Gastronomic Traditions in municipio Union de San Antonio, Jalisco

[EatNopales]

Diana Kennedy's books and those of other famous authors are of course fabulous but also superficial by nature. The marketing need to cover recognizable place names and take a broad regional approach, as well as how they find recipes & dishes , ultimately leads to a very superficial coverage of any particular region. Even in her recent, award winning Oaxaca book, there is very little depth into the various micro regions of the state.

In contrast, I really enjoy the ambitious government backed ethno-culinary projects of the CONACULTA ministry. They have several series that seek to document the culinary traditions of every municipality in Mexico (approximately 2,500)... one such series is the Cocina Popular e Indigena (focusing on ethnic minorities & remote regions), there is also La Cocina Familiar (focusing on mainstream/urban Mexican populations) etc., What makes these so valuable is that they are usually written by a local, sometimes it is a trained culinary anthropologist with great depth... sometimes it is a first year college student... the quality is uneven but they present a familar comprehensive (including all the seasonality & festivals) unfiltered (if they eat squirrels or armadillo no need to censor that) look at their regions dishes... and full of gems that that cookbook authors unsurprisingly miss.

This my humble attempt at covering the culinary traditions of Union de San Antonio municipality located within the region of the Jalisco Highlands. My dad was born in the village of San Jose de los Reynoso (pop. a few hundred), my mom on a ranch just outside of Tlacuitpa town (pop. 1,500) both within Union de San Antonio about 6 miles apart, I have spent entire summers in the region and collected recipes, stories, myths & lores from a variety of relatives and their friends... this mini essay is a faithful summarization of my notes & memories.

The municipio lies 6,000 ft above sea level and is characterized by perpetual blue skies with puffy white clouds, it really only rains during the summer, the soil is sandy, poor & thin, fairly arid but with lakes, streams and small dramatic craggy mountains. The vegetation is mostly mesquite, oak trees, cactus etc. Almost all families have dairy cows, raise pigs & chickens, grow corn, beans, squash, barley, oats, tomatoes, tomatillos, chiles, onions, garlic, mex oregano, thyme, cilantro, mint, watermelon, cantaloupe, white zapote, guava, cactus pears; they also do a little hunting & forage for cactus pears, herbs, mushrooms & a few other things.

People typically start the day with Vanilla, Cinnamon or Chocolate flavored Atole at dawn. After working hard you sit down for a hearty breakfast around 9AM. Most days this means a small bowl of whole beans in their broth, a wedge of homemade fresco cheese (or other dairy products), a couple of raw jalapenos, a stack of handmade corn tortillas, and glass of steaming of Mex hot chocolate. Incidentally, the local heirloom bean varieties are called Cacahuate (a brownish Pinto style bean), Morado de Agua (a purpleish bean) and Blanquito (a small white bean)

Other common breakfasts are:

Papas Rancheras (partly boiled potatoes that are pan fried with onions, chiles, tomatoes).. serve them with a couple of fried eggs... if there are leftover beans from the prior day you might have them refried.

Torta de Huevo (basically a fritata with onions, cactus strips or green beans)... with some fried potatoes.

The local butcher makes fresh Chorizo & Longaniza on Saturdays so most people eat Chorizo scrambled with Eggs or Cactus or Potatoes on Sundays.

Another popular weekend breakfast is Pork Chops served with Green Salsa, fried potatoes & Fresh Squeezed orange juice (a relative luxury in that part of Mexico).

Yet another weekend tradition are the Gordas de Natas... basically Corn Bread made with scalded milk fat in an iron cast dutch oven served with tropical fruit (papaya, pineapple, mangos and/or bananas which are also a luxury) these might be topped with homemade sweetened Jocoque (very similar to Lebanese / Greek Yogurt) or Cultured Cream.

Bananas are the most frequently eaten fruit with breakfast... sometimes you have them with a little honey, condensed milk or sweetened cultured cream.

The main meal of the day is served around 2PM, and usually involves something cooked a la "Ranchera"

Chicken is the most commonly consumed meat (most people raise & butcher their own) and Pollo Ranchero is probably the most common dish eaten. A whole chicken cut into pieces, browned alongside potatoes then braised in a tomato, onion, jalapeno sauce, served with lightly boiled vegetables (usually Mexican zucchini, chayote and or green beans) and a stack of tortillas. A single Chicken typically feeds 6 to 8 people - the meal is all about a small piece of chicken with a lot of sauce & potatoes; and after you are done you eat refried beans with tortillas until satiated.

Carne Ranchera... is basically the same dish but made with flank steak instead of chicken.. and for some reason no vegetables (other than potatoes).

Costillas a la Ranchera is another variation on the theme but with Pork Ribs, and for the vegtables it is sliced Mex zucchini & greens (Purslane or Wild Quelites).

In the non-Ranchera vein you have Caldos & Cocidos.

A Caldo is a clear soup with big chunks of beef (stew meat, oxtails etc.,) or a whole Chicken cut in pieces.. the soup has green beans, mex zucchini, corn on the cob... you garnish it with raw onions, cilantro, raw chiles or salsa & a squeeze of lime. The soups are always served with Arroz Mexicano (stir fried rice cooked with tomato sauce, broth, peas & carrots) on the side.

Cocidos are akin to the Irish Corned Beef & Cabbage... after boiling beef for a long time, you remove it, cook vegetables in the broth... remove those... serve the broth in a bowl with onions, herbs, chiles & limes... the meat & vegetables are served on a separate plate with a fresh made salsa & stack of tortillas.

Many meals are meatless... you might eat something as a simple as Refried Beans with a wedge of fresco cheese and tortillas etc., more elaborate dishes include Chile Rellenos & Capeados. Everybody knows basic Chile Rellenos; in Union de San Antonio they come in three primary styles:

Stuffed with Melting Cheese, egg battered, fried & simmered in a tomato herbal sauce with a little side of refried beans.

Stuffed with Refried Beans & fatty pork bits, not egg battered or fried just roasted, served with tortillas, sliced avocados & tomatoes.

Stuffed with smashed potatoes & melting cheese, then sprinkled with Cotija (aged cheese similar to Parmesan), not egg battered or fried.. but baked until the cheese melts.

Capeados are vegetables cooked like Chile Rellenos. For example, round Mex zucchinis are baked for a few minutes, the insides are scooped out & mixed with cheese, then battered & pan fried and finally simmered in a tomato sauce. Similar technique used with Cauliflower, Chard & Broccoli.

A dish commonly eaten on Fridays (which is a year round religious "meatless" day) - Shrimp fritters (kind of like Crab Cakes) served with sautéed cactus strips in a dried Pasilla chile sauce.

On the weekends, you are typically eating Birria, Asados, Caldo Michi or Carnitas / Fritanga.

Birria is a slow cooked goat marinated in spicy blend of chiles, onions, garlic, vinegar, herbs & spices then either slowly cooked in a pit or stewed it is a lot like an Indian goat curry.

Asados are any number of animals grilled over Mesquite primarily Beef Skirt Steaks, Ribeyes, split Chickens, Cornish Game hens, baby goats, suckling pigs, catfish steaks, whole bass, rabbits etc., You also grill special types of Chorizo, Nopal pads, spring onions, chiles and the complete spread includes Guacamole, Tortillas, Salsa, Cactus Salad, Pickled Vegetables (Cauliflower, Carrots, Green Beans).

Caldo Michi is a spicy soup of carp head, catfish steaks, bass fillets, crawfish, corn on the cob, chayotes, green beans, mex zucchini.

Carnitas of course need very little explanation... Fritanga is basically the same thing but with different animals. In Union de San Antonio this means little Quails that are marinaded in orange juice, garlic, herbs & spices then "naked" fried (not battered cooked kind of like "Fried" turkeys in the South) to a crispy exterior. Other Fritanga cuts of meat include beef organs (sweetbreads, kidneys etc.), whole fish (usually sun fish, bass & catfish), pork intestines, and rabbit.

Desserts are usually fresh cut fruit (guava, zapote, cactus pears), fruits cooked in syrup, sweet meats (fruits cooked in sugar and shaped into rolls), or Jamoncillos (milk fudge bars) that you have with Café de Olla (a weakfish coffee boiled with cinnamon sticks & brown sugar). On special occasions you might have Jericalla (kind of like a Crème Brulee), Bunuelos (wheat tortillas fried in lard then finished with homemade cinnamon syrup), or Torrejas de Pan (basically a French toast that is simmered in homemade cinnamon syrup the end result is kind of like sticky bun).

Dinners are usually very light. You make tacos with leftover stews & beans, you make simple tacos like sliced avocado or sliced tomatoes & salt. If you live close to town you might go to the bakery for freshly baked Pan Dulce with Hot Chocolate or Cinnamon Tea brewed from sticks of real cinnamon.

Restaurant Food... restaurants generally only open 1 or 2 days a week, and make just one thing.

There is a lady that makes the local style of Enchiladas on Fridays only (this is a tortilla that is quickly fried then sauced with a very spicy dark red salsa, folded into triangles & topped with a light dusting of aged cheese & raw onions served with a Chicken quarter, Carrot & potatoes that were all simmered until tender then browned in the enchilada oil).

On Saturday afteroons, a single stand makes Gorditas stuffed with Beans and/or Chicharron

Two stands sell Carne Asada and Carnitas tacos almost every night at Tlacuitapa's central plaza.

One restaurant sells Pozole (Pork & Hominy Soup garnished with raw cabbage, oregano & chile powder) on Fridays & Saturdays.

Another restaurant sells Turkey in the local reddish-brown mole on Sundays.

The meat markets sell Pickled Pork Skin & Pig Feet on the weekends, people buy them for botanas (tapas). You make tostadas or salads with them to have with a beer watching a soccer game or boxing match.

The only regular place to get a meal on any given day are the two cantinas in town they simply cook a lot of the same foods I already described but here is the interesting part... You pay for either drinks or food.. not both. If you drink beer or bottled spirits then you pay for the drinks... have 3 or more drinks and you get all the free food you could want. Or you can order food from the menu, pay for the food and it comes with a complimentary house made Tequila (the Arandas tequila NOM is about twenty miles away, so many people have the knowledge to grow Agave & distill their own small batch artisinal drink.)

All the foods mentioned thus far are the typical foods eaten by most people on a regular basis, it should give you a good understanding of how dishes fit in with the lifestyle & nutritional balance developed over the centures. The following is a compendium of dishes that I have eaten personally, cooked either in Union de San Antonio or by members of its diaspora throughout Mexico and the United States (relatives, friends etc.,)

Albondigas (Pork meatballs seasoned with mint & oregano), served over a tomato broth with seasonal vegetables mentioned elsewhere.

Albondigas en Blanco (Pork meatballs served in a roux based, herbal white sauce this is pared with Penne pasta that is cooked with a simple non-Italian tomato sauce)

Chicharron Verdo o Rojo... they sure love making Chicharrones in this region and the fine, thin, relatively sheets of lighter colored fried pork skins are typically simmered with either a Jalapeno-Tomatillo brothy sauce or an Ancho brothy sauce to a spaetzle like, spongey texture.

Enchiladas Rojas (Stale tortillas are pan fried, then bathe in a Guajillo sauce, stuffed with smashed potatoes, rolled & topped with aged cheese, pulled chicken & sauced with cultured crema)

Escabeches.... the classic pickle of Mexico the locals primarily pickle Pig Feet & Skin, Jalapenos, Cauliflower, Carrots & Cabbage

Fideos en Caldillo (browned vermicelli simmered with Salsa Ranchera & broth) served with aged & fresco cheese, Jocqoque, Ricotta and/or Crema

Fideos en Caldo de Frijol (browned vermicelli cooked with bean pot liquour & served with lots of dried cheese)

Fideos con Platano (one of the stranger dishes in the region... its the vermicelli simmered in a simple tomato sauce & topped with sliced fresh or sauteed bananas)

Guisado de Verduras (Squash Blossoms, Calabacitas, Wild Greens & boiled Corn are braised in a sauce of chopped tomatoes, onions, herbs & jalapeno)

Huevos Ahogados (Poached eggs served in a tomato caldillo)

Lechon Asado (tender suckling pig roasted over a mezquite fire is a treat people dream about all year long)

Lengua or Cabeza en Tomate (tender braised beef tongue or cheeks in tomato broth)

Lengua or Cabeza en Guajillo (tender braised beef tongue or cheeks in a guajillo based adobo)

Lentejas con Chorizo (the locally grown lentils are similar to the French brown lentils.. they are simmered with browned chorizo, sauteed onion & garlic and cilantro leaves)

Macarrones (Macarrones is the local catch all phrase for hollow pasta such as Penne which is typically served in a very Mexican tomato sauce and/or picadillo, cotija cheese & lots of cultured crema)

Milanesa con Pure (Thin beef steak Milanese served with smashed potatoes.. I should mention there is a local, very creamy potato that is collected in the wild that is preferred over the more common papa cambray)

Mole Amarillo (Roux, Guajillo puree, Broth from boiling Pork Spine.. the Pork spine and cooked yellow Habas aka Lima beans served with Sopes de Manteca... a sope that is scored and bathed with hot lard) - this dish is also referred to as Mole a lo Pobre (Poorman's Mole). My dad always joked that the women of this town didn't know how to make a proper mole and the best this was the best they could come up with.

Mole Dulce / Mole Tlacuitapa (This is the local reddish brown Mole made with Peanuts, animal crackers, almonds, pine nut, pumpkin seed, ancho chile, Mex table chocolate, cinammon, tomato & brown sugar served over Chicken or Pork)

Nopales Fritos (Diced boiled tomatoes, pan fried with plenty of good lard)

Paleta de Novillo en Barbacoa (A big hunk of Veal shoulder is marinaded a sauce of Cascabel & Chipotle chiles with Coriander seed) it is then slowly steam roasted & served with simply steamed green garbanzo beans. Not in Mexico, "steaming vegetables" is the term for salting the slightly moist vegetable & cooking, covered in a clay pot over low heat until just tender enough to eat.

Picadillo de Liebre (In many parts of Mexico today they call any saucy ground meat dish - think Sloppy Joe - a picadillo... however the word picadillo means mince.. and in my parent's region they still do it the old way... gamey or leftover meats are simmered until very tender.. once they are cool they are shredded and minced then finally they are pan fried with a strong flavored chile paste. In the Union, this treatment is normally used on Hare, the occassional deer, or an old Ox.... in this region the paste is usually made with Ancho, Guajillo & Arbol chiles with vinegar, garlic, herbs & spices (similar to what is prepared for Birria)

Pollo en Caldillo Blanco (Chicken pieces are browned, the resulting fat is used to make a Roux to which you add thyme, mint, chopped tomato & broth simmer until the chicken is cooked & tender)

Pollo en Caldillo Rojo (Chicken pieces are browned then the resulting fat is used to make a Roux to which you add pureed, blanched tomatoes and simmer until the chicken is cooked & tender)

Sardinas en Coctel (Packaged sardines are chopped up & mixed with spring onions, marinaded in lime juice then served with a cocktail sauce of ketchup, water, a few tablespoons of Escabeche vinager & salt... they are much better than they sound)

Sopa de Verduras (Tomato Puree & Knorr broth with Carrots, Peas, Green Beans & Lima Beans)

Tortitas de Papa (Plain & simple Potato pancakes served with Nopales that are diced & braised in a guajillo chile sauce)

Tortitas de Frijol (The local white bean is boiled then drained & pureed, mixed with breadcrumbs & pan fried)

Tostadas are serious business here.. as the nearby, touristy city San Juan de los Lagos might be Mexico's capital of tostadas & fried tacos. The secret are the tortillas rapadas, stale tortillas are soaked in a lime (cal) & salt solution until the release a thin layer of "skin" which is peeled off by hand, they are then drained & sun dried until crisp & flat before frying in lard.. the result are impossibly thin, almost flaky tostadas that pack a big wallop of the excellent local pork lard flavor. These tostadas are often served on meatless fridays with a very thin lining of refried beans, chopped Orejona lettuce (a type of romaine) & the local table salsa par excellence (roasted tomatillos, roasted garlic, ancho, guajillo & arbol chiles with a little minced spring onion & cilantro).

Chongos Zamoranes (This is the milk colostrum that is cultured until it becomes a soft, sweetish cheese that is served with a thin piloncillo syrup)

Fideos con Leche (Similar to Arroz con Leche but made with Vermicelli that is browned in butter then simmered with rich cream, sugar & sweet spices)

Pan de Acero (a Challah like bread made with plenty of Natas (scalded milk), Eggs & Cream in a Cast Iron contraption similar to a Dutch oven)

Platanos con Cajeta (Sliced Bananas drizzled with Dulce de Leche)

Tacos de Cajeta (Larded wheat tortillas make an occassional apperance in the region, leftover tortillas are likely to be stuffed with Cajeta & local salt for a very rustic dessert)

Tamales Colados (This is the name for the local sweet tamales in my dad's town they are flavored with cinammon, piloncillo & cow milk while in my mom's town they are flavored with orange rind, nutmeg, ginger, natas, aged cheese & condensed milk)

[SylviaLovegren]

Sounds like a wonderful project and my stomach is jealous of that list. I want that food! Now!

By the way, what is "scalded milk fat"?

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks, EatNopales! I know that we US Anglos have little access to the rich culture and traditions of regional Mexican cuisines, and I really appreciate your post about the CONACULTA culinary projects and specifically the information about this region of Jalisco.

Can you say a bit more about what is provided by butchers, (super)markets, farmers, etc.? What's a typical shopping excursion like? How often? To buy what?

Yet another weekend tradition are the Gordas de Natas... basically Corn Bread made with scalded milk fat in an iron cast dutch oven served with tropical fruit (papaya, pineapple, mangos and/or bananas which are also a luxury) these might be topped with homemade sweetened Jocoque (very similar to Lebanese / Greek Yogurt) or Cultured Cream.

What is the scalded milk fat? What's the phrase in Spanish for that? (ETA: Ooops: what SylviaLovegren said!)

Carne Ranchera... is basically the same dish but made with flank steak instead of chicken.. and for some reason no vegetables (other than potatoes).

How is the flank steak prepared?

I'll stop there but I have lots more questions to come!

Edited May 9, 2011 by Chris Amirault (log)

[kalypso]

EN, interesting post to say the least!

If you haven't seen the current issue of Savuer go find it. An intern for the OC Weekly (or maybe Reader, I can't remember which) wrote an article about visiting the ranchito in Zacatecas where his parents are from. I thought it was a pretty good article for mainstream consumption. You really should consider doing something like that with your information above.

I've got about half of each of both Conaculta series you mentioned, they are, indeed, a wonderful resource.

[rancho_gordo]

Great stuff. Do you think we could get samples of the beans for our bean trials here?

Is this considered Los Altos de Jalisco (que bonitos) as in the song by Jorge Negrete?

I love the Conaculta books but sometimes the recipes are very vague.

Cook the meat with wild onions and chiles in the usual manner.

re the Zacatecas article in Saveur, it's very sweet. I'm assuming what he calls Asada de Boda is known as Mole de Boda in town, and it's pretty awful. Home cooking is one thing but Zacatecas is the gateway to the culinary north and beyond gorditas, it's an odd place to celebrate Mexican cuisine. But the article is sweet and personal and just one small slice of the pie.

I was surprised that he has you bake the gorditas. That was a new one on me.

[Jenni]

Wow, that was an amazing post.

Would you consider sharing with us a few of the recipes?

[Darienne]

Wonderful. A good read and I enjoyed it immensely.

Two questions:

Mole Dulce / Mole Tlacuitapa: animal crackers? Do you actually mean those kiddy cookies?

You mention lots of pork bits like feet and so on, and also suckling pigs. However, unless I missed it, there is no mention of pork butts or larger cuts of pork being used.

Thanks again for such a lesson.

[EatNopales]

Sounds like a wonderful project and my stomach is jealous of that list. I want that food! Now!

By the way, what is "scalded milk fat"?

Sorry... I guess that description is probably less useful than clotted cream i.e., th layer of milk fat & skin that rises to the top when warming up milk (I believe to make Requeson / Ricotta).. is collected used to make anything from simple tacos - a spoonful of clotted cream & blackened jalapenos for example.. to baked goods.

[EatNopales]

Thanks, EatNopales! I know that we US Anglos have little access to the rich culture and traditions of regional Mexican cuisines, and I really appreciate your post about the CONACULTA culinary projects and specifically the information about this region of Jalisco.

Can you say a bit more about what is provided by butchers, (super)markets, farmers, etc.? What's a typical shopping excursion like? How often? To buy what?

Yet another weekend tradition are the Gordas de Natas... basically Corn Bread made with scalded milk fat in an iron cast dutch oven served with tropical fruit (papaya, pineapple, mangos and/or bananas which are also a luxury) these might be topped with homemade sweetened Jocoque (very similar to Lebanese / Greek Yogurt) or Cultured Cream.

What is the scalded milk fat? What's the phrase in Spanish for that? (ETA: Ooops: what SylviaLovegren said!)

Carne Ranchera... is basically the same dish but made with flank steak instead of chicken.. and for some reason no vegetables (other than potatoes).

How is the flank steak prepared?

I'll stop there but I have lots more questions to come!

I really appreciate the questions... there is no doubt lots I've missed and all your questions help sharpen this up. I don't expect to do anything more with this info but you never know.

Shopping & Butchers

In San Jose there is one butcher who works out of a shed behind his house. This is a pig farming town making most of its income selling lard to people who live in the nearby rural settlements & towns the land around it is particularly scrubby very few cows can pasture. The butcher has a planned schedule he butchers every 'x' days and the various families place their orders ahead of time... its first come first serve for the prized cuts. My grandpa's family had dibs on the head which they would stretch out for an entire week (there were a dozen in the household) other cuts they tried to claim were oxtails & loin chops (when money was good). In general the cow was butchered in large sections ( and then people broke it down as needed.. the following diagram is very close to what they do there (and I suspect this is typical throughout rural Mexico)

http://rincondelcocinero.com/wp-content/uploads/res.jpg

Tlacuitapa, being a slightly larger town has a more formal butcher although it selection is sparse and inconsistent / unpredictable. He always has chorizo & longaniza, bacon, smoked pork chops, pork leg & loin, flank steaks. On Friday's he brings in goats, skirt steaks & cornish game hens. Seasonally brings in young goat, suckling pigs, red veal & white veal, turkeys. If someone shoots multiple deer they might sell the meat through him however most game, or an old ox etc., is shared with friends & neighbors for reciprocity etc. He also keeps a notepad of special requests and when enough people want lamb, red snapper, octopus, oysters, shrimp etc., he brings it in and it becomes a big deal, people get excited and it seems like the "whole" town will eat that for a day.

There is a small market / corner store in San Jose mostly stocking things like toothpaste, bar soap, canned milk, knorr, canned seafood, pasta, wheat flour, kerosone very basic stuff... people here are very thrifty, hate spending money... marvelling at your bank statement or gold coin stash is literally a pastime. When people need to go shopping they typically go to San Miguel el Alto which is as much a pleasure trip as a shopping trip.

In Tlacuitapa there are two markets (and a dozen corner stores)... one is a Tienda de Abarrotes (Dry Good Store) which sells bulk quantities of legumes, grain, rennet, kitchen equipment etc., and the other was an old "CONASUPO" store... the CONASUPO was a government program designed to distribute subsidized grain & consumer packaged goods into remote rural towns & villages.. the program has either been abandoned or downsized amidst corruption scandals... critics argue that it was a scheme to extend sales of big consumer products into areas that would be economically unfeasible in a free market. Any way the original store, whose construction was financed by the government, is in hands of its operators and they continue to sell the same stuff it always did.. beer, soda, cereal, pasta, gamesa & bimbo products etc., When Tlacuitapenos want to do serious shopping they typicall go to Lagos de Moreno or San Juan de los Lagos

[EatNopales]

Carne Ranchera... is basically the same dish but made with flank steak instead of chicken.. and for some reason no vegetables (other than potatoes).

How is the flank steak prepared?

I'll stop there but I have lots more questions to come!

There are a couple of primary approaches.. some people prefer cooking a large (2 to 3 pound) flank whole... simmered for a long time, then shredded... the remaining stock is the basis of the ranchera sauce, once the sauce is well seasoned the shredded flank is returned to absorb the flavors a bit.

Other people have the butcher slice the flank into thin steaks that are then flattened in a roller, and possibly punctured as well... before cooking in the ranchera sauce they are cut into bite size pieces then gently simmered. The results are surprisingly tender.

Note, some people marinade the beef (including skirt steaks that will be grilled) in beer, which they believe makes it more tender.. it certainly adds nice flavor.

[EatNopales]

EN, interesting post to say the least!

If you haven't seen the current issue of Savuer go find it. An intern for the OC Weekly (or maybe Reader, I can't remember which) wrote an article about visiting the ranchito in Zacatecas where his parents are from. I thought it was a pretty good article for mainstream consumption. You really should consider doing something like that with your information above.

I've got about half of each of both Conaculta series you mentioned, they are, indeed, a wonderful resource.

Actually I know Javier through Bill Esparza (StreetGourmetLA) and via the magic of Facebook I have seen him transform from a food obsessed ELA teenager with very cosmopolitan tastes, and perhaps not as conscious, knowledgeable or appreciative about Mexican cuisine, I read about his first trips to the heart of Mexico... D.F., Cholula etc and saw his article being developed over the last 6 months or so... and now I think his Sauveur piece was beautifully written and he represented quite well.

Edit: Over the weekend we were packing up our house in Kailua, not sure if I mentioned it on Facebook... but we close on Friday... and I found my notes, so last night even though I was exhausted... having read his article pushed me to "publish" them before I lose them on the next move

Edited May 9, 2011 by EatNopales (log)

[EatNopales]

Great stuff. Do you think we could get samples of the beans for our bean trials here?

