Latino (35)
"Pork Tenderloin" is NOT the same cut of meat as "Pork Loin." The Pork Tenderloin is the Pork version of Beef Tenderloin, which would be used to make the Chateaubriand or, when cut into steaks, the Filet Mignon. This Pork Tenderloin preparation is fast, easy, and tasty, with a time to table of less than 2 hours. And Chimichurri is the perfect flavor enhancement for the a juicy Pork Tenderloin.
Barbacoa (Shredded Beef Roast) is the classic Sunday afternoon family dinner meal. However, roast beef is not always the easiest meal to make. An under-cooked roast won't shred properly, and an overcooked roast will be dry and tasteless. But fear not! With this simple recipe, a consistently perfect shredded Chuck Roast is easy to achieve. Marinade the roast, give it a nice sear, and add it to the Slow Cooker for about 8 hours. Shred the finished beef and add back into the flavorful au jus for the perfect Barbacoa, every time!
In most Latin American Countries, a "Limon" can be yellow OR green; they consider it to be the same fruit. This super sweet "Lemonade" is made with (green) limes. This Brazilian drink called Swiss Lemonade, as it uses "Swiss" Sweetened Condensed Milk as an ingredient, is a super-sweet thirst quencher on a hot day. Many recipes incorporate the entire fruit from the Lime into the blender, however, I have found that inclusion of the pith results in a bitter flavor. This is why I include only the zest and the juice from the Lime.
Carne Guisada is a traditional Mexican beef Stew. Carne Guisada is a Mexican Style Pot Roast with lots of sauce. You can serve Guisada as a stew, as taco filling, or even a meat-sauce served over rice. Using a slow cooker will produce meat that is fall-apart tender, with very minimal effort. This dish is so tasty, that you might want to double it, just to ensure that you will have leftovers.
Fideo Soup is a traditional Latino dish from Mexico. This Soup can be made with a variety of ingredients, with the only real requirement being the inclusion of fideo pasta, (short vermicelli noodles).
This is an easy Pork recipe, designed for the Sous Vide. You can prepare beforehand and freeze in a vacuum-sealed bag up to 6 months. Just drop the bag in your Sous Vide pot and walk away. Your main course will be ready to eat a few hours later.
Chimichurri is the quintessential Argentine Flavor. Chimichurri can be used as a marinade to flavor roasts and steaks before cooking and it can be used as a finishing sauce for meats at the dining table.
Chimichurri is the quintessential Argentine Flavor. Chimichurri can be used to flavor roasts and steaks before cooking or it can be used as a sauce for meats at the dining table. Red Chimichurri adds roasted pimento for a fuller, smokey flavor.
Enchilada Casserole is more Tex-Mex than Mexican food. This is an easy recipe that can be prepared in advance and then refrigerated in the casserole dish, up to 1 week. The crème fraiche or Greek yogurt will make the sauce creamy, while the jalapeno peppers will bring just a hint of heat.
Carnitas (meaning "little meat") is a traditional Latino pork dish made using a French cooking method called "confit", where the meat is slowly deep fried (over several hours) in seasoned hot oil (usually lard). Alternatively, you can make Carnitas by cutting the meat in to smaller pieces and then slowly stewing (or braising) the meat, then frying in lard. The Sous Vide produces a tender and juicy meat. And then frying the pork will provide the crispy crunch associated with traditional Carnitas. After the Carnitas have been fried, allow them to cool and then shred (pull) the pork. Lard can be refrigerated for a few weeks or frozen for 6 months and reused across multiple batches of Carnitas.
Achiote Paste is a traditional Mexican rub that can be used to flavor meat. Achiote (also called annatto) is a redish-orange powder that is ground from the seeds of the achiote plant. Achiote has a mild, nutty, sweet flavor, with a slight taste of pepper. Achiote paste can be made by mixing achiote powder with other ingredients. Achiote paste can be used to season chicken, pork, beef, or fish.
When I cook for others, I typically can't add my preferred level of heat. This Instant Heat Hot Sauce is a homemade Tabasco replacement. The heat level on this Sauce can be intensified by adding Serrano Peppers or even an Habanero Pepper in addition to the Jalapeños. Conversely, you can mellow the heat by Oven-Roasting the Jalapeños before adding them to the blender. This recipe will yield about 12 Ounces of "Instant Heat" Homemade Smoked Jalapeño Hot Sauce.
