Cooking with Rick Bayless's "More Mexican Everyday"

[Chris Hennes]

No, the chorizo is store-bought.

[Okanagancook]

We can't get Mexican chorizo here so we make our own. Actually making a batch in a couple of weeks to replenish our freezer stock. We also make andouille sausage for the same reason.

The chicken soup also looks excellent. Roasting the bird first is something I will try.

Thanks again.

[huiray]

Grilled Fish with Creamy Cool Cucumber Pipián (p. 322)

 

I was really looking forward to trying this "pipián" since it has an optional hoja santa component and my plant is finally healthy enough that I can take leaves from it. He does acknowledge that he's stretching the definition of pipián pretty far here, though the pumpkin seeds are pretty assertive and I get where he's coming from using the word. Whatever it gets called, it was a unique sauce for the fish (I used mahi), with the combination of cucumber, pumpkin seeds and hoja santa resulting in something quite unexpected. I really enjoyed the dish.

 

 

You might be passingly interested in dish #5 in this video.  

[FauxPas]

Carne Asada Dinner (p. 86)

 

Grilled Skirt Steak, Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, Guacamole, and Porky Beans

 

 

 I cooked the steak sous vide and only finished it on the grill, but otherwise I stuck to the recipe. 

 

Can you give any further details on the sous vide cooking time and temp? I'm a novice to skirt steak (and sous vide, really) but would like to try making a similar dish. Thanks! 

 

Edited to add: Thank you so much for this thread and all your lovely photos. 

Edited May 23, 2015 by FauxPas (log)

[Chris Hennes]

I cooked it for something like three hours at 55°C. In an ideal world I'd have actually cooked it significantly longer than that, but I needed to get dinner on the table.

[Chris Hennes]

Beer-Glazed Beer-Can Chicken (p. 327)

 

Roasted Knob Onions with Crema and Aged Mexican Cheese (p. 154)

 

 

I've actually never made beer can chicken before: honestly, I never saw the point. If I want to flavor a chicken with something, I find that rubs, marinades, and brines are much more effective than any additions to the bird's cavity. I may have to reconsider that position in light of tonight's meal, but that reconsideration has nothing to do with the chicken. I could detect no hint of any sort of beer or spice taste in the flesh. The glaze is on the surface of the bird, which of course you can taste (at least if you are eating the skin) and is indeed delicious. But the real winner here was the potatoes. Bayless lists surrounding the cooking bird with vegetables as optional, but rest assured, it is not. The last step of cooking is to empty the contents of the beer can onto the vegetables while the chicken is resting, and reduce it to a glaze. The effect was amazing, these are just about the best roasted potatoes I can remember. I didn't add any other vegetables to the mix because I was also making the glazed onions separately. I'm sure onions, carrots, and parsnips would all be fantastic cooked this way.

 

The roasted knob onions were a keeper as well. I especially appreciated that you don't have to peel knob onions! Using crema as a glaze instead of cream and fresh lard instead of oil or butter both brought a lot of extra layers of flavor. These would not be at all out of place on a normal American holiday dinner table.

[Chris Hennes]

(Addendum: you can see some in process photos of the dish in the Cooking with Beer cookoff here and here)

[huiray]

Beer-Glazed Beer-Can Chicken (p. 327)

 

 

I've actually never made beer can chicken before: honestly, I never saw the point. If I want to flavor a chicken with something, I find that rubs, marinades, and brines are much more effective than any additions to the bird's cavity. I may have to reconsider that position in light of tonight's meal, but that reconsideration has nothing to do with the chicken. I could detect no hint of any sort of beer or spice taste in the flesh. The glaze is on the surface of the bird, which of course you can taste (at least if you are eating the skin) and is indeed delicious. But the real winner here was the potatoes. Bayless lists surrounding the cooking bird with vegetables as optional, but rest assured, it is not. The last step of cooking is to empty the contents of the beer can onto the vegetables while the chicken is resting, and reduce it to a glaze. The effect was amazing, these are just about the best roasted potatoes I can remember. I didn't add any other vegetables to the mix because I was also making the glazed onions separately. I'm sure onions, carrots, and parsnips would all be fantastic cooked this way.

 

 

Debunking beer-can chicken.

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/debunking_beer_can_chicken.html

[Chris Hennes]

I think it's particularly telling that in the introductory paragraph Bayless doesn't mention any of the various claims that fans make about beer can chicken: he describes it as "just a novel way to turn out a roast chicken." And of course, in his recipe none of the beer goes to waste. Next time I would be inclined to season the bird much farther ahead, and to simply cook the chicken on my rotisserie with potatoes in a pan underneath to catch the drippings. You can make the beer glaze without having to do the whole beer-can-chicken thing, and you can certainly add beer to the potatoes to finish them as well. 

[Chris Hennes]

Pork and Black Bean Dinner (p. 100)

 

Roasted Chayote with Herbs and Goat Cheese (p. 142)

 

 

At first I was disappointed in the pork and black bean recipe: it starts out by braising the pork and beans with water as the braising liquid. I basically never braise with water, I always use wine, beer, or stock. So I thought Bayless was missing an opportunity to add flavor here. And I guess he was, but it turned out to be a completely moot point, the finished braise was actually incredibly flavorful (and not just a little spicy!). I used Rancho Gordo black beans which themselves have great flavor, and coupled with the pork and the salsa that it is served with the dish was definitely not short on taste. This is not a complicated dish, and is designed for a slow cooker. I used a Dutch oven, which works fine. I only wish my avocado hadn't gone bad, it would have been a welcome addition.

 

The roasted chayote was also very simple, it's just tossed with green chile adobo (one of the condiments that he has you make in the first chapter) and goat cheese (or silken tofu, but I used the goat cheese). It was also quite spicy due to the adobo, so in retrospect this was probably not the cleverest of pairings on my part. Still, they were both delicious.

[huiray]

 

At first I was disappointed in the pork and black bean recipe: it starts out by braising the pork and beans with water as the braising liquid. I basically never braise with water, I always use wine, beer, or stock. So I thought Bayless was missing an opportunity to add flavor here. And I guess he was, but it turned out to be a completely moot point, the finished braise was actually incredibly flavorful (and not just a little spicy!). 

 

Hmm.  I myself tend to do my braises (stovetop; I can't remember the last time - or if ever - I did one in the oven) with water as the starting liquid, then add ingredients and flavorings in, layering the tastes as needed or as I go along (additions of stuff at progressive stages, for example).  I rarely start with stock right off the bat (and have never used beer or wine as the starting liquid) and in effect wouldn't the additions of stuff into water and the slow cooking by definition yield stock anyway?

 

There is a similar situation with using water - not stock - as the starting liquid when making soups.  I frequently do that also. There is a greater "clarity" in taste (more "ching", in Cantonese) when using water to start with, something I appreciate depending on my mood or what I want as the final result in a particular dish.

[Chris Hennes]

Interesting. I guess I'm coming at it from the French tradition of Boeuf Bourguignon and its ilk. I actually just watched the first episode of Julia Child's The French Chef on Amazon instant video last night: after browning the beef, she deglazes the pan with wine, then adds that and some beef stock to the beef. So I don't think braising with other liquids is at all uncommon. With a braise I find I am seldom interested in "clarity" and find depth of flavor and complexity to be more compelling. 

[Chris Hennes]

Queso Fundido Burger (p. 314)

 

Pickled Tomatillo Salad with Little Gem Lettuce and Pumpkin Seeds (p. 152)

 

 

I love burgers in pretty much any form, so it was a forgone conclusion that I would like this one. In it, you mix some cooked chorizo in with the beef, and top the burger with rajas and monterrey jack cheese (I used pepper jack instead). I think in the future I'd be inclined to skip the chorizo and simply add chorizo seasonings to the patty, or even as a sauce, since that would have simplified the construction process. He lists this as a "Weekend Dish" but I'm not sure why. It doesn't take particularly long to make, not really any more than any other burger with a cooked topping. The logistical challenge for me was getting the buns made in time for dinner! The Modernist Cuisine burger bun recipe makes awesome buns, but of course it's a bit finicky and time-consuming.

 

I served the burger with a pickled tomatillo salad. I think that his portion size here is off, a whole head of little gem is a bit much for one person when it's also got the tomatillos and is served as a side dish. The dressing for the salad, a blend of lime juice and olive oil thickened with pumpkin seeds, was delicious, and in fact I think was better on its own that it was as a component of the salad. It would make a fantastic dip for vegetables, or even chips.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Chris Hennes (log)

[Anna N]

Chris,

You are making even me believe I could enjoy Mexican food and that's quite a feat! Thank you for documenting your adventures for all of us.

[rancho_gordo]

Yes, Chris, it's a lucky author who has you inhaling his book! 

[Chris Hennes]

Nopal Cactus and Poached Egg in Roasted Tomato-Chipotle Broth (p. 163)

 

 

Green Chile Chicken Thighs (p. 305)

 

Before grilling:

 

The packet after grilling:

 

Opening the packet:

 

Plated for service as whole thighs (book suggestion):

 

Actually served shredded as taco filling:

 

 

Both of these dishes were good but not amazing. The nopal soup had great body and texture for the most part, but I think some kind of firmer inclusion would be nice, either shredded chicken, beef, or maybe beans. The chicken thighs were fine, but once again it was the potatoes that won in this arrangement, picking up tons of flavor from the cooking chicken and the poblano relish. I think this might have been better if the thighs had first been high-heat direct-fire grilled, and then completely encased in banana leaf and steamed en papillote over a gentler heat.