Is this considered Los Altos de Jalisco (que bonitos) as in the song by Jorge Negrete?

I love the Conaculta books but sometimes the recipes are very vague.

Cook the meat with wild onions and chiles in the usual manner.

re the Zacatecas article in Saveur, it's very sweet. I'm assuming what he calls Asada de Boda is known as Mole de Boda in town, and it's pretty awful. Home cooking is one thing but Zacatecas is the gateway to the culinary north and beyond gorditas, it's an odd place to celebrate Mexican cuisine. But the article is sweet and personal and just one small slice of the pie.

I was surprised that he has you bake the gorditas. That was a new one on me.

Well my grandma passed away last year.. she would have been my best source for beans but I will ask my mom to inquire and see if she can get some. Incidentally, half the town of Tlacuitapa (and nearby San Julian) lives in Watsonville... if I get down that area I will try to visit some relatives and make a new contact back in the region (with my peeps there is no dropping in for a few minutes.. last time I drove through there I stopped at the park where my parents told me all the Tlacuitapenos would be playing soccer & grilling.. I was just hoping to say high & give a few hugs but ended up staying a night and was lucky to escape without being married into one of the 2nd cousins)... which in this in-bred region of Mexico is considered highly desireable... Juanito look at Luz Maria del Refugio de Jesus... tell me you don't want to have little girls with her green eyes and her blond hair, and see those hips she will be very good at bearing children.

[EatNopales]

Wow, that was an amazing post.

Would you consider sharing with us a few of the recipes?

Absolute. Although as Rancho Gordo and others have noted about the CONACULTA... it is hard to get recipes out of people... they just don't have them, and think everything is obvious. Fortunately, I have learned to cook like my ancestors and you might think I am crazy but, just like them, I smell every ingredient (including dried chiles) and intuitively adjust based on its particular characteristics on that given day. You really have to prod people because they give very vague instruction.. its like they believe you should make the dish your own.

It will take me a while to post (possibly re-develop) most of these recipes but I will start you off with the local table salsa that is astonishingly delicious, you will want to drink it as a smoothie.

2 Handfuls of Tomatillos (smaller fruit the better)

4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled with papery husk

Blacken them over a grill (preferably) until the exterior is fairly charred and the flesh has dulled in color (alternatively use the broiler method)

Meanwhile quickly toast 2 Anchos, 1 Guajillo & 4 Arbol chiles then submerge them in lukewarm water & cover, letting them rehydrate for about 30 minutes then drain & place them in a blender with the tomatillos & garlic (peel the garlic after it has blackened & shriveled a bit)... add a few pinches of salt & give it a whirl.. taste & adjust for salt.. then add in a handful of cilantro leaves and give it a few whirls until each cilantro piece is the size of a lentil.

Let the salsa cool down & the flavors blend for a few hours.. voila. You may also stir in finely minced white onion if you desire.

It is fantastic with steak tacos, corn tortilla based quesadillas, spooned over freshly boiled whole beans with some Queso Fresco.

Aw dammit... I forgot a dish.... Frijol con Quelite... yesterdays boiled beans are blended with leftover salsa (in the recipe above) & chopped wild greens (a wide range of greens are acceptable)... simmer for 10 minutes or so... grate lots of queso seco (aged, very dry "fresco" cheese) into the soup... it is very delicious, soulful & nutritious.

[EatNopales]

Wonderful. A good read and I enjoyed it immensely.

Two questions:

Mole Dulce / Mole Tlacuitapa: animal crackers? Do you actually mean those kiddy cookies?

You mention lots of pork bits like feet and so on, and also suckling pigs. However, unless I missed it, there is no mention of pork butts or larger cuts of pork being used.

Thanks again for such a lesson.

Yes... kiddy cookies... I kid not.

Ah pork butts, shoulder etc., these end up in Chorizo & Carnitas.

[kalypso]

Actually I know Javier through Bill Esparza (StreetGourmetLA) and via the magic of Facebook I have seen him transform from a food obsessed ELA teenager with very cosmopolitan tastes, and perhaps not as conscious, knowledgeable or appreciative about Mexican cuisine, I read about his first trips to the heart of Mexico... D.F., Cholula etc and saw his article being developed over the last 6 months or so... and now I think his Sauveur piece was beautifully written and he represented quite well.

