bFeedme

Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Beef Tamales

By

Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican pride and heritage. It commemorates their victory against the French Army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is widely celebrated with lots of food, folk dancing, parades and mariachi music.

To celebrate this tradition, I would like to share a traditional Mexican recipe that uses unique ingredients. Tamales are called ‘old school’ sandwiches because it has corn meal and meat. It is often cooked during Mexican celebrations and special events. It is also a comfort food that is eaten for breakfast or dinner. It goes well with champorado.

 

Ingredients:

4 pounds boneless chuck roast

4 cloves garlic

3 8oz packages dried corn husks

4 dried ancho chiles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon white vinegar

salt to taste

3 cups lard

1 tablespoon salt

9 cups masa harina

 

Soak the corn husks in warm water for 3 hours or until they are soft. Weigh them down using a can or heavy plate.

Put the beef and garlic in a large heavy pot with cold water. Place it under high heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer covered for 3-4 hours or until the beef is very tender. Transfer the beef to a plate and reserve cups of broth. Discard the garlic.

Once the beef is cool, shred it finely using a fork.

Heat an iron skillet under medium heat and toast the ancho chili for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Let it cool. Remove the stems and seeds. Ground it using a mortar and pestle.

Rinse the iron skillet and place it under medium heat. Once it is dry, heat the oil. Stir in the flour and cook for 3-5 minutes or until brown. Pour in 1 cup of beef broth and mix until smooth. Add the ground chili, red pepper flakes, vinegar, cumin seeds, ground cumin, minced garlic, pepper flakes and oregano. Add the shredded beef. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Combine the lard and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat it on high speed using an electric mixer until it becomes fluffy.  Add the masa harina and beat at low speed for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the reserved broth until the dough is soft.

Drain the corn husks. Flatten them with the narrow end facing you and spread 2 tablespoons of masa mixture on the corn husk. Top it with 1 tablespoon of meat mixture. Roll up the long side of the corn husk. Fold the narrow end and tie it using a butcher’s twine. Repeat this process for the remaining ingredients.

Put the tamales in a steamer and steam it for 1 hour or until the masa is firm. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  Daniel Rincón

 

Chicken Burrito

By

 

Burritos are famous all over the world especially in the United States. This dish originated from Mexico and it is served in almost all Mexican restaurants. It is a convenient meal that you can have on the go.

Beef and vegetarian burritos are also available and they taste awesome as well.

 

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, diced

16 Ounces refried beans or black beans

1 cup cooked white rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Jalapenos (optional)

1 cup shredded cheese

2 cups shredded lettuce

1 1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup guacamole

6 large flour tortillas

 

In a deep saucepan under medium flame, heat the oil and sauté the garlic. Add the diced chicken and stir-fry it for 8-10 minutes or until it is tender. Reduce the heat and add the salsa, rice, beans and jalapeno. Season it with cumin. Mix well.

Assemble the burritos by placing some meat and rice mixture, shredded cheese and lettuce on a tortilla.  Fold one end of the tortilla and then roll it. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas. Wrap the burritos individually in foil and place it in a baking dish. Heat it in the oven at 300F for 5 minutes.

Serve warm with sour cream, guacamole and chips on the side.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  stu_spivack

 

Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit

By

beans
Whatever you think of the childhood saying, beans are technically fruit: just like tomatoes, they form from the fertilized flower of their plants and contain their seeds.

Since I’m obviously on a Mexican-food kick, I thought I’d post about one of the most necessary Mexican food ingredients: beans.

Pinto Beans, which have a mottled look to them (much like a pinto horse), are the most common variety in Mexico. For that reason, there’s a good chance that the refried beans you had in your last burrito were made with pintos. They’re also the most commonly used beans in chili.

Black Beans, or frijol negro and Kidney Beans are other varieties I’ve used as substitutes many times in my Mexican cooking. The black beans are particularly good for vegetarian dishes, as they have a nice meaty flavor and texture to them.

Which brings me to today’s recipe: homemade refried beans. Once you’ve made these, you’ll never want to go back to canned refried beans again, I promise.

Homemade Refried Beans

500 grams (about a pound) dried pinto beans
3 quarts water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
salt to taste

First you want to rinse the beans very well, making sure to get rid of any “bad” ones. Fill a deep saucepan with water, add the beans in, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook- covered- for about three hours, or until the beans are soft. Strain.

In a large frying pan (this is why they’re called “refried”!), add olive oil over medium heat. Once the pan in warm, add the strained beans, with 1/4 cup of water. Mash the beans in the pan using a potato masher. Taste the beans, and season with salt if necessary.

Serve with your favorite Mexican dish, and resolve never to buy canned again.