The Mission: Recipes of Mexico

CHECK OUT MINE AND NICK'S MISSION PROJECT VIDEO ON HIS BLOG!

Although cultures from many countries of Central and South America are represented in San Francisco's Mission district, the most well known is Mexico, and more particularly Mexican food. As Nick and I mentioned in our video, Mexican food at the hot spots in the Mission and in most of America is a consolidation of cuisines from all of the regions of Mexico. Mexico is typically split up into four regions: Southern Mexico, Northern Mexico, the Yucatan, and the Baja peninsula. I did a little research on the foods from these regions that the Mexican food we are used to pulls from. I found four authentic recipes for meals/sauces most typical in each region. Here they are - try them out!:

The Yucatan: Poc Chuc
Ingredients:

• 6 (10-12 ounce) pork blade steaks, 1/4 -inch thick
• 16 ounces sour orange juice (or 16 ounces regular orange juice with 1/2 cup lime juice)
• 1 1/2 ounces achiote paste (see recipe above)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups water
• 5 medium purple onions, very thinly sliced
• 8 ounces white vinegar
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 habanero pepper, roasted and finely chopped
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Blend all marinade ingredients in blender or food processor. Marinate pork at least 3 hours.
2. Bring water to boil in deep saucepan. Add onions and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and place in stainless steel bowl. Toss with vinegar, cilantro, chile, salt and pepper.
3. Grill pork steaks on barbecue.
4. Serving Suggestions: Serve with Mexican Yellow Rice. Garnish with habanero chile peppers and cilantro.

Southern Mexico: Traditional Mole:
Ingredients

• 12 guajillo chiles, roasted, skinned, stemmed and seeded
• 3 tomatoes, roasted and peeled
• 1/4 cup lard
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 stick of cinnamon torn into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
• 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts or unsweetened peanut butter
• 1 clove
• 1/4 cup masa
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
• 1/4 cup raisins, soaked in water to soften (optional)
• 3 peppercorns
• 4 cups chicken broth

Directions
Note: The traditional way is to mash all of the ingredients except the broth, with a molcajete (mortar and pestle) but a blender will also do the job just fine.

Heat the lard in a large saucepan. Add in the onions and garlic and cook until translucent. In a blender, puree the peanuts then add in the oregano, cinnamon, anise, peppercorns, thyme and cloves and blend with the tomatoes. Puree to make a smooth paste. Add in the onions and garlic and puree again. Finally, add chiles to blender to puree into a smooth paste.

Add the chicken broth to the pot and add the pureed ingredients. Make a roux, by mixing the masa with a 1/4 cup of the chicken broth. Mix the roux into the broth and whisk until mixture is smooth. Add the pureed ingredients and simmer for 1 hour, covered and then simmer uncovered until sauce has thickened.

Northern Mexico: Barbacoa
Ingredients

• 1 pound onions, peeled and diced
• 1 pound firm-ripe tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 ounces fresh jalapeño chilies (about 4 total), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican or regular oregano
• About 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground pepper
• 1 boned, tied beef chuck or boned pork shoulder or butt (4 to 5 lb.)

Directions

1. In a 9- by 13-inch pan, mix onions, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeños, bay leaves, chicken broth, lime juice, vinegar, thyme, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Rinse meat, place in pan, and turn to coat. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day, turning meat occasionally. Seal pan with foil.

2. Bake in a 300° oven until meat is tender enough to pull apart easily, 4 to 5 hours. Supporting with 2 slotted spoons, transfer meat to a platter. Pour pan juices through a strainer into a 12-inch frying pan or a 5- to 6-quart pan (discard bay leaves; reserve remaining vegetable mixture); skim and discard fat. Boil juices over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. When meat is cool enough to handle, in about 10 minutes, discard string. Use 2 forks or your fingers to pull meat into shreds; discard fat and connective tissue. Add meat and reserved vegetable mixture to pan with juices. Stir occasionally over medium heat until steaming, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Baja Peninsula: Traditional Fish Tacos

Ingredients

White Sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Fish Tacos:

• Oil
• 2 packages Tempura Batter Mix
• 1 can beer
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 24 ounces boneless cod, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 limes

Directions

Mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Preheat a fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with oil to 375 degrees F.

Mix 1 of the packages of batter, but only use 1/2 the required amount of water and use beer for the remaining amount instead. Add the beer until the batter becomes almost like a heavy cream consistency.

Using the other package of batter add salt and garlic powder, coat cod pieces with the dry mix, then dip into prepared batter. Deep-fry for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Place fried cod pieces on warmed corn tortillas, add white sauce to fish, a little shredded cabbage and a squeeze of lime, to taste


Obviously you guys probably don't have a deep fryer for the fish tacos, or access to all of the ingredients, but this gives a good idea of the different ingredients available to the local people of these regions. It also demonstrates how narrow our view and interpretation of Mexican cuisine truly is in this country. With some substitutes, I'm sure any of us could make these recipes into something great. Until next time!