Mexican Cuisine: Inspired Recipes & Food Facts

From left: Mole, salsa verde, shrimp tacos, and short rib mole taco

Lately, when Mexico comes to mind, most Americans automatically think of the negative press and attention associated with the Latin American country. With all this incredibly bad press focusing on the small percentage of the civilians, it is about time we reconnect with the beauty this country has to offer. Mexico was long known for its colorful, spicy, and abundantly flavored cuisine. Let us remember the fire (and heat) this culture is known for.

Mexico is well-known for its variety of flavorful and versatile cheeses. That is, cheeses to crumble, melt, and fry for just about any dish imaginable. One of my favorites is Oaxaca, which can be in many parts of the country, but, like most others, there are also varieties found exclusively in certain regions. Chocolate is also considered a staple ingredient in Mexican cuisine. Mexican chocolate is flavored with cinnamon, almonds, and vanilla. Its texture is also more grainy than other chocolates. It is used to season both sweet and savory dishes, including the ever popular dish, Mole.

Mexican cuisine usually includes a variety of ingredients, typically with a kick of various chiles, chocolate, tomatillos, agave, avocado, soursop, and papaya, among many others. Mexican dishes are usually heavenly seasoned. Much like a masterpiece, this work of art has bright colors splashed all around the canvas. When it comes to portions, Mexicans are not shy! Portions unapologetically fill the brim of the plate. With flavors from the serrano chile, habaneros, guava, and achiote, it’s no wonder why so many ingredients are used in a single sauce. I wouldn’t be able to just choose one, either. The flavors are exotic and, at times, even feel extravagant, but never disappointing.

Corn, of course, plays a key role in Mexican cuisine – you didn’t think I’d leave that part out, did you? Corn is used for a variety of dishes, from roasting it on the cob and topping it with butter, salt, sugar, and cheese, to grinding it down to dust for making corn tortillas and toppings for various dishes.

If you’re a fan of “discomfort foods,” you might want to check out Mexico’s markets where they sell a variety of creepy crawlies. Some parts of Mexico (like many other Latin American countries) still serve iguana, ants, rattle snakes, and spiders, which is the way their ancestors prepared them, known as comida prehispanica. Below are some delicious and exotic tasting recipes that include Mexican ingredients, such as Mole. Mole is an incredibly flavorful sauce packed with various types of chiles such as ancho and pasilla along with chipotle peppers among the many other ingredients in the dish. The aroma that fills your home from it is extraordinary. Prepping the ingredients is the tedious part, but definitely worth the extra effort. Since this dish is a tedious task, it is usually made for celebratory occasions such as a quinceañera, wedding, or family reunion.

Fun fact: Aztecs made a bitter drink from pounded cocoa beans and spices called xocolatl, which is where the word “chocolate” derives from.

Authentic Mexican Mole 

• 1 1/2 oz of peanut oil
• 4 ancho chiles, dried
• 2 pasilla chiles, dried
• 2 guajillo chiles, dried
• 2 chipotle peppers, dried
• 2 toasted tortillas, chopped up
• 2 slices of white bread, cubed
• 2 oz of toasted white sesame seeds
• 2 oz of raisins
• 4 onions, chopped, sautéed
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped, sautéed
• 6 black pepper corns, crushed
• 1 tablespoon of toasted cumin seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tablespoon of allspice
• 3 oz of toasted almonds
• 2 1/2 oz of Mexican Chocolate
• 16 oz of chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a saute pan, fry the chiles in peanut oil until they puff up, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan and place in a bowl of cold water to soften.
2. Remove the stems and seeds. Add bread and sauté until golden.
3. Purée the chiles in a blender. Combine the purée with the bread, almonds, sesame seeds, raisins, tomatoes, onions, garlic and tortillas. Purée until you have a thick smooth sauce, (adjust consistency with water if need be).
4. In a large pot, add the mole sauce, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick.
5. Add stock to the pot, bring to a boil, and place in 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes.
6. Place pot back on stove and over low heat. Stir in chocolate until completely melted and incorporated. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper.
7. You may add may choose to braise 4 lbs of golden brown sautéed chicken breast in sauce when you place in the oven, and remove when adding the chocolate. You may also pour over braised and pulled short ribs, or your favorite cut of beef, turkey, or chicken.

Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Sauce)

• 12 tomatillos
• 3 jalapeños
• 2 tablespoons of cilantro
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Drizzle E.V.O.O. on clean tomatillos and jalapeños, only a thin coating. Place on roasting pan and place in a 350-degree oven until a nice charred skin forms (about 15 minutes, but continue checking).
2. After removed from oven, let jalapeños cool in a bowl covered in Saran Wrap, and, with gloves, remove outer skin and seeds. Remove charred skin on the tomatillos as well.
3. Place in a blender with cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and blend until fully combined. Make sure to taste again and adjust seasoning accordingly. If the sauce is too thick, add water until desired consistency is achieved. Drizzle on boiled or roasted potatoes, tacos, empanadas and more.

Side of Mexican Sweet Corn

• 1-2 tablespoons of butter
• 1/2 cup of raw corn kernels
• 1/4 cup of Oaxaca crumbled cheese
•  1/2 tablespoon of sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place butter in a medium-sized pan on medium-medium high heat. When the butter is hot, add corn and sauté until kernels are almost cooked.
2. Add sugar and cheese and season with salt and pepper. Toss lightly in pan until ingredients are fully combined. Remove and serve as a side, or on top of your favorite savory dish.

Shrimp for tacos

• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 6-7 large shrimp
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place butter in a medium-sized pan, and, when hot, add shrimp and sauté until almost fully cooked.

2. Then add lime juice, cilantro and season with salt and pepper. When fully pink on both sides, remove from pan and place on tortillas.

Seasoned Rice

• 2 cups of long grain rice
• 4 cups of water
• 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 packet of “sazon goya culantro and achiote”

1. Rinse rice and place in pot. Add all ingredients and mix well until combined.
2. Bring to a full boil for a minute, then place on simmer and cover until all the water is gone. The rice has pockets or holes and is fully cooked between 10-20 minutes.

To assemble tacos:

Shrimp Tacos – Sweet corn, rice, shrimp, avocado, radish slices, salsa verde, cilantro and more Oaxaca cheese if desired.

Mole Short Rib Tacos-  Pile rice and sweet corn on warm tortilla, mix warm short rib with hot mole and place on top. you may add cheese and/or cilantro.

***This is our second stop in our exploration of the native cuisine of Bromography’s  Cooking for Kiva project.  Bromography made a loan to  the Xochicalco Group  in November 2010.  Learn more about that loan here.  Remember that you are always welcome to take part in Bromography’s efforts by joining our Kiva team! ***