Salsa de Orizaba This is our rendition of the peanut salsa we enjoyed in Orizaba. It took quite a few tries to duplicate the taste and flavor, we hope you like the results.
• 8-10 roma tomatoes, cut in half, seeds removed
• 3 – 4 dried guajillo chiles
• 3 – 4 chipotle chiles
• 1 med. white onion, quartered
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1/2 c. Spanish peanuts, roasted
• 1 t. oregano, dried Mexican
• 1 Tbl. coriander, ground
• ½ t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 t. sea salt, or to taste
Roast the tomatoes, onion and garlic on a hot comal or cast iron skillet. Turn occasionally so they blister evenly. As each ingredient softens and blackens in spots, remove from heat. Allow to cool. Remove papery skins from garlic.
While vegetables roast, submerge guajillo chiles and chipotle chiles in a bowl of very hot water for approx.15 min. Remove softened chiles from liquid, reserve one cup.
Bring 1 cup fresh water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add roasted vegetables,(tomato,onion,garlic) salt, oregano, coriander and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates. Cool.
While the tomato mixture cooks, chop or crush the roasted peanuts in a molcajete or with a mortar and pestle. (set aside)
In a blender puree the guajillo and chipotle chiles and crushed peanuts in one cup of reserved liquid. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add the tomato mixture to blender and pulse just until blended. Serve salsa at room temperature or refrigerate for up to one week.
We bid farewell to Orizaba, home of Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in all of Mexico. The snow capped volcano towers 18,800 feet above the city. We are told isolated villages tucked among the majestic peaks are home to a people that trace their ancestry back to the Aztecs. Down in the flats the city is bustling; streets and shops packed with townsfolk. The colorful municipal market hums with activity as merchants stock their stalls with the most amazing array of fresh produce, farm cheeses, and freshly slaughtered meats and poultry. I stand mesmerized watching an old old woman stooped over a simmering clay caldron. She stirs the brew with a wooden spoon that looks as ancient as she. A deep red sauce bubbles to the brim, a delicious aroma fills the air, enticing me to try a bowl of the steaming pork adobo. So rich and satisfying it warms my soul as I watch the old woman nod approvingly as I dig into my breakfast. We explore for three days following the rushing river that courses through town, each side bordered by crumbling whitewashed buildings. There is a feeling of decay about this place that contrasts sharply with the modern merchandise displayed in shop windows and fashionably dressed teenagers, cellphones in hand.
It is time to bid adios to Orizaba. Time to catch a bus out of town. We enjoy traveling on Mexican busses; first class tickets are inexpensive and you can count on clean, comfortable and punctual service. We lean back in the seats and wile away the hours reading, watching old American films or gazing at the ever-changing landscape rolling by. This station is modern and spacious, reverberating with all the commotion of a well-run travel outpost. We buy our tickets, but with time to kill before departure wander over to a nearby restaurant. Young waiters in starched white shirts serve the house specialty, Mexican BBQ. The requisite salsa and chips is brought promptly to our table. We dip into the sauce and are immediately surprised by a unique subtle flavor that we can’t quite identify. Our waiter tries to explain the concoction as we nod unsurely. Shyly he returns to our table with a paper napkin, the ingredients printed neatly in Spanish. Aha! Cachuate! (Peanuts) is the secret ingredient. Carefully I fold and stash the napkin for the long trip back home.
The “Cook With Us” test kitchen is getting a real workout. Frank and I have just completed two cooking videos. The first, cochinita pibil a succulent pork dish; the second, Jalapeno achiote bread. This is new territory for us, so any suggestions or comments are much appreciated . We are having fun with another new venture, filming instructional cooking videos with host Mike Gonzalez from the Hispanic Food Network. The opportunity to showcase the recipes we have developed over the years while teaching the intricacies of traditional Mexican cuisine gives us great pleasure. The first segment will air tomorrow, Sunday ( 2/ 7/ 10) @ 10:00 on local channel 4 ( KXLY). Mike will be making Salsa de Orizaba, a spicy peanut and chile based salsa. Stay Tuned !
Join us Sat. February 27th for a hands-on cooking class at the Greenbriar Inn. The focus of the class is “Sopas de Mexico”. Have fun while learning to prepare delicious soups with unique ingredients and traditional techniques. Class includes instruction and the prepared meal. If you would like more info. just e-mail info@cookwithus.com or call.
Check-out our video.Learn the secrets to a traditional Yucatan dish. Cochinita Pibil
Cochinita Pibil / Pit Roasted Pork
Pork baked in banana leaves, steamed in a pit (pibil) or cooked in a sealed dish in the oven. Either way it’s prepared, this savory earthy meat is a real treat!
