Jalisco, a tribute
I knew when the throwdown was announced that I was going to do the cuisine of the Mexican state of Jalisco. What I didn't know was what the heck the cuisine of Jalisco was! I knew that it was the home of tequila. In fact, if you are drinking tequila, it came from Jalisco. Jalisco is the only state in Mexico allowed to produce 100% agave tequila. Anything else, is Mezcal. Well, I happen to love tequila, and Mexican food, and Cinco de Mayo is one of my favorite days of the year. So... I went to JayTeeing the cuisine of Jalisco. I was surprised to find out that on of my favorite soups/stews comes from Guadalajara, Posole. Ok, I think everyone knows that one, next something a little less known. I was torn between a dish called Birria which is goat or lamb roasted with chiles and served with tortillas, and the one I chose called Tortas Ahogadas. Tortas Ahogadas is basically a sandwich spread with re-fried beans, piled high with carnitas, the top bun, and then smothered in a chile de arbol sauce. I also decided to make a salsa verde common to the state, and a local drink called a Tejuina that is made with masa of all things! Of course, I made the an adult version by adding tequila. I started this about seven hours ago, and am just now finished. I had a lot of fun, and have a lot of great leftovers ahead of me! Enjoy.
Ingredients:
Tortas Ahogadas:
First I made the main componant, Carnitas (4lb pork shoulder, diced onion, oregano, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, chipotles in adobo, garlic, orange juice, Mexican beer)
The pork is cut into 2in' cubes, mixed with the rub and a little oil. It is then browned in a cast iron dutch oven. I had to do this in two stages and remove in order not to crowd the pan. I added the onion, the chipotles, garlic, beer and orange juice, scarping the pan to remove all the yum yums. Added all the pork back in and braised for 3 hrs on 350F. I removed and set aside 1/3 of the pork for the Posole. The rest was chopped and added to a hot cast iron pan with lard to crisp up. I also added a bit of the braising liquid as I turned them. As all this is going on, I made the sauce for the Tortas Ahogadas. It is a pile of chile de arbols reconstituted in warm water, then blended with the liquid, some garlic cloves, salt, and a couple tomatoes. I strained and reduced the sauce to remove the seeds and thicken. The Tortas Ahogadas are a roll spread with re-fried beans, then piled with the Carnitas, the top bun, and then smothered in the chile de arbol sauce. It is served on a bed of pickled red onion.
Posole Roja: (the spicier red version)
A third of the braised pork that I made for the Carnitas before the rest were fried, a can of Hominy (white corn), sweet onion, chicken broth, a bit of the chile de arbol sauce, ancho and guajillo chiles, sea salt, bay leaf, oregano, garlic. Some recipes also call for cloves. I did not use them.
For garnish: cabbage, pickled red onion, cilantro, green onion, sliced radish, limes
Since the pork was already mosty cooked, I just simmered everything for an hour and served with the garnishes on the side. Some people like to eat this with tortilla chips as well.
Salsas:
In Jalsico they have a traditional green salsa which is made with poblano peppers, serranos, onion, garlic, vinegar, salt, and cilantro.
I also made pico de gallo, and guacamole which I am assuming everyone is familiar with.
Tejuino:
This is one that I would never have known or thought about without JayTeeing. It is a drink common to Jalisco that is made with Masa, brown sugar, water, shaved ice, and lime or lemon juice. Some add a bit of molasses to it as well. It is also made two ways, fresh and fermented. The fermented one means adding the masa and sugar to warm water and then letting it sit for 4-7 days. I made the fresh one, and it is interesting. A bit gritty, but a good taste. It reminds me a bit of drinking a peanut butter milkshake as far as the texure. Oh and I made it an adult drink by added a couple ounces of tequila.
Happy Cinco De Mayo to all!!!