too.

**Cook's Note: Mexican Crema is Mexico's version of creme fraiche and is found at many supermarkets and can easily be substituted with sour cream.

Makes 6-8 servings

Recipe from Mexican Made Easy on Food Network

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

#38 :: Mexican Dish

This is one of my favorite things that my mom used to make when I was a growing up. She got the recipe from my Aunt Nancy, so this is a Kemp family favorite being passed along!

Ingredients

• 10 corn tortillas
  
• 1 lb. hamburger, cooked & drained
• 1 can Ranch Style beans
• 1/2 c water
  
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can Rotel {I use Mild}
• Mexican blend shredded cheese
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

Layer 5 of the corn tortillas in the bottom of a glass 9x13 baking dish, covering the bottom. Add 1/2 of the cooked hamburger meat. Pour the can of Ranch Style beans over the hamburger. Lay out the last 5 tortillas and the other 1/2 of the hamburger meat.

In a blender, mix the Rotel, cream of chicken and water. Blend until the tomato chunks are broken down and everything is mixed well. Pour the mixture over the top of the layers. Then top with Mexican style shredded cheese {I use about half the bag, we like it cheesy!}.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool before serving.


Makes 6 servings.

Recipe from: Mom {& Aunt Nancy}

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

#29 :: Chorizo Mushroom Queso Dip

This dip (or Queso Fundido as they call it at the Mexican restaurants here) is one of my favorites!! We've tried twice before to make it at home so we didn't have to go out for it. I made it once without a recipe, and just hoped for the best...and it came out pretty good. Jamie tried it a few days after me and completely burned it. But, since this is one of my favorites, we had to just keep trying until we got it right. I saw Rachael Ray make it one day on her show, so I decided to try her method and see how it turned out. It was definitely good! We'll keep looking for the perfect Queso Fundido recipe, but this one will do for today!

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a drizzle
• 1/2 pound Spanish or Mexican chorizo
• 1/2 pound mushroom caps, quartered
• 1 cup diced Mexican melting cheese or Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 bag corn tortillas or blue corn tortillas, any variety

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Dice the Spanish chorizo and add to the pan to render the fat. If using fresh Mexican chorizo, remove the casing and crumble while it's browning. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook with the sausage until just tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the sausage mixture to a small casserole or baking dish and top with the cheese. Bake until bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with the scallions. Serve with chips for dipping, or warm corn tortillas.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Recipe from 30 Minute Meals on Food Network.

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars