White Pozole

Pozole might be the most popular national dish of Mexico. Unfortunately, I could never really get on board with the pozole thing - possibly because the first bowl served to me had a surprise chicken foot floating in it. (I suppose I should be grateful that it wasn't a floating pig's head, pozole's most common protein.) I avoided pozole for a long time, but this was my loss because it is quite good (as long as I continue to adapt my recipe to include boneless chicken meat).

Pozole, at its most basic, is a soup made with hominy (a white corn-like vegetable), that is super popular throughout all of Mexico, especially on September 16th, Mexico's Independence Day. The cooked pozole is relatively simple, but each person customizes their bowl with a variety of pozole specific garnishes.

Ingredients
300 g. hominy (maiz pozolero)
water
salt
500 g. shredded chicken
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
a bundle of thyme, parsley and leek

50 g. onion
10 g. garlic
200 g. roma tomato
50 g. chile de arbol (crushed red pepper)

shredded lettuce
minced radish
minced onion
lime wedges
oregano
sour cream
tortilla chips

Directions

1 - If using fresh hominy, cook the hominy, salt and water together in a pot over medium heat until the skin separates easily. Remove from heat and remove all of the hominy skins. (If you bought canned hominy, just drain it.)

2 - Add the chicken, onion, garlic and herb bundle to the leftover hominy water and boil, for 10 - 15 minutes.

3 - Add the hominy, and finish cooking together. Add salt to taste.

4 - For the salsa, fry the garlic, onion and chile de arbol in a small saute pan over low heat. Add the tomatoes and some water. Cook for 20 minutes, add to a blender, liquefy it, and add salt to taste.

5 - Serve the pozole hot with the salsa and a plate full of all the garnishes.

Tepache

Tepache is a fermented drink made from pineapple waste, but it tastes much better than it sounds. While I have yet to see it here in Mexico City, tepache is very popular in the tropical, pineapple-producing climate of Veracruz. And, although it only ferments for two or three days, some people (those teetotaling types like myself) can get a little silly from a glass or two.

Made from the inedible skin of a pineapple, tepache is a great option for some people (those thrifty types like myself) who hate throwing anything away. Even those of you who wouldn't normally eat a fresh pineapple will find this drink tasty, refreshing and super easy to make.

Ingredients
the skin of 1 large pineapple
2 cones of piloncillo
1 gallon water

1 quart tepache concentrate
2 cups ice
1/2 cup sugar

Directions

1 - Put the pineapple skins, piloncillo and water in a large, air-tight container (wide-mouthed is best, if you have it).

2 - Mix ingredients together. Seal container, and leave in a cook, dark area for 48 hours.

3 - Open the container to check on the tepache (but do not stick your nose too close; it should be quite pungent!)

4 - Reseal and let rest another 12 to 24 hours, based on the smell and taste from when you checked it.

5 - When your tepache is ready (approx. 72 hours after mixing it), unseal the container, and skim off any white yeast-like product that may have begun to grow on top.

6 - Pass the mixture through a large strainer to remove any pineapple skin bits. This will be your concentrated tepache.

7 - To serve, take 1 quart of the tepache concentrate, and add 2 cups of ice cubes to it. Add about a 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir well, until the sugar and ice cubes dissolve.

8 - If necessary, continue to add sugar and water to taste, but this drink is traditionally quite tart.

9 - Enjoy cold.

Mexican Hamburger (La Hamburguesa)

When I first arrived in Martinez de la Torre, there was a small food cart, one block away from where I was staying, that boasted hamburgers and hot dogs, and I was thrilled at a taste of home being so close. Emphasis on the "was", because I was quickly informed about what their idea of a burger consisted of - and was quickly disappointed. I will grant that it was served on a sesame seed bun, but the "it" was chicken and a slice of ham, and, although it had the standard cheese, lettuce, tomato topping, a hamburger without the hamburger is really just a sandwich.

This hamburger is not that kind of hamburger (because it is an actual burger with ground beef and everything), but is more an homage to the now defunct Santa Fe burger from Red Robin (may it rest in delicious peace). The meat itself is an all-purpose burger patty, but the toppings are Mexican inspired. (And this is one of my favorite uses for those poblanos we charred earlier this week.)

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 cup Mexican cheese blend (or at least cheddar and Monterrey Jack), shredded
2 poblanos, charred, skinned, seeded and split in half
1 white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 head of lettuce
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. chipotle en adobo sauce
4 burger buns
melted butter

Directions

1 - Mix ground beef, worcestershire sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and crushed red pepper together in a bowl.

2 - Divide beef mixture into four equal portions and shape into round patties.

3 - Melt some butter in a large pan over medium heat.

4 - Add the burgers, and cook them for about 7 minutes on each side. Add the cheese after about 5 minutes on the second side.

5 - Meanwhile, butter the burger buns and toast them on a comal on low heat, maybe a minute or just until golden brown.

6 - Mix the chipotle en adobo sauce with the mayonnaise.

7 - ASSEMBLY Spread chipotle mayo on both havles of the bun. Add a square of folded lettuce to the bottom bun. Put the cheesy patty on top of the lettuce. Place a poblano half on top of the cheese, and add some onion slices. Top with the other bun.

Chile Profile - Poblano

The poblano chile is a large, dark green, often deformed-looking chile. Since the general chile rule is "the smaller, the hotter", these giant chiles are quite mild and rank only 1,000 to 2,500 units on the Scoville scale. This chile is named for the state where it originated - Puebla - although these days, it just might be the most popular chile throughout all of Mexico and the US southwest.

Poblanos are available either fresh or dried (called ancho, when dried - a topic for another day). To make poblanos edible, they need to be grilled or charred, and the skin must be removed (because it adds a terribly bitter taste). The mild flavor and the size of the poblano makes it very versatile, and it can be used in both sauces and salsas (no seed removal necessary) and popular national dishes, like chiles rellenos and the patriotic plate, chiles en nogada (devein and remove the seeds).

Poblano chiles are readily available in most supermarkets throughout Mexico and the US.

Charring poblanos

1 - Place the poblanos on a comal over low heat or over an open low flame (but then use tongs!)

2 - Move the chiles occasionally, until the chile is blackened on all sides.

3 - Immediately place chiles in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.

4 - Leave chiles to stand and steam for at least 15 minutes.

5 - Remove the charred skin (which should come off easily by just peeling it off with your fingers).

6 - Throw them in a salsa, seed and slice it for a saute, or do whatever else your recipe might tell you.