Not the way you’ve had it before...

Guacamole!

Obviously everyone thinks their guacamole is the best… Of course it’s not! Coming from California and summers in Mexico, I’ve had my share of Guacamole’s… this one is the one that is simple, beautiful, and usually it’s devoured instantaneously.

For 6-8 people

• 6 avocados - NEVER USE anything that’s turned brown, it’ll turn everything else - Keep the seeds to keep the guac til ready.
• 2 cups diced tomatoes - A variety or at least 2 different types
• ½  Small white onion-
• ½ Shallot - minced
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 Poblano chili -seeded & minced
• 1 Jalapeno seeded & minced
• 2 cups chopped Cilantro
• 1 ½  cups lime juice
• 1 Tsp Olive oil
• Plenty Salt
• ½ Tsp White Pepper
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1 Tsp Coriander

Other versions can at best be viewed as a spread or a dip.  This version is a topping, a side, an accompaniment, something to relish on its own and/or enhance another dish.

Above with Pork Tinga

First the lime juice. Put in a bowl ready for the avocado.

Avocado… Cut in half, pull out the seed, dice, remove any brown spots, soak in lime juice… entirely.

Make onion paste. Blend the white onion (not shallot), garlic, cumin, coriander, and olive oil into a thick paste.

Mix the tomatoes and all other ingredients together as a pico.

Stir in the onion paste to the pico.

Squish ½ the avocados, and leave half hole chunks into the pico.

Taste for Salt and acid… you’re done.

Leave the seeds in the bowl until service - if a large bowl leave it so it will hold even during service. Keep in the refrigerator until service.

Enjoy.

READ MORE ON OUR WEBSITE

Amazing Pork Tinga for Cinco de Mayo

Celebrating Cinco De Mayo

With *Pork Tinga!*

Celebrate this Cinco de Mayo with a real feast! This Pork Tinga is elevated beyond the normal street fair, and it’s certain to give a WOW factor to your festivities this year!

Steve Notes

______________________________________________________

PORK TINGA:

• Elevated version of the pedestrian pork tinga you likely already enjoy
• Robust flavor profile from the first bite
• Notable yet mild & appeasing heat factor lingering after every bite.
• Meat was tender and fell apart in your mouth as if it been slow cooked for ages
• Potato added a nice texture
• Could be enjoyed as a standalone stew, or as the star protein of a broader dish.

I can’t say much more or better than this! My favorite thing to cook is peasant food and raise them into something magnificent… This is my take based off a Rick Bayless recipe, with alterations and additions that makes this a beautiful extension if not tribute!   

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TIME FACTOR: 2 hours DIFFICULTY: MODERATE- Easy

CLEAN UP: It’s a bit messy but worth it! TASTE FACTOR: AMAZING!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ lbs. Pork Shoulder - Bone in! (You can do without but this is amazing in broth!)

1 large Chorizo

1 lbs Baby White Potatoes or Fingerling

1 Medium White or Yellow Onion - chopped

1 small can Chopped Italian tomatoes (drained)

1 small can Crushed Italian tomatoes (all it’s juice)

3 Chipotle Chilies in adobo sauce (seeded & minced)

4 Tsp of the adobo sauce

2 Poblano Chili Peppers (seeded & minced)

1 Garlic Clove - minced

1 juice of lime

I bunch Cilantro (separate Stems and leaves)

1 bunch Thyme

4 bay leaves

4 Cloves

Salt, Pepper

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

------------------------------------------------------------

Start with the Pork Broth & Pork shoulder…

Cut excess fat - as much as you can. Cut around the bone to get all meat possible. Cut into 2 inch pieces. You’re using the bone and meat in the broth, and you’re throwing away the fat… or saving for another day!

In a large pot - 6 cups of water, stems of cilantro, thyme, cloves, bay leaves, & handful of salt. Bring to boil then drop down and simmer for 45 minutes. Skimming the scum from the top as it builds, and before removing meat.

 

While that’s working bring your potatoes to a boil and cook until tender, start with cold salted water. Drain, set aside.

remove casing from Chorizo, break up.

Use a slotted spoon, remove the meat when it’s finished. Boiled meat is Never attractive - don’t worry you’re not done…

Trust me - better yet - taste it yourself! It’s pretty amazing and You’re only halfway there!

Set aside, strain the broth. You can throw the bone away now. Let meat cool enough to handle it. Then break it down by hand like shredding in large chunks. (shown below.)

NEXT…

In a large Skillet, add the oil and brown Chorizo.

When ½ way there, add the Pork and brown for 2-3 minutes.

Drop down to Med Low temp. Add the onion, Poblanos, Garlic - 10 minutes.

You’re almost finished and you can’t imagine what your house smells like right now!!!

Add the Adobo, Chipotle, Tomatoes 5 minutes… Then potatoes (they’re already cooked thru, just mix in.

Now add 2 cups of the broth! Save the rest in case you want it juicier or for later - it’s delicious!

Simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes to thicken.

Finish with lime juice and Cilantro!

Serve as is to build your own family style as I’ve done here….

A Cinco De Mayo Feast! Above I served my Tinga with Margaritas, Guacamole (the best you’ve ever had!), Pico de Gallo, corn & flour tortillas, black beans, Cilantro Corn, Citrus Green Rice, Queso Fresco, Cilantro & Red pepper oils, plenty of limes.

Torta...

As a tostada

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Cheers!

 

READ MORE ON OUR WEBSITE

Chicken Tortilla Soup

served with Knock your socks off Sangria!

This is a favorite dish in our house… it’s fairly easy though like most things it’s best if you put forth the little extra steps, just the same it’s fabulous even if you’re in a rush, and it’s always appreciated. I promise once you make it at home, you’ll never order it out again, nor will anyone else you cook it for!!

Cook this for someone special, for a group to impress, to create memories. There is something about the spices filling the air; really get’s the appetite (and all the senses) excited! It’s great for beating the summer’s heat, rainy days, and as it has recently been  here in NYC… subarctic temperatures.  Like most stews and soups, it’s even better the next day, so make plenty! Trust me this dish is very easy to add personal touches that make everyone really feel the love.

The tricks here, besides making it taste really good… are the spices and the presentation - the way you shred the chicken, the way you plate, the extra touches… really makes this a beautiful and most flavorful dish that sparks passion, conversations, love, and creates memories. It’s a go to, it’s easy, and it’s one of my favorites.

*Side note--- this is a fantastic dish to substitute with leftover Turkey!

Prep Time: 1 hr Difficulty: Easy

Cook time: 2 hr - 3hr Servings: 4-6 entree

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Shredded Roasted Chicken (1 is plenty, 2 is hearty, you can always save rest for other purposes)
• 8 cups Chicken broth
• 3 Jalapeno peppers -or 1 Poblanos ( seeded and chopped)
• 2 tsp crushed Garlic
• 2 cups chopped Yellow Onion (about 3 large)
• 2 Tbsp Tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Coriander
• 1 bunch chopped Cilantro (more for garnish)
• salt - to taste.
• 2 Tbsp Lime juice

• 8 Corn Tortillas - stale or dried out if can
• 2 cups Veg Oil - for frying
• 3 Tbsp Creole Seasoning  (I make my own, but should be easy enough to find or Cajun)

Garnish:

• Sour Cream
• Avocado - sliced or cubed
• hot sauce - your favorite for the table -

** if you are serving as an appetizer you can use less chicken or more broth; above is a filling portion.

** When reheating … add more water at heat up because the soup is now concentrated - but not stock,  it’ll devour your spices and the perfect flavor you’ve built here.

HOW TO:

Start with the Chicken! I suggest you roast or bake your own, something about the extra touch and love thrown into the entirety of the dish, it also gives you a signature touch that only you can put into it -  it was highly noticed and mentioned the one time I tried to save time! - Never again!

