Chicken Tortilla Soup with Chipotle and Fire Roasted Tomato
Conchinita Pibil
Mexican Rice
Bacon and Black Bean Smash
Mexican Corn Bread
Tres Leches (Three Milks Cake)
While vacationing in Mexico, we stopped outside of Valladolid at an “off the beaten path” cantina for lunch. No English translations on this menu, and none of the employees spoke English, so apart from the usual Mexican dishes we knew, we didn’t know what we were ordering. I wanted to try something authentic, so I just pointed at Concninita Pibil (it did have a picture and it looked interesting). I loved it, and was pleased to find a recipe from Pat Bruno in the Sun Times. I hope you enjoy it as well. We had Margaritas with our meal (Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix and tequila; what could be easier), but a red wine from Chile or Argentina would be good. I’ve included an OPTIONAL recipe for Mexican Coffee if the Hosts care to add that with or after the dessert.
Chicken Tortilla Soup with Chipotle and Fire Roasted Tomato
4 cups chicken stock (Emeril’s stock is 32oz.)
1 pound chicken tenders
1 bay leaf
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 slices thick, smoky center cut bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped, plus 1 Tablespoons sauce (from 3.5 oz. can)
1-28 oz. (or 2-14 oz.) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (if you can only find DICED fire roasted tomatoes, crush well before using)
4 cups lightly crushed corn tortilla chips
8 oz. shredded fresh smoked mozzarella or smokes sharp white cheddar
2 limes cut into 8 wedges
½ red onion, chopped
Sour cream
Bring broth to a simmer and add chicken; poach 6 to 7 minutes with bay leaf
While chicken poaches, heat olive oil in soup pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon. Drain off excess fat, leaving 2 to 3 Tablespoons in the pot. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Stir in chipotles and tomatoes.
Remove chicken from stock; dice and add to soup pot. Pass stock through strainer and add to pot. Season with salt to taste.
CAN BE MADE 1 DAY AHEAD. COVER AND REFRIGERATE. REHEAT BEFORE SERVING
To serve: Place a pile of crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of each bowl. Cover with smoked cheese and ladle soup over. Pass lime, raw onion, and sour cream at table for garnish.
Mexican Cornbread
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk or buttermilk
1/3 cup sour cream
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 to 2 Tablespoons chopped jalapenos; to taste
Preheat oven to 425. Grease an 8” square pan. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm
Conchinita Pibil
6 pounds pork butt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
4 tablespoons annatto seeds (1.2 oz jar from Penzey’s)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon oregano
½ cup (more or less relative to how you like your heat) chipotle in adobo sauce (from 3.5 oz can)
3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed
1 cup orange juice
Juice of six lemons
¼ cup vegetable oil
Shot of tequila (optional, but recommended)
1 pkg. Banana leaves (Michael’s on Rt 59 has them in the freezer section; thaw before using)
8 flour tortillas, warmed
Sour cream
Salsa
Cut the pork into 1 ½ inch cubes, trimming fat, but leaving some on; set aside.
Grind the pepper, annatto seeds, & cumin seeds in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder; put in large glass or stainless steel bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients; combine and mix thoroughly. This is the marinade for the pork.
Put the cubed pork into a large Ziplock bag and add the marinade. Refrigerate overnight, turning once or twice to get everything well coated.
Preheat oven to 325. Line a 9x12 baking pan with banana leaves; place 2 leaves horizontally, then 2 vertically. Pour the pork and marinade into pan; fold leaves tightly over and cover with more banana leaves if necessary, making a seal. Place on middle oven rack and bake 3 hours until the pork looks like a mess of shredded meat.
Cut remaining banana leaves into eight 10 inch triangles. Fold into a loose cone shape and secure with a toothpick. Spoon meat into cone, and serve with the beans and rice, tortillas, sour cream and salsa.
Bacon and Black Bean Smash
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
3 cans black beans, drained
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce
Sour cream
Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat; add olive oil and bacon. Render fat 2 minutes; then add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Add 1 and ½ cans of beans to the pan and season with salt, pepper, and the cumin; then smash them with a potato masher, combining them with bacon and onions. When combined, add remaining 1 and ½ cans of beans and combine with smashed beans. Add hot sauce to your taste. Top with a dollop of sour cream to serve.
CAN BE MADE AHEAD AND REHEATED OVER LOW HEAT OR IN MICROWAVE BEFORE SERVING.
Mexican Rice
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup chopped onion
½ cup red enchilada sauce (canned)
2 cups chicken stock
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with garlic and cumin.
Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in enchilada sauce and chicken stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with fork; salt, if necessary, to taste.
CAN BE MADE AHEAD AND REHEATED ON LOW HEAT OR IN MICROWAVE, ADD ADDITIONAL CHICKEN STOCK IF NECESSARY
Mexican Coffee
8 scoops of ground coffee
2 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus a sprinkle for garnish
8 ounces coffee liqueur (Kahlua, etc.)
Whipped cream
Put coffee, cocoa, and cinnamon into coffee filter; brew 8 cups of coffee. Pour a shot (1 oz) of coffee liqueur into each coffee mug, Pour in a serving of brewed mocha-cinnamon coffee. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve immediately.
To whip cream: pour 8 oz heavy whipping cream into chilled bowl. Add ½ teaspoon vanilla and whip, slowly adding 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon whipped cream stabilizer (Dr. Oetker “Whip It” found at Dominicks). Whip until peaks form. By using the stabilizer, you can make this ahead and refrigerate in an air-tight container until needed.
Tres Leches
PLEASE PREPARE THIS CAKE THE DAY BEFORE GOURMET DINNER
Cake:
6 large eggs, separated
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream topping:
1 14 oz can evaporated milk
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
Icing:
3 tablespoons water
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking dish
Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
In bowl of mixer, beat the egg whites on low speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually with the mixer running and beat to stiff peaks. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. DO THIS QUICKLY SO THE BATTER DOES NOT LOSE VOLUME. Mix in vanilla; pour into prepared dish. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 mins.
In blender, combine evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream and blend on high speed until foamy.
While cake is still warm, poke holes all over with a bamboo skewer and pour the cream mixture over it. Let sit and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until overnight.
ONE OR TWO HOURS BEFORE GOURMET MEAL In a saucepan combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cook until mixture reaches soft ball stage, 235 to 240 degrees. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. While beating, add the hot syrup on a stream near the edge of the bowl, not on the beaters. Beat until all the syrup has been added, the mixture has cooled, and a glossy icing forms.
Remove cake from refrigerator and spread icing evenly across the top. Keep chilled until ready to cut and serve.
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