Are you planning a tequila tasting party and need some authentic Mexican dishes to wash it all down? Well then, lets steer away from what most of us here on this side of the border consider to be Mexican food and look at the excellent cuisine from a beautiful region in Mexico.
In the Jalisco region you will find that there is an abundance of produce because of the reasonable temperatures in the central valleys. So a lot of the customary recipes use tomatoes, onions, chilies of all sorts, tomatillos, garlic, lettuce, avocados, jicama, papaya, plantains, citrusy fruits such as oranges, limes and lemons and herbs such as cilantro, oregano and cumin.
So if you were to stop in for dinner in a typical family home in or near Jalisco you may find what is being served are varieties of salsas that could include Pico de Gallo or a tomatillo and arbol chili salsa. For main dishes you might see tostadas de tinga, camarones al chipotle, birria, chilaquiles, tomatadas . Freshly made tortillas, authentic black beans and rice would also definitely be on the table.
Serve the recipes below in an assembly fashion with some good tequilas for tasting. Your tequila menu could include all or some of the following, depending on the amount of guests you have.
Tequila Tasting List
Anejos
Gran Centenario Anejo
Mi Viejo Anejo
Platas
Asombroso Platina
Don Eduardo Silver
Reposados
Milagro Reserva Reposado
Chinaco Reposado
Pico De Gallo
(4 cups)
8 small Roma tomatoes 1/4"dice
1/2 small red onion minced
1 bunch cilantro finely chopped
2 Serrano Chiles, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic minced
2 T lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
sugar to taste
In a bowl mix all ingredients together and serve right away. This is best served within an hour of making it.
This particular Pico de Gallo is pretty basic. You could make an alternative salsa with only using 1 jicama cubed, 2 oranges sliced (no peel) juice from 1 lemon and topped with chili piquin (a powder form of chili).
Tostadas De Tinga
Tinga is a Mayan root word meaning shredded meat cooked with vegetables
(serves 8)
2 lbs. chicken breast bone in
2 large white onion sliced thinly (separated)
4 chili de arbol dried
3 guallio peppers dried
4 cloves garlic minced
2 cups chicken broth
8 tostada shells
thinly sliced tomato
finely shredded lettuce
queso fresco
sliced avocado
lime wedges
traditional refritos (optional)
In a large pot combine the chicken, 1 onion, all the chilies, garlic and chicken broth and fill the pot with water right up to the top of the chicken so a little of the chicken is out. Bring to a boil, stirring to mix all well. After it boils, cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally. After 2 hours remove the lid and remove the chicken. Let the chicken cool a bit and then remove all the bones and add the chicken back to the pot. Continue to cook the chicken until most of the liquid is soaked up and evaporated. Chicken should be very moist, at this point shred the chicken well.
To assemble the tostadas simple top the shell in the following order: refritos (optional), chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado and queso fresco. Garnish with limes.
Authentic Black Beans
1 lb. dry black beans soaked over night
1 large yellow onion chopped
6 cloves garlic chopped
1 jalapenos deveined, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 T cumin seed, toasted and ground*
extra virgin olive oil for cooking
salt and pepper to taste
Soak the black beans in water, covered just a bit, over night in a large pot. Drain the beans and set aside. Using the same pot, heat olive oil and add onions, garlic, jalapeno and bay leaf. Sauté for about 5 minutes. The onions should be translucent. Add the ground cumin, salt, pepper and the beans and fill pot with water about an inch or so above beans. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer about an hour, maybe a bit more. Take out the bay leaf. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed for desired taste. Serve.
Mexican Rice
2 cups long grain white rice
1 T butter
3 bouillon cubes
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 white onion chopped
5 medium Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup of corn kernels
1 T fresh cilantro chopped
1 Serrano Chile deseeded (optional)
Puree tomatoes, onion, garlic and Serrano Chile. Add water to puree to make 4 cups of liquid. Brown rice a little with butter. Add tomato puree, stir. Bring to a boil, cover reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes until light and water is absorbed. Add corn and cilantro and cover for 5 minutes. Stir right before serving.
These homemade recipes passed along to me from a dear friend from Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico will definitely give you the traditional Mexican flavor you'll need to add to your tequila tasting fiesta. Enjoy and please look for more recipes from ajjdesigns@gmail.com