However if you must you can always buy a pre-roasted bird at pretty much every grocery store, and if you’re not interested in the dark meat, of course chicken breast it is.  Tear the cooked bird apart by hand leaving only the carcass and if you’ve got hang-ups about the skin, than that too. For the love of God, double check and make sure you’ve gotten all the bones out!

While Chicken is cooking…

Fry your tortillas. Get this out of the way as soon as possible so that the fried smell dissipates as soon as possible and doesn’t take over the beautiful aroma of spices and roasted Chicken. You really want the full experience here, everyone else will really appreciate it too! Also you have plenty of time to get that nasty grease cleaned up before anyone notices.

Heat the Vegetable oil in skillet at a med-high. Cut the tortillas in slices ¼ inch length, then in half, if they’re not stale dab them with a paper towel to make sure dry before frying. Carefully sprinkle the tortillas around the hot oil, use tongs or a slotted spoon, turning after slightly colored -- if using colored tortilla’s, be very careful to watch them puff up rather than depend on color because they will blacken really fast!

Once fried, place spread out on paper towels to absorb extra oil,  sprinkle with creole/cajun spices generously, let rest on towels and set aside. *Make sure your creole seasoning has plenty of salt, if not add it now.

Set aside! Try not to eat them all before serving! You’ll need them to thicken the soup and for garnish!

Next: The soup!

In a dutch oven or heavy pot heat the olive oil on Med-High. Saute the onions, peppers, garlic, cumin, coriander and salt for about 4-8 minutes. Don’t burn and don’t worry if the veg isn’t cooked all the way through, it’s going to melt by the time you serve the soup. Mix in the tomato paste and cook out for another minute. Add the chicken stock, bring to a gentle simmer 45 minutes! Can be less at a higher simmer, but again it’s just not the same! Take the extra time.  This can also be done longer but really shouldn’t be more than hour because it will reduce. Just make sure you turn off off the heat and then back on before adding the chicken.

Next toss the chicken in, still at a gentle simmer for another 15-20 minutes, slow and low here because you want that chicken to really absorb the spice and be moist. (*if your chicken was too dry to start, add the chicken to soak it all in an hour before turning the heat back on.)

Once the chicken is in, add ½ of the fried tortillas. You want this in around the same because those tortilla’s need to dissolve and thicken up your soup! With the spices taking their time to slowly meld as well.

This is the final step and then you’re nearly done. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro just before serving. Don't forget to taste!

Now the plating… have fun with this! Get mixed color bowls and under plates, it’s a fun dish, so enjoy. Ladle soup in dish and then a spoon to scoop sour cream in the center. Cover with fried tortilla chips, then sprinkle the avocado on top (if it’s shyte - and you’re not in California - omit), finishing with more cilantro or a sprig if you please. You can leave a bottle of hot sauce out for people who want to kick theirs up,  though it’s probably absolutely perfect at this point! Good Job!

Now let’s finish with a bang…

*Margarita’s would be fun and for the Non-drinker, a lime & cucumber seltzer water! 

But I’m a huge fan of Sangria for this fun fabulous dish!  (listed below.)

Knock your socks off Sangria: Just the way it should be...

• 2 bottles Cabernet, or any red really but might as well go cheaper
• 1 Cup Peach Schnapps- or- Raspberry, blackberry -not sour apple!
• 1 Cup Triple Sec or orange flavored liquor… can sub OJ… this will have enough booze!
• ½ cup  Brandy, cognac, bourbon… whisky if you must, this will be sweet enough!
• cut up 2 green apples, seedless grapes, 1orange sliced thinly (pretty much anything in season, I love peaches) - let marinate in mixed liquor
• Seltzer water - for topping off not in the mix.

Fill glass with ice, fill 2/3rds with Sangria,, add a spoon of the marinated fruit,and top off with Seltzer water. Voila…