Locro is a flavorful stew that utilizes fall vegetables, like corn (hominy) and acorn squash. Traditionally, Locro de Argentina includes veal shoulder, pork shoulder, and Argentine chorizo. In this recipe, the veal has been replaced with beef shoulder, as it is easier to find. Argentine chorizo is an uncured (raw) sausage, made with a blend of ground beef and ground pork. The ground meat is often seasoned with garlic, paprika, and occasionally red wine. Argentine chorizo is typically grilled or occasionally smoked. In this recipe, Argentine chorizo can be replaced with any uncured, garlic sausage. Locro can be easily prepared and then put together in a slow cooker to tenderize the hominy, the legumes and the meat. The squash, legumes, and hominy are mashed to provide a creamy, thick stew. A flavored oil is drizzled on top for serving.
It seems like good Latino food always begins with Sofrito, a flavorful sauce base that is traditionally made by mincing Garlic, Onion, and Pimentos Verde (Green Bell Pepper). I like to further accentuate this soup with fresh Cilantro with fresh Lime. This soup includes a single chopped Jalapeño pepper to provide just a hint of heat. I prefer to use Chicken Thighs over Chicken Breasts as the dark meat is typically more flavorful and juicier when poached. Serving the soup over a pile of Rice makes this into a hearty meal.
Rice is a staple for Mexican food. It can turn nearly any snack into a meal. This is an easy, traditional Mexican Rice that will accompany any Latino dish. You can add chopped, roasted Jalapeños for additional flavor. In order to scale, measure 1/4 dry Rice per serving. Measure out the Rice to Water ratio at 1:2.
When you want the taste of Mexican Street Corn, but Corn on the Cob is not in season, this handy recipe provides a year 'round solution using canned Sweet Corn. The Corn kernels turn a nice golden brown color as the sugars in the corn begin to carnalize. Although the addition of Ranch Dressing makes the recipe "less than authentic", it elevates the flavor profile in a unique way. This Street Corn is a tasty side dish for Tacos, Fajitas, or Mole.
This recipe provides a pretty exact flavor match to the white rice served at a certain fast food burrito chain, but without the salmonella. Rice is a staple for Mexican food. It can turn nearly any snack into a meal. This is an easy, traditional Mexican Rice that will accompany any Latino dish. You can add chopped, roasted Jalapeños for additional flavor. In order to scale, measure 1/4 cup dry Rice per serving. Measure out the Rice to Water ratio at 1:2. This recipe provides a pretty exact flavor match to the white rice served at a certain fast food burrito chain, but without the salmonella.
Mole is a Spanish word meaning "sauce", as used in the word "guacamole".
Red or Brown Mole includes unsweetened cocoa.
This peasant dish can be made with nearly any other available ingredients. Here is my favorite Brown Mole Sauce...
This is an easy recipe, designed for the Sous Vide. You can prepare beforehand and freeze in a vacuum-sealed bag up to 6 months. Just drop the bag in your Sous Vide pot and walk away. Your main course will be ready to eat a few hours later.
Mole is a Spanish word meaning "sauce", as used in the word "guacamole". Traditional green mole is typically made with roasted pumpkin seeds. This peasant dish can be made with nearly any other available ingredients. Here is my favorite Green Mole Sauce...
This salsa is made from scratch. The fresh ingredients add a sweet spice and the oven roasted ingredients provide a smokey spice. The heat level of this recipe is non-existent, but this salsa can be "heated" with anything from Poblano peppers, for a very mild heat, to Ghost Chilis that will knock your socks off.
Tomatillos may look like green tomatoes, but they are more closely related to peppers than tomatoes. Tomatillos have a slightly sour but very smooth flavor, Oven roasting them will produce a smoky counterpoint to the sour. A tasty addition to sauces, soups, stews, and chilis.
Lomo Saltado is a traditional Peruvian sauteed beef stir fry. The beef is marinated in a soy sauce and Chinese vinegar mixture, stir-fried with onions and peppers, and then served with white rice and french fried potatoes.