Marinated Onions:
• 3 red onions thinly sliced
• 1 ¼ C. fresh orange juice
• ¾ C. fresh lime juice
• 1 t. dried Mexican oregano
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
Pork:
• 3 lb. lean boneless pork shoulder or butt roast
• Salt and pepper to season pork
• 3 oz achiote paste
• ½ C. lime juice
• 1 C. orange juice
• 1 t. sea salt
• 8 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 t. Mexican oregano, dried
• 1 t. black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 Poblano Chiles, roasted, skinned & seeded
• 2 large banana leaves
PREPARE PORK; Cut the meat into slabs or cut into stew size pieces and place in a large bowl. Rub meat with salt and pepper.
PREPARE MARINADE: Break up the achiote paste into a small sauté pan placed over low heat. Slowly pour in the juices and stir to completely dissolve the paste. Add the salt, pepper and garlic and continue to cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Pour this liquid over the pork and marinate for at least 1 hour.
PREPARE BANANA LEAVES: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Hold the banana leaves over an open flame on the stove for a few minutes until they soften, or submerge in very hot water, this will clean and make the leaves pliable also. Line a heavy baking dish or Dutch oven with the leaves, placing one the long way and the other in the opposite direction with the leaves overlapping the dish. Place the marinated pork onto the leaves; place slices of poblano chile over the meat, then fold the ends of the leaves back over the meat. Use another leaf to cover again making sure to tuck the leaf over and around the dish, this important step will help retain moisture during cooking. Pour about ¼ cup of water in the pot. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for two hours or more until very tender.
Brand new video camera, bright flood lights, and a willing filmmaker have turned our home kitchen into a bustling movie set. This is all part of our grand plan to bring live Mexican Cuisine cooking demonstations to our viewers.
Sadly, because of an arson fire in 2009 we had to close the doors of our Todos Santos cooking school. Our revised website will reflect the direction of our new endeavors. Dates for our upcoming cooking classes at the Greenbriar Inn of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho and our cooking videos will be posted soon. We are particularly excited about our collaboration with Mike Gonzalez, a popular and dynamic TV newscaster and personality. He recently launched the website www.hispanicfoodnetwork.com and a locally syndicated TV show called “En la Cocina” that airs on Sundays in the greater Spokane region. 2010, yes, it’s going to be a Great Year!!
Yesterday I received a call, a gentleman from Texas inquring how to cure a cazuela he brought back from his Mexican vacation. This is the process I shared with him for leaching white lead from the traditional clay cooking pots that we use at home and in our cooking classes.
Fill the pot with water to about an inch or so from the brim, adding 1/4 c. of white vinegar to each cup of water used. (ex. 6 cups water/ 1-1/2 c. vinegar). Place pot in the oven at 100 degrees and leave overnight. Check the pot in the morning by dumping out the water and looking for a white or silver ring; the white residue is the lead leaching out of the clay. This procedure may have to be done several times until there is no visible lead residue.
Clay pots can be used directly over a wood campfire, gas flame, and in the oven A metal diffuser should be placed over the burner of an electric stove. Because these pots are fired at low temperatures they are quite fragile, to avoid cracking or breakage always bring the pot to room temperature before using and fill with whatever is being cooked before putting them over the heat. Also, avoid placing cold liquids in a warm pot and vice versa. If your pot cracks it’s easy to repair; just brush the crack with beaten egg white and place in a warm oven for a minute or two; the egg white will harden as strong as glue and your cookware will be as good as new. (better than new, because seasoned from use and the lead removed, your Mexican clayware will lend authentic flavor and ambience to your Mexican table.)
A traditional clay beanpot (olla) is the perfect starter piece, perfectly designed so the beans simmer slowly in its broth, the wide bottom allows the beans to bubble gently while holding in the heat and the narrow top keeps the broth from evaporating too quickly. Once you use these lovely vessels to prepare Mexican food you will be hooked and your family and friends will be impressed with the results.
Beach Party!! Frijoles de olla, Beans in a pot, Tamales, and Tequila shrimp. Baja’s Bounty.
Loved the class on October 31st! You had mentioned that you had a wonderful Enchilada Sauce. Would you mind sending me the recipe?
Hi Sue,
Hope you have great results with this recipe. If you’re making Enchiladas, try topping your dish with a drizzle of Mexican crema and crumbly Queso Cotijo cheese ( feta is a good substitute), for an authentic taste and presentation. As our friends in Mexico say, “es muy rico!”
Take care, Lynne
Enchilada Salsa / Enchilada Sauce
This is our version of the canned red Enchilada sauce found in the supermarket. Achiote paste imparts a unique earthy flavor. Try this sauce and see if it’s not one of your favorites too.
