FRIED PORK CHOPS

8 5-7 ounce pork chops
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbs lard or vegetable oil

Generously season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp of lard or vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

Working in batches, fry the pork chops until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn pork chops over and fry for 2-3 minutes more.

Add 1 tbs of lard or vegetable oil in between batches of pork chops.

Serve with yellow hot relish (Recipe for Yellow Hot Relish is in “Soups, Sides, & Sauces” Section)

Serves 4-8

TAMALES DE FRIJOLES

4 guajillo chiles
2 cloves garlic peeled
1 1/2 tsp salt
16 dried corn husks
1 cup masa harina
1 cup chicken stock hot
1/2 cup lard
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups cooked and drained black beans
3 tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup queso anejo
crema or sour cream
tomatillo sauce

Soak chiles in a bowl of hot water for about 1 hour until soft. D Throw away stems and seeds and then puree with garlic, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a blender. Set aside.

Put husks into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak about 1 hour until pliable.

Put masa harina in the bowl of a standing mixer and beating at low speed, add the chicken stock. Increase to medium high speed and beat for 5 minutes. Gradually add lard and salt and continue beating until the dough is soft and light. Dissolve baking powder into 2 tbs water and add to dough. Mix on high until dough is fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Mash together the black beans, lime juice and cilantro in a bowl. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the beans and pureed chiles and cook, stirring several times until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Overlap 2 pieces of plastic on your work surface and flatten dough into a 10 inch by 18 inch rectangle.

Spread the bean paste onto the dough, working in small batches to make it easier to spread. Sprinkle with queso anejo.

Roll up dough in a jelly roll style, about an 18 inch roll. Cut into 12even pieces.

Tear 2 of the soaked husks into 24 thin ribbons. Place 12 husk, concave side up, on your work surface with the widest nearest you. Place 1 piece of filling 1 1/2 inches in from the husks wide end. Fold long sides over the filling and then fold pointed end over seam so that it meets the wide end.

Tie 1 husk ribbon loosely around each end of the tamale to close. Repeat with each husk.

Makes 12 tamales.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS

5 tbs olive oil
1 small whole onion peeled and chopped
1 tbs ground cumin
12 ounces of black beans, drained if using from a can
4 ounce enchilada sauce
2 corn tortillas
2-4 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 1 tbs of oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring often for 5 minutes. Add cumin and beans and cook for 10 minutes more.

In another pot, heat enchilada sauce over low heat.

Heat 2-3 tbs of the oil in a medium skillet and quickly fry the tortillas on both sides. Place each one on a heatproof plate.

In the same skillet, fry the eggs adding more oil if needed.

Put half of the beans on each tortilla and top with fried eggs. Spoon enchilada sauce over the eggs.

Sprinkle the cheese over each plate and place each plate in oven and bake until the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve with sour cream or guacamole. Can also be served with fried chorizo.

Makes 2 servings

HUEVOS REVUELTOS CON SALSA ROJA (scrambled eggs with tomato-chile salsa)

1 tbs canola oil
5 eggs
pinch salt
3 cups salsa rojo or any other fresh chile based salsa

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Mix eggs with salt in a medium bowl and add to skillet.

Cook eggs stirring constantly until lightly set, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Add salsa to eggs and simmer until hot, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve with warm corn tortillas.

Makes 2 servings

CHORIZO CON HUEVOS (chorizo and eggs)

8 corn tortillas
1/2 lb link chorizo
1/2 cup onions chopped
6 large eggs

Remove casings from chorizo and crumble into medium skillet. Add onions and fry and stir for about 8 minutes.

Drain the grease and add the eggs and scramble until cooked.

Serve with warm tortillas and refried beans.

CHICKEN PIBIL

1/4 cup Achiote paste
10 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
6 chicken legs with thigh, ankle joint removed, scored to the bone and skin removed
2 onions, cut into 3 slices each, plus 2 onions diced
3 Italian Roma tomatoes, cut in 4 slices
6 banana leaves (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chicken stock

In a blender combine Achiote paste, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Pour into a nonreactive baking pan, add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a heated, dry, cast iron skillet char onion slices until blackened on both sides. Remove and char tomato slices until blackened on both sides. Reserve. Cut six 16 x 14-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Take banana leaves, and cut into 10-inch squares. Toast squares over a burner to soften, about 2 seconds on each side . Place banana leaves on top of each piece of foil. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade, and place a piece on each foil piece or banana leaf. Top each with two tomato slices and one onion slice. Wrap and seal banana leaf and the foil to enclose. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in saucepan melt butter. Saute the diced onions until golden brown. Stir in the reserved marinade and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes longer.