[Chris Hennes]

Spicy, Garlicky Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Browned Butter, Toasted Nuts and Tequila Raisins (p. 319)

 

 

The name is a mouthful, but the dish is excellent. The raisin and pumpkin seed relish is superb, and would go wonderfully on a number of things (chicken, fish, etc.). It lent a very meaty flavor profile to the "steaks". My one objection is that as a general rule cauliflower steaks are never quite as manageable as recipes make them seem. I am rarely if ever able to get more than two intact steaks from a head of cauliflower: slices nearer the side simply disintegrate, pulling apart into lobes. I think next time I'd be inclined to just go with chunks, instead of going for the pretty plating option of steaks.

[Chris Hennes]

Chicken Barbacoa (p. 324)

 

 

 

I don't quite understand why this was not labelled a "weekend dish" when for most people it clearly is: it takes about two hours to make, which is far more than I am willing to commit to dinner on a weeknight. The upside, however, is that you can easily make it ahead and simply reheat and serve, which is what I did. The recipe calls for avocado leaves if you can get them (I can, dried), or banana leaves if you can't. Otherwise it's very easy to make assuming you already have the Adobo in the fridge. I served it both as a sort of soup, as well as as a taco filling. It was delicious in both applications, but I think as a taco filling it needs the extra adobo the recipe optionally includes at the end, and which I didn't use.

[Chris Hennes]

Mango Licuado (p. 226)

 

 

This is a recipe that contains a lot of "riffs" with various other stone fruits, spices, etc. I made it as-written as a first pass. I'm not sure the photo quite captures the electric-yellow color. I really enjoy the aggressive lime note in this drink. Including the zest as well as the juice of the limes really highlights the lime flavor, letting it compete on equal footing with what can otherwise be an overpowering mango flavor. I do find myself wondering if it wouldn't perhaps benefit from a shot or two of tequila, however...

[Darienne]

I don't have the Bayless book nor am I likely to buy it, but I certainly am enjoying your blog, Chris.  I'm tempted to try the mango drink, being currently overwhelmed by an embarrassment of mango riches, but I think I'll go for ice cream instead.

[Katie Meadow]

Received my Nutri Ninja yesterday and made the mango drink today. I subbed in a small amount of coconut cream for some of the water, cut back maybe just a tad on the lime juice, but basically it was the Bayless Licuado recipe. Started with a very good mango, so that didn't hurt. Oh, I blended it up with a little crushed ice to make it really cold instead of pouring it over ice cubes. Delicious.

Chris, I so love your trial system for cookbooks. I wish I had the patience and focus to make such good use of a new cookbook, but after a few dishes I start wanting some other kind of food entirely. Your system really justifies the purchase of these books.

[Chris Hennes]

One of the nice things about this approach to cookbooks is that it makes menu planning much simpler by narrowing down the list of choices. If I don't, I fall into a rut where I am overwhelmed by my options and wind up making the same ten dishes over and over. I like trying new things too much to deal with that for long.

 

Cheesy Open-Face Mollete (p. 289)

 

 

This is from a part of the book called "Five simple meals from a pot of beans" -- he's got a recipe for making beans in a slow cooker, but I just made them on the stovetop. I used these gorgeous Ayocote Morados, and couldn't bring myself to mash them up as completely as you normally would when making refried beans. I also added a sprig of epazote that I found growing amongst the cilantro to the bean cooking pot, which adds an amazing taste and smell. For the cheese I used a blend of extra sharp cheddar, pepper jack, and cotija. I had some excellent tomatillo salsa in the fridge that I was supposed to serve with them, and forgot all about until we'd already finished eating! Finally, although he calls for broiling them, I grilled them and torched the tops to make sure the rolls got crispy. Delicious.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Yes, Chris,

 

When one slices a head of cauliflower there are only two or maybe three "steaks" from the very center of the head depending on the size of the head, and how thickly one slices them.

 

I have used leftover roasted cauliflower to very good effect in quesadillas, including especially the little crispy bits that come off the edges.

[Chris Hennes]

Roasted Garlic Chicken with Mushrooms, Potatoes, and Spinach (p. 296)

 

 

This is a simple chicken thigh braised with mushrooms, onions, potatoes. The spinach is added at the end and cooked just to wilt, and you add a bit of roasted garlic mojo at the beginning. There are a lot of mushrooms in it, so the broth winds up very rich. I thought the overall effect was delicious, though I think I'd be inclined to add a bit more mojo at the end, and maybe more peppers since there wasn't much of a kick to it. I used epazote rather than parsley (he suggests either) which was delicious.

[Chris Hennes]

Celery Root Pancakes with Chipotle Crema and Cilantro (p. 208)

 

 

These are essentially latkes with a Mexican flair, so of course they are awesome. I love the addition of the celery root, and the chipotle gives them just enough bite so you notice it, without being overwhelming. They are also really easy to make for a weeknight dinner or snack.