• 6 roma tomatoes ( asado/ roasted )
• 2 serrano chiles (asado / roasted)
• 4 cloves garlic unpeeled ( asado/ roasted )
• 2 C. chicken bouillon
• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 T. achiote paste*
• 1 T. ancho chile powder
• 1/2 t. cumin
• 1/2 t. crushed Mexican oregano
• Salt to taste
In a blender puree the prepared tomatoes, serrano’s, and peeled garlic with the bouillon. Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet. Strain the ingredients of blender into the skillet. Add the rest of the seasonings and cook over medium heat for approx. 15 minutes or until sauce reduces and thickens somewhat. Adjust seasonings.
Makes 2 cups
* Achiote paste is a brick red seasoning that is made from annatto seeds, spices and lime juice. Originally used by the Mayan Indians of the Yucatan, it is used to season and color pork and other regional dishes with it’s rich earthy flavor. Most Mexican grocers stock achiote, it comes wrapped inside a small box, goes a long way and will keep indefinitely.
Hello Lynn & Frank!
I took your class on Sat Oct 31 and had a wonderful time. My sons and I made Gorditas last night and they loved them!
I just wanted you to know that I found a 16 oz bag of Guajillo dried chilies at the Spokane Valley Walmart in the produce section! Look forward to learning from you again! Blessings!
Gorditas / Masa Pockets
These fat little tortillas are like Mexican pita bread. Easy to make and fun to eat.
• 1-3/4 c. masa harina
• 1 c. warm water
• 1/3 c. all- purpose flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• ¾ t. salt
Prepare masa: Reconstitute the masa harina with I cup warm water. Knead the masa to make it pliable adding up to 2 T. water to get the right consistency. Like a soft cookie dough. Knead in the flour, baking powder and salt. Divide the dough into 10 equal balls, cover with a dish towel to keep from drying out.
Make Gordita: Line tortilla press with rounds of plastic (cut from a freezer bag). Place a masa ball in the middle of the bottom plastic. Gently close the lid on the press so the flattened masa is ¼” thick and 4” in diameter.
Bake Gordita: Heat a well seasoned non-stick griddle or heavy skillet over med. high heat. Pick up the gordita and peel off the top sheet of plastic, flip over into palm of hand with a bit of edge over the fingers. Carefully let that edge touch the hot grill while quickly sliding your hand out from underneath. Cook gordita about 1/12 minutes on each side. They will look lightly browned on the top and bottom, the sides barely cooked. Place on cookie sheet while the rest are baked.
Fry Gordita: Cover the bottom of a deep heavy saucepan with ½ inch of vegetable oil or peanut oil. Heat to 350 degrees or until the side of a gordita sizzles when it touches the oil. Fry the first side for 15 seconds flip and fry other side 30 seconds. The gordita will puff up (and make that nice little pocket) near the end of cooking. Remove with a slotted spoon and blot gently with a paper towel.
Eat Gordita: Slice along the edge of pocket, halfway around. Stuff the opening with any combination of shredded meats, beans, cheese, guacamole, onions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. So good!
Makes 10
This recipe was adapted from the Rick Bayless book, Mexico, One Plate at a Time
A tamalada is a merry gathering where everyone digs in and helps with the tasks at hand. In this case, we gathered to assemble homemade, shredded pork tamales at our cooking class at the Greenbriar Inn in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. The class was titled “Masa, Mole’, and More.” Our 15 students were ready, willing…and merry, so we began.
Working with masa, making tamales, and preparing a delicious mole’ helped our students to become familiar with many techniques and ingredients used in authentic Mexican cookery. Our first demonstration was making the masa dough for tamales. Four brave volunteers prepped corn husks, banana leaves, poblano chiles, and manzanita olives. Two students took on the task of sautéing the pork filling fragrant with aromatic spices and herbs. Everyone had a chance to fill, wrap and tie their little bundles and then into the steamer they went. While the steamer simmered away we moved on to preparing the mole. Several students at a time were able to work at the stoves, toasting the nuts and seeds, charring the chiles, and blending the puree. Each ingredient was carefully added to my cherished clay mole’ pot as it simmered on the stovetop.
No respectable tamalada is complete without refreshments and we were lucky enough to have Kris, the owner of the Greenbriar, serve us her specialty Huckleberry Margaritas. Libations in hand, the students watched as I prepared our final dish, gorditas. Gorditas are the proverbial Mexican street food, puffy little tortillas that are stuffed with all manner of fillings. Gorditas are easy to make and a good starting point for working with masa harina.
Three hours just fly by when you’re having fun but we accomplished our tasks and the food was ready. We enjoyed the results; shredded pork tamales stacked high on a platter, Turkey Mole served in the clay cazuela, and our plump little gorditas filled with guacamole, white onion, and cilantro.
Thanks everyone for attending, I enjoyed meeting you all and look forward to having more Mexican cooking classes right here in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho.
A special thanks to Cheryl Callins from the Greenbriar staff for lending a helping hand with the class. Much appreciated.