When the chicken in ready, remove from oven and open the packets. Transfer the chicken, with the banana leaves if using, to serving plates. Pour any excess juice from the pan into the sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

TEQUILA SHRIMP

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 shrimp, peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup tequila
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, diced
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a medium saute pan with the olive oil, saute the onions and garlic. When the onions are translucent, add the shrimp and continue to saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the tequila and burn off the alcohol. Add the tomatoes and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lime juice when the shrimp is cooked half way.
When shrimp is fully cooked, fold in the cilantro and avocado. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

TORTAS AHOGADAS

3 1/2 ounces arbol chiles
1 cup white vinegar
2 sprigs oregano
1 clove
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt

Sandwich:
Olive oil, to coat pan
2 pounds pork, thinly sliced
4 sub rolls
2 cups refried beans, hot
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
2 avocados, sliced
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons oregano, chopped

Devein the chiles and soak in hot water for 30 minutes.

Drain the chiles, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the sauce to remove any large particles. Season the sauce with the salt.

On a hot griddle, with the olive oil, saute the pork until fully cooked. Spread the refried beans on one side of the sub roll. Lay the pork on top of the refried beans, and top with the tomatoes, avocados, and onion. Sprinkle the sandwich with oregano and finish with a portion of the sauce.

GREEN CHICKEN CHILAQUILLE CASSEROLE

2 whole chicken breasts, split
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
3 1/2 cups Tomatillo Salsa
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 onion, sliced paper-thin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 day-old Corn Tortillas, 1 cup grated Manchego cheese
1 cup grated Panela cheese
1/2 cup grated Anejo cheese

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Place the breasts in the stock, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook until the meat is tender, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool in the stock. When cool, remove the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Strain and save the stock for another use.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the fresh tomatillo salsa, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the onion and shredded chicken pieces.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the tortillas just about 5 seconds per side to soften, and then transfer to a large colander to drain.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 4 quart casserole. Combine the cheeses in a mixing bowl.

To assemble the chilaquiles, spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture over the bottom of the baking dish. Push the solids in the bowl of chicken and tomatillo sauce to the side so the liquids form a pool in the bottom. Dip all the softened tortillas in the pool to moisten. Layer one third of the moist tortillas over the cheese and top with half of the chicken mixture with its sauce. Sprinkle half of the remaining cheese over the chicken. Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of tortillas on top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake 30 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving or unmolding.

ENCHILADAS

6 Ancho chiles, wiped clean, stemmed and seeded
2 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 red onions, diced
1 tbs dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 cup vegetable oil
12 large Corn Tortillas
6 ounces Panela cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)

For the Ancho chile salsa, place the chiles in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast, turning frequently, until the skin blisters and darkens very slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Bring the water and vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the chiles, remove from the heat and let soak 20 minutes to soften.

Place the garlic, half the diced onion, the oregano and cumin in a blender or food processor. Add the chiles and soaking liquid. Blend until smooth. The salsa may be made a day or 2 ahead and then refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat over medium heat. One at a time, dip the tortillas in the chile salsa and shake off any excess. Transfer the tortillas, one at a time, to the hot pan and saute 10 seconds on each side. Drain on a rack.

Lay all of the tortillas out on a counter. Save 1/4 cup of the grated cheese. Divide the remaining cheese into 12 portions and spoon onto the lower half of each tortilla. Divide the remaining diced onion evenly and sprinkle over the cheese. Roll up each tortilla to form a tube.

Arrange the enchiladas on a baking tray, seam side down, and bake 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through. With a spatula, transfer the warm enchiladas to a serving platter. Place about a spoonful of Ancho chile salsa over each enchilada. Sprinkle with the saved cheese and serve.