Pork Chops with Chile Peanut Rice
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Peanuts with chile and lime are a classic bar snack that can be found in a number of regions across Mexico. Inspired by these flavors, we set out to create a simple one-pan weeknight meal using pork chops and rice as the backbone of the dish. To keep the pork chops […]
Beef Taco Salad
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Golden and ultra crunchy, tortilla “bowls” make a perfect contrast to a saucy, spicy beef filling and crisp salad fixings. We microwaved flour tortillas to make them pliable and coated them with vegetable oil spray to ensure they crisped up in the oven. We found dressing unnecessary; the saucy meat and […]
Tamale Pie
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Tamale pie—lightly seasoned, tomatoey ground beef with cornbread topping—borrows the flavor of traditional Mexican tamales for an easy-to-make pie. But in many recipes, the filling either tastes bland and one-dimensional or turns heavy. As for the cornbread topping, it’s usually from a mix—and tastes like it. We wanted a tamale pie […]
Avocado Sauce
Be sure to use very ripe avocados when making this sauce. MAKES 2½ CUPS INGREDIENTS 2 avocados, halved, pitted, and chopped coarse ½ cup sour cream ¼ cup water 3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes) 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro Salt and pepper INSTRUCTIONS Be sure to use very ripe avocados when making […]
Chorizo and Black Bean Chimichangas
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Like burritos, chimichangas begin with flour tortillas rolled around a generous amount of filling. But unlike burritos, chimichangas are deep-fried until crisp and bronzed on the outside. For a flavorful chimichanga filling that would stand up to the crunchy fried tortilla, we started with Mexican chorizo. To impart extra layers of […]
Swiss Chard and Pinto Bean Burritos
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: We wanted a burrito that balanced the usual beans and cheese with fresh, hearty vegetables. To that end, we sautéed a pound of Swiss chard in aromatics and simmered it until tender. We mashed some of the beans into a paste with some vegetable broth and left the rest whole to […]
Ancho Orange Pork Burritos
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: In the Mexican state of Sinaloa, mildly spiced, orange-infused pork known as chilorio is one of the region’s most popular dishes. It’s so popular, in fact, that markets sell the pork ready-made. In traditional versions, the pork is slow-simmered until fall-apart tender, pulled into bite-size pieces and fried, and then cooked […]
Tamales
If you’re short on time, you can make a simple tamale filling by combining 12 ounces of shredded Monterey Jack and 3 tablespoons of minced pickled jalapeños; serve jalapeño-cheese tamales with Tomatillo Salsa. We found it easiest to use large corn husks that measure about 8 inches long by 6 inches wide; if the husks […]
Tamales Red Chile Chicken Filling
INGREDIENTS 1 cup dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into ½-inch pieces 1 cup dried New Mexican chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into ½-inch pieces 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 large onion, chopped 6 garlic cloves, minced ¾ teaspoon ground cumin ¾ teaspoon dried oregano Salt and pepper Red Chile Chicken Filling 3 cups […]
Tamales Chipotle Beef Filling
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Tamales are small, moist corn cakes that can be stuffed with a variety of fillings—usually shredded chicken, pork, or beef, or a combination of cheese and chiles. The filled corn cakes are wrapped in corn husks and steamed. On the Mexican table, they can either be served as breakfast or as […]