Edit: Over the weekend we were packing up our house in Kailua, not sure if I mentioned it on Facebook... but we close on Friday... and I found my notes, so last night even though I was exhausted... having read his article pushed me to "publish" them before I lose them on the next move

I should have known Bill would be dialed in on this one , I found the via Gilberto Arellano (the Ask a Mexican column). What I liked about the article was the sense of place and connection Javier got to his familial roots through the visit and through the food. I liked that it was a very personal article.

I think what you've got here could be the basis for a very good article. It wasn't hard to see the parallels. Obviously with the impending move and everything it's not going to be the high priority on your list, but when you get settled in and life finds it's equilibrium again, think about it.

[SylviaLovegren]

Sounds like a wonderful project and my stomach is jealous of that list. I want that food! Now!

By the way, what is "scalded milk fat"?

Sorry... I guess that description is probably less useful than clotted cream i.e., th layer of milk fat & skin that rises to the top when warming up milk (I believe to make Requeson / Ricotta).. is collected used to make anything from simple tacos - a spoonful of clotted cream & blackened jalapenos for example.. to baked goods.

Ah. Makes sense. I was thinking more along the lines of ghee. Clotted cream and blackened jalapenos in a taco, oh drool.

[SylviaLovegren]

Wow, that was an amazing post.

Would you consider sharing with us a few of the recipes?

Absolute. Although as Rancho Gordo and others have noted about the CONACULTA... it is hard to get recipes out of people... they just don't have them, and think everything is obvious. Fortunately, I have learned to cook like my ancestors and you might think I am crazy but, just like them, I smell every ingredient (including dried chiles) and intuitively adjust based on its particular characteristics on that given day. You really have to prod people because they give very vague instruction.. its like they believe you should make the dish your own.

It will take me a while to post (possibly re-develop) most of these recipes but I will start you off with the local table salsa that is astonishingly delicious, you will want to drink it as a smoothie.

2 Handfuls of Tomatillos (smaller fruit the better)

4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled with papery husk

Blacken them over a grill (preferably) until the exterior is fairly charred and the flesh has dulled in color (alternatively use the broiler method)

Meanwhile quickly toast 2 Anchos, 1 Guajillo & 4 Arbol chiles then submerge them in lukewarm water & cover, letting them rehydrate for about 30 minutes then drain & place them in a blender with the tomatillos & garlic (peel the garlic after it has blackened & shriveled a bit)... add a few pinches of salt & give it a whirl.. taste & adjust for salt.. then add in a handful of cilantro leaves and give it a few whirls until each cilantro piece is the size of a lentil.

Let the salsa cool down & the flavors blend for a few hours.. voila. You may also stir in finely minced white onion if you desire.

It is fantastic with steak tacos, corn tortilla based quesadillas, spooned over freshly boiled whole beans with some Queso Fresco.

Aw dammit... I forgot a dish.... Frijol con Quelite... yesterdays boiled beans are blended with leftover salsa (in the recipe above) & chopped wild greens (a wide range of greens are acceptable)... simmer for 10 minutes or so... grate lots of queso seco (aged, very dry "fresco" cheese) into the soup... it is very delicious, soulful & nutritious.

I'm dying here. We're moving into a new house this week and once we're settled, I'm going to find sources for Mexican foods in Toronto and make this. Will have to clean the drool off my laptop first.

[Darienne]

I'm dying here. We're moving into a new house this week and once we're settled, I'm going to find sources for Mexican foods in Toronto and make this. Will have to clean the drool off my laptop first.

Perola's and a couple of other places whose names I cannot recall, on Augusta, in Kensington Market. Mexican outlets in Toronto a good start.

[SylviaLovegren]

I'm dying here. We're moving into a new house this week and once we're settled, I'm going to find sources for Mexican foods in Toronto and make this. Will have to clean the drool off my laptop first.

Perola's and a couple of other places whose names I cannot recall, on Augusta, in Kensington Market. Mexican outlets in Toronto a good start.

Thank you! Great information and looking forward to making the trip to see. Haven't been to kensington yet (keep hearing about it, of course), just been busy at the Lawrence farmer's market every Saturday morning.

[Jenni]

That recipe sounds amazing! I will try and get the ingredients together and make it ASAP, thanks for sharing.

[EatNopales]

That recipe sounds amazing! I will try and get the ingredients together and make it ASAP, thanks for sharing.

Thanks Jenni.. hope you are able to find all the ingredients and look forward to hearing your thoughts. BTW, you have a beautiful blog.. those foods look so delicious.