Post by hushnel on Apr 13, 2021 15:04:42 GMT -5
Recently back from a month cruising and camping in Texas and New Mexico. We did the same basic trip last year, with the addition of Nevada and Utah.
Our focus this year was gaining some insight into the Mexican cuisine, and foraging for rare and exotic antiques. We spent three days in Hatch NM, discovering variations on spicy chilies. I purchased four full bags of dried peppers from mild to XXX, and a couple jars of hot salsa.
I learned that Mexican meals are not all spicy/ hot, we paid a lot more attention to the food than we did last year. With a lot of focus on refried beans. Though I learned a few things about the corn tortilla as well. The Tex-Mex is much spicier, the Mexican, not as hot and so well balanced that it’s difficult to identify the spices. A few of the spices are not easily found in the general offerings of the chain stores, and fresher. All the little things add up.
The first thing about the beans is the creamy consistency, with subdued flavors. Val and I worked on the refried beans independently. Trying various techniques and spice. Val came across the Crema that is common in this cooking. The Mexican oregano and epazote are common spices. Mexican oregano is not at all like Italian oregano, it has a slight lemon flavor, which helps to confuse the palate. I used a little Epazote as well. The trick is adding just enough to be present. The same goes with most of the spices used, cilantro, garlic, even chili needs to be in the mix but without being obvious. It’s tricky, the flavor is wonderful and elusive.
I couldn’t find Crema but Val sent this recipe,
Crema
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk Fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
½ teaspoon salt (kosher salt works best)
Combine the heavy cream and buttermilk in a medium-size bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature. Place the mixture in a warm, dry spot overnight. The following morning, add lime juice and salt to the newly thickened cream and buttermilk mixture. Stir to incorporate. The consistency should be slightly runny.Taste, and adjust with more lime juice or salt as needed. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to five days.
I used the following process and recipe for quick cooking beans rather than soaking them and I’m really happy with the way they turned out.
Quick-Soak the Beans
Place 1 lb. dried pinto beans (I use red beans the size of pintos) in a large, heavy pot. Add water until it's about 2 inches above the top of beans. Cover pot, bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Let rest 1 hour.
Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Half an onion
3 cloves crushed garlic
Dried Chiles
Epazote
Mexican Oragano
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Uncover, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender and creamy, checking after 1 hour and adding more water as necessary to keep beans submerged, 1–1 1/2 hours total. I remove the garlic and onion then to bean mashing, added about a teaspoon of lard, and the Crema.
The corn tortilla is pretty much the same as I’ve posted previously but I added a Tbs of pork lard to half the recipe. I rubbed the lard into the Masa until it was well distributed then added the salt and hot water.
Our focus this year was gaining some insight into the Mexican cuisine, and foraging for rare and exotic antiques. We spent three days in Hatch NM, discovering variations on spicy chilies. I purchased four full bags of dried peppers from mild to XXX, and a couple jars of hot salsa.
I learned that Mexican meals are not all spicy/ hot, we paid a lot more attention to the food than we did last year. With a lot of focus on refried beans. Though I learned a few things about the corn tortilla as well. The Tex-Mex is much spicier, the Mexican, not as hot and so well balanced that it’s difficult to identify the spices. A few of the spices are not easily found in the general offerings of the chain stores, and fresher. All the little things add up.
The first thing about the beans is the creamy consistency, with subdued flavors. Val and I worked on the refried beans independently. Trying various techniques and spice. Val came across the Crema that is common in this cooking. The Mexican oregano and epazote are common spices. Mexican oregano is not at all like Italian oregano, it has a slight lemon flavor, which helps to confuse the palate. I used a little Epazote as well. The trick is adding just enough to be present. The same goes with most of the spices used, cilantro, garlic, even chili needs to be in the mix but without being obvious. It’s tricky, the flavor is wonderful and elusive.
I couldn’t find Crema but Val sent this recipe,
Crema
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk Fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
½ teaspoon salt (kosher salt works best)
Combine the heavy cream and buttermilk in a medium-size bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature. Place the mixture in a warm, dry spot overnight. The following morning, add lime juice and salt to the newly thickened cream and buttermilk mixture. Stir to incorporate. The consistency should be slightly runny.Taste, and adjust with more lime juice or salt as needed. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to five days.
I used the following process and recipe for quick cooking beans rather than soaking them and I’m really happy with the way they turned out.
Quick-Soak the Beans
Place 1 lb. dried pinto beans (I use red beans the size of pintos) in a large, heavy pot. Add water until it's about 2 inches above the top of beans. Cover pot, bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Let rest 1 hour.
Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Half an onion
3 cloves crushed garlic
Dried Chiles
Epazote
Mexican Oragano
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Uncover, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender and creamy, checking after 1 hour and adding more water as necessary to keep beans submerged, 1–1 1/2 hours total. I remove the garlic and onion then to bean mashing, added about a teaspoon of lard, and the Crema.
The corn tortilla is pretty much the same as I’ve posted previously but I added a Tbs of pork lard to half the recipe. I rubbed the lard into the Masa until it was well distributed then added the salt and hot water.
