Flavors of Mexico

Birria Tacos With Consommé

Serves 8

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast
• 2 tablespoons lard or oil
• 2 roma tomatoes (8 ounces), small diced
• 1 (8-ounce) onion, small diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 quarts beef stock
• 4 ancho chili peppers, deseeded, stems removed
• 4 guajillo peppers, deseeded, stems removed
• 2 cups water, additional as needed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Mexican cinnamon stick
• 24 street taco–style corn tortillas
• Chopped cilantro and onion, for garnish

Cut the roast into 3-inch chunks. Preheat a stockpot over moderately high heat. Oil the pot with 2 tablespoons oil and brown the meat on all sides, then set aside. Reduce heat to moderate, then add the tomatoes and cook to a paste. Add onions and cook until browned and translucent. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, marjoram, and salt. Cook until aromatic, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Deglaze a pan with 1 quart beef stock. Add the peppers, cover with a lid, and cook for 5 minutes. Using a stand or immersion blender, blend smooth and return liquid to pot. Add remaining stock, water, bay leaves, cinnamon, and meat. Cover with a lid and simmer for 4 hours to develop the flavors of the consommé and tenderize the meat. If needed, add additional water to compensate for evaporation as it cooks.

Pozole Verde

Serves 8

• ¼ cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
• 1 tablespoon lard or oil
• 1 whole chicken (4 pounds), fabricated
• 2 cups (8 ounces) small diced yellow onion
• 2 poblano peppers, seeded, medium diced
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, medium diced
• 9 tomatillos (12 ounces), husk removed, quartered
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 6 cilantro stems with leaves
• 6 epazote leaves (optional)
• 1 (25-ounce) can hominy, strained
• Shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, diced onions, and lime wedges, for garnish

In a large stockpot over low heat, toast the pepitas until browned then set aside. Coat the bottom of the pot in 1 tablespoon oil, then brown the chicken on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. In the same pot, sauté the onion, peppers, and tomatillos over moderate heat until the peppers are slightly charred. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and water. Arrange the chicken in the pot to be fully submerged, then add the cilantro stems and epazote leaves. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour.

Chiles Rellenos

Makes 4

• 4 poblano peppers
• 1 cup shredded Oaxaca- or Chihuahua-style cheese
• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Oil as needed for frying

Salsa

• ½ onion (4 ounces), small diced
• 1 jalapeño, deseeded, small diced
• 1 pound tomatoes, small diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water or chicken stock
• Cilantro and cotija cheese, for garnish

Roast the peppers over an open flame until the skin is blacked on all sides. Remove the blackened outer skin. Make a slit in the side of each pepper and remove the placenta and seeds. For a little spice, leave a few of the seeds in the pepper. Stuff each pepper with ¼ cup of shredded cheese.

Preheat 1 inch of oil in a frying pan to 350 degrees F.

To create a batter, separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Beat the egg whites in a bowl to stiff peaks. Gently mix in the egg yolks and flour, then season with salt.