Mexican recipes

The cultural interface, here on the Mexican border, is blurred. When we first came, the population was about equally divided between Spanish- and English-speaking people. The border states of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are the only states that recognize two official (legal) languages. The balance has gone in the Anglo's favor in recent decades, and I think we could take over, but would rather not. You see, we've aquired a taste for the maguey worm found at the bottom of a bottle of Mescal. Recipes from Señora Betty Franklin, edited by Gringo Bil.

MEXICAN COOKY

Cream the first three ingredients together. Mix in the remainder. The dough is traditionally rolled into balls, and flattened on a baking sheet by hand. Bake at 375° until bottoms are brown. Coat with cinnamon sugar.

Posole is corn kernels of a type to split open when cooked. White or blue posole (yellow not available) comes dry or frozen. Non-purists use white or yellow hominy.

A 1 to 1 1/2 pound fresh-pork roast is covered half-way in water in a large, covered pot. Watch it doesn't boil dry and keep adding water, to maintain level, until it is very tender. For added flavor, add bay leaves while cooking. When done, remove meat to a plate and set broth aside to cool. [For calorie counters : Remove all fat and give it to Bill. After the broth has cooled, skim grease. These steps leave the meat rather bland.] Cube meat and return to the broth. When meat has been returned to the broth, add :

Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add water as needed to maintain broth level. It seems to be best to cool and freeze for several days before eating. As with most Mexican dishes, additives and garnishes are served on the side – salsa, chopped onion, and fresh cilantro are common. Flavor is enhanced if consumed with corn chips or tortillas.

Tania Chavez uses two cups of dry posole (or 1 pkg frozen). She begins with the pork completely covered with water in a large, covered spaghetti pot. Posole replaces hominy and is simmered, along with the meat and all other ingredients, until the kernels split. The meat is falling apart by this time, so the cubing stage is omitted and the spices are well cooked in. Tania omits the canned tomatoes but uses several cloves of chopped garlic and one tsp oregano, another of the favorite Mexican spices for characteristic flavor. Pork chops or boned chicken can be substituted for the pork roast.

Regular or non-stick skillets work well for cooking tortillas, and cast-iron pans or griddles create excellent results. If using a cast-iron griddle, reduce heat to medium.
Tortillas can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer. To store, layer each cooled tortilla with waxed paper. Wrap the stack in plastic-wrap and seal in a self-sealing plastic bag. Tortillas will keep for five days in the refrigerator or six months in the freezer. Remove tortillas as needed from freezer bag and thaw completely before using.

The first tortillas were made from corn kernels simmered in lye water till soft, then ground by hand with a mano and matate. Lye water is made by percolating water through wood ashes. Today, masa harina (corn flour) tortilla flour is used instead.

Combine tortilla flour and salt and add water in a medium mixing bowl. Stir mixture together with your hands till dough is firm but moist (if necessary, add additional water, one tablespoon at a time). Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
Divide dough into 12 equal portions and shape into balls. Use a tortilla press or a rolling pin to make 6-inch tortillas. Flatten dough between sheets of waxed paper. When using a rolling pin, roll from center to edges.
Preheat an 8-inch ungreased skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper from a tortilla and place the tortilla in the hot pan. Cook, turning every 30 seconds, for 2 minutes or until it is dry and light-brown (it should still be soft). Keep tortillas covered with foil while cooking additional ones to prevent them from drying out. Use tortillas immediately or cool and store (see TORTILLA TIPS). Makes 12 6-inch tortillas.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening till well combined. Add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing till dough can be gathered into a ball (if necessary, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time). On a lightly floured surface, knead dough 15 to 20 times. Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
For 8-inch tortillas, divide dough into 12 equal portions and shape into balls. For 10-inch tortillas, divide dough into eight equal portions.
Flatten one ball of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface. Roll from center to edges into an 8- or 10-inch circle. Repeat with remaining dough. As you work, stack rolled-out tortillas between sheets of waxed paper.
Preheat a 10- or 12-inch ungreased skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Remove one sheet of waxed paper and place the tortilla in the hot pan. Cook about 30 seconds or till puffy. Turn and cook about 30 seconds more or till edges curl up slightly. Cover the tortillas with foil to keep warm while making additional ones. Use immediately or cool and store (see Tortilla Tips above). Makes 12 8-inch or 8 10-inch tortillas. For the following variations, prepare dough for flour tortillas :

Combine paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Brush oil over tortillas and sprinkle with paprika mixture. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Spread on an ungreased 15"x10"x1" baking pan. Bake in a 350° oven for 8-10 minutes or till chips are crisp and edges are lightly browned. Serve with salsa if desired. Makes about four cups.

Partially freeze pork and slice across the grain into thin strips. Place pork in a plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, five-spice powder, and crushed red pepper. Distribute this marinade over the pork inside the sealed bag. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or 2 hours in refrigerator.
Stack tortillas on a large piece of foil, wrap securely and warm in a 300° oven for 10-15 minutes or till heated throughout. Keep warm.
Cut plantains or bananas in half lengthwise, slice crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Cook plantains (not bananas) in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or till brown, turning occasionally. Remove from skillet. Add pepper strips and onions to skillet, cook, and stir 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from skillet.
Drain pork well and discard marinade. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to skillet. Add pork. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes or until no pink remains.
Return vegetable mixture to skillet. Stir in 1/3 cup sweet-and-sour sauce. Add plantains or bananas and cook, while stirring, for 1 minute till heated thoroughly. To serve, fill warm tortillas with pork mixture and roll into logs.
You might serve with additional bottled sweet-and-sour sauce and slices of mango, orange, and kumquat. Makes 4 main-dish servings of two fajitas each.

For sauce, place chili peppers (if you are using them) in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 45-60 minutes and drain. Combine drained chili peppers (or crushed red pepper), undrained tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, and salt in a food processor bowl or blender container. Cover and process or blend till mixture is smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer sauce, uncovered, for 10 minutes or till slightly thickened (you should have about1 2/3 cups). Remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
For the filling, combine the shredded chicken (or turkey), drained corn, 1/4 cup oregano (or dried oregano), and 2/3 cup of the sauce in a medium mixing bowl.
Heat 1 teaspoon of the cooking oil in a small skillet. Place 1 tortilla into the hot oil about 10 seconds or just until limp, turning once. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, adding the additional 2 teaspoons of oil as necessary. Drain the tortillas on paper towels.
Spoon filling equally over the tortillas, roll into fat joints, and place the seam side down in a greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Cover and bake in a 350°F oven about 25 minutes or until well heated. Uncover and sprinkle the enchiladas with cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes more or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with sweet-pepper strips and oregano if it pleases you. Makes eight enchiladas.

Use enough water to make soft dough. Let dough set, then roll out. Cut into circles, put filling in and seal. Deep fry.

Preheat oven to 475°F. Mix and stir, 100 strokes, the water, yeast, salt and 1 to 2 cups flour. Knead dough until stiff. Cover and rise about 45 minutes. Cut into 10 to 12 pieces. Shape into balls and roll into 5 to 7-inch circles. Let rise 30 to 45 minutes in warm place. Bake on preheated baking sheets, on lowest oven shelf, for about 6 minutes.

Mix the dry ingredients, set aside. Mix the margarine, honey and egg. Add the milk. Mix the dry ingredients with milk mixture for 5 minutes. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Bake at 350°F in greased muffin tins. Makes 12 to 15 muffins.