Mayonnaise is an emulsification; egg yolk and flavorings are emulsified in oil, creating a thick, creamy, flavorful condiment. In Latin American, mayo is used for much more than an occasional condiment on your deli sandwich. But to be fair, mayonesa (Spanish for Mayonnaise) has a very different flavor than the Mayonnaise that can be commercially purchased in the United States. Mayonesa can be used to hold together a Tuna Fish Sandwich, as a dipping sauce for Fried Yucca (Cassava), or even as a finishing sauce for Roast Chicken. Pasteurizing the eggs will kill any potentially dangerous bacteria, making the mayonnaise safe to eat without cooking. I would strongly discourage using unpasteurized, uncooked eggs in any recipe.
The traditional Peruvian potato is purple in color. Although purple potatoes provide a beautifully unique presentation for your finished meal, there is not a lot of difference, taste or nutritionally, between purple potatoes and their North American cousins. If Purple potatoes are available, they are great in this recipe. However, then can be easily replaced with Gold or Red potatoes. However, the high starch content found in Russet potatoes make them less than ideal for this recipe. So stick with Purple, Gold, or Red.
Peru has a fairly large Chinese Immigrant population. As a result, Soy Sauce has become a common ingredient in Peruvian food. This savory Chicken would traditionally be served with Potato Fries or Yucca (Casava) Fries. The Finishing Sauce would traditionally include Mayonnaise instead of Greek Yogurt. However, South American Mayonnaise has a different flavor and consistency from the Mayo available in the US. The Yogurt is healthier than Mayo, and in my opinion, will provide a flavor that is better than US Mayo.
Although the Chicken requires a 12 to 24 hour marinade time, this meal is easy to prepare with only about 30 minutes active preparation required.
Pico de Gallo (meaning "rooster beak" or "rooster's peck") is a common vegetable blend that is traditionally added to Latino food.
Pico de Gallo (meaning "rooster beak" or "rooster's peck") is a common vegetable blend that is frequently added to Latino food. I have taken the original Pico de Gallo recipe, added chopped grilled beef, and named it "Pico de Toro" ("pico" also means "lip" or "edge"). This is not a traditional Latino recipe, but it is great with tortilla chips or even as a filling for tacos.
This is an easy recipe, designed for the Sous Vide. You can prepare beforehand and freeze in a vacuum-sealed bag up to 6 months. Just drop the bag in your Sous Vide pot and walk away. Your main course will be ready to eat a few hours later.
The Quesadilla Crunchwrap (commercially marketed under a similar name) could be easily obtained at a well-known fast food chain. However, this recipe will allow you to replace the "fast food" ingredients with better quality and better flavor. This Quesadilla Crunchwrap can be cooked in a frying pan, or (ideally) with a Panini Press. The Quesadilla Crunchwrap is an extremely flexible dish that can be filled with pretty much any kind of Meat that you have on hand.
This salsa can be used as a dip with chips at the dining table, while watching the game, or as a sauce for tacos or enchiladas before cooking.
The meat of choice for the new San Antonio style BBQ is Chicken. This culinary delight, also called Pollo de Norteña, originates from Monteray, Mexico (located in northern Mexico). Preperation of San Antonio BBQ Chicken involves both a rub (Achiote Paste) AND a citrus-based marinade. The rub is a traditional paste that is available at many grocery stores or Latino grocery stores. If you cannot find a commercially available Achiote Paste, a "from scratch" rub recipe is also provided below. Cover the meat with the rub and refrigerate for about 24 hours. Then add the marinade and refrigerate for another 4 to 6 hours. Traditionally, this BBQ would be cooked over a wood-fired grill, but a standard oven can be used as a suitable replacement with the addition of a vertical spit. Serve with Corn Tortillas and lots of Verde Sauce.
This sauce originally comes from Spain with local versions found in nearly every Latin country. There are likely as many variations to Sofrito, as there are people who make it. The core ingredients are Onions, Greeen Bell Peppers, and Garlic. Sofrito can be prepared beforehand in large quantities, then refrigerated or frozen until needed.
Taco Stew is an easy to make dish without a long preparation time.
Verde sauce is a Cilantro/Tomatillo sauce that provides the perfect finish to Mexican Chicken or Pork dishes. The addition of an avocado provides a creamy consistency that makes this the perfect finishing sauce.
