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Sabroso - Winter2008
CUISINES OF MEXICO
By Jeff Becker Food
Photography by Joseph Burgess
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In Puebla, a golden fried corn dough wrapper holds a mixture of chorizo, squash blossoms, cheese and epazote—the perfect example of the ingenuity found in Mexican cuisine. Here, among the tiled facades of old buildings and the jut of ancient churches, a pair of men are talking excitedly about what they had for lunch. It is a topic to which they give great attention. Nearby, a woman is squeezing fresh orange juice by hand. Here, food is no joke.
Puebla is regarded by most as the capital of Mexican cuisine. Mole and Chiles en Nogada were created here, and the history of the food in the region is rich. Amidst the large churches and convents that sprouted here with Spanish conquest, it is said that nuns developed the techniques and tastes that define Mexican cuisine today, and according to Alejandro Dimakis, executive chef of D’Guste, a culinary school open to the public in Juarez, Mexico, it is a lie. For the most part, the Native Americans, not the nuns, forced into the kitchens were responsible for marrying the cooking traditions of their cultures with that of the Spanish – and thus Mexican cuisine was born.
Today, this notion is accepted by most chefs and students of Mexican culinary traditions, and whoever did the cooking back then, food in Puebla is a big deal. Known for the originality of the dishes found there and use of fresh ingredients, the food in Puebla reflects Aztec, Hispanic, Arabic and Asian heritage, all of which have intermingled to create a fresh and exciting cuisine.
Tinga Poblana
Serves 6
This is basically pork stewed in chipotle. Traditionally, one uses a cazuela – a clay pot – in which to make this dish that blends tender pork with a sauce of tomatoes, onion, garlic and, of course, the smoky-spicy chipotle chiles.
For the tinga:
• 11⁄2 lbs boneless pork loin or
shoulder cut in 2-inch cubes
• 1 small onion
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• 1⁄4 lb chorizo
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 5 ripe tomatoes (Roma),
• roasted or boiled until the
• skin is loosened, then peeled
• 4 canned chipotles en adobo
(two chiles, not two cans)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
For tostadas:
1 recipe tinga poblana
20 tostadas (either packaged
or flash-fried corn tortillas)
Garnish:
Shredded lettuce
Sour cream or Mexican crema
Guacamole or sliced avocados
1. Place the pork, small onion, two of the garlic cloves and the bay leaf in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender.
2. Remove the meat, let it cool a bit, and shred it with two forks. Set aside.
3.
Remove the casing from the chorizo and fry it in a skillet, breaking it in small chunks as you go. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat from the pan. (If you are not using chorizo, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan.)
4.
In the same pan, sauté the sliced onion over medium heat until soft.
5.
Puree the tomatoes, remaining two garlic cloves, chipotles and oregano in the blender. Add this puree to the onions in the pan, and cook for about five minutes, or until a thick sauce forms.
Return the chorizo to the pan, along with the shredded pork, and mix well to combine ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Spread over tostada shells coated in refried beans. Serve with garnish of your choice.
To learn more about these and other recipes, visit Chef Alejandro Dimakis’s cooking school, D’Guste, in Juarez, Mexico.
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