Mexican Essentials Some Assembly Required Recipes

MEXICAN ESSENTIALS: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• Here is a great recipe for refried beans: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/vegetable/south-of-the-border-essentials-refried-beans.html?r=10
• These work well with beef, pork, or chicken... Here is an awesome recipe for steak taco meat: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/beef/mexican-essentials-awesome-steak-taco-meat.html?r=11
• There are a lot of cheeses that you could use for this... even a combination of different varieties. I felt that the queso fresco, really pulled the other ingredients together, and helped to make this recipe a success.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350f (175c).
• Brush both sides of the tortillas with the avocado oil.
• Toast in the oven until browning is spots, and beginning to crisp, about 3 - 5 minutes.
• Chef's Note: Turn the tortillas over after 2 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, and spread some refried beans over the top.
• Add a generous amount of chicken, pork, or beef.
• Cover with the cheese... Be generous.
• Pop back into the oven, for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melty, and beginning to brown in spots.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Serve them while nice and warm. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

MEXICAN ESSENTIALS: HYBRID BEEF/CHEESE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• I created this recipe because I wanted one more dish for my Cinco De Mayo party; however, since time was short, I went with items on hand. I was going to make it into a Mexican Lasagna, using flour tortillas for the layers. Unfortunately, cooking them with the casserole would create a doughy, goopy mess. I thought of rice, and corn tortillas; even using regular lasagna noodles. I finally, dropped the idea of making it into a lasagna, and opted instead to make a nice flavorful casserole, and allow my guests to scoop some out and decide for themselves what they wanted to eat it on... success.
• If you are in the market for a good enchilada sauce, here is my favorite: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/other-sauce-spread/amazing-mexican-enchilada-red-sauce.html?r=2
• If you are grinding your own beef, use the large holes on the grinder plate. If you are purchasing it from the butcher, ask for "chili grind" beef. It is a bit coarser, and gives the casserole more of a hardier texture.
• A skillet big enough to hold all of the ingredients. An ovenproof dish, to bake it in.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Use a spice grinder, or mortar and pestle, to grind up the dehydrated onions.
• Add the ground beef, chopped onions, and dehydrated onions to a skillet over medium-low heat.
• Cook the ingredients, stirring often, until the beef is cooked through (no pink), and the chopped onions are soft, about 12 - 15 minutes.
• Chef's Note: Why regular onions and dehydrated onion? Well, dehydrated onions bring an "earthy" taste to a recipe that you cannot get from using just regular onions alone. If you do not have any, no worries, just leave them out.
• Add the garlic, and stir for an additional 60 seconds.
• Add the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and cumin, stir, reduce the heat to low, then allow to slowly simmer, for about 20 minutes.
• Chef's Note: This slow cooking method serves two important purposes: 1. It helps to blend the flavors of the ingredients together. 2. It reduces the liquid to make a thicker sauce.
• Do a final tasting for proper seasoning, and add a bit of salt and pepper, if you feel it is warranted.
• THE ASSEMBLY
• Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 375f (190c).
• Add refried beans to the bottom of a standard deep-dish, ovenproof pie pan, or similar round, or rectangular dish.
• Add the parmesan cheese, and sprinkle with half the black olives.
• Add the hot, ground-beef filling and top with the cheddar, and pepper jack.
• Place into the preheated oven, and cook until the cheese is bubbly, and some of the filling begins to ooze up through the cheese, about 15 - 20 minutes.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Allow to rest for 10 minutes, sprinkle on the remaining black olives, and serve up with some warm tortillas, and rice, with some sour cream, and lime slices on the side. Perhaps a nice pitcher of Bonnie's Ultimate Margaritas: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/drink/cocktail/the-ultimate-margarita.html?r=2. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

MEXICAN ESSENTIALS: AWESOME STEAK TACO MEAT

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• For this recipe, you will need an ovenproof pot, with a tight-fitting lid. If you have a Dutch oven, that would be perfect.
• The Peppers If you like Mexican food, you probably have a few cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, hanging about your storeroom. They are great in so many recipes. In this recipe, I chop them up in a bit of the sauce, and throw them into the pot. Some people prefer to scrape out the seeds before chopping... that is up to you. I make my own chipotle pepper in sauce, and someday I will have to post the recipe. FYI: The intensity of this recipe comes from the chipotle peppers, and the chili powders. Feel free to adjust those items to develop the exact level of heat you desire.
• Here is a photo of my favorite canned variety of chipotle peppers. However, there are a lot of good brands available.
• Where's the Beef? You could probably use just about any type of beef for this recipe. As a matter of fact, the most common type used for a recipe like this is flank steak Both flank and flat-iron steak are flavorful. The flank comes from the belly muscle, while the flat-iron hails from the chuck primal. One of the big differences between the two is that the flat-iron has a bit more marbling (fat), and I want some of that yummy fat to increase the flavors of the recipe.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Place a rack in the bottom position, and preheat the oven to 250f (120c).
• Cut the flat-iron steak against the grain into thin strips, I am thinking about 1/4-inch (0.6cm). If you want a bit more of a chew, cut them a little thicker. However, I would not go much thinner, or they will fall apart in the braising liquid.
• Add all the braising ingredients to an ovenproof pot, and stir to combine.
• Add the beef, and combine with the other ingredients.
• Cover the pot, and place into the preheated oven, for one hour.
• Remove the pot, give the beef a quick stir, then re-cover, place back into the oven, increase the temperature to 275f (135c), and cook for an additional hour.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• I love using this beef for tacos; however, there are so many creative ways to enjoy its spicy flavor. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

BURRITO ESSENTIALS: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. One of my goals here at Just-a-Pinch was not just to post recipes, but to use those recipes in combination, to made creative dishes. So, here are the previously-posted recipes that I used to make this yummy burrito.
• 3. These recipes can be made a day or two ahead of time, and then reheated on the day needed: *** THE RICE *** https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/rice-side/baked-essentials-parmesan-cilantro-lime-rice.html *** THE SPICY BEEF PORK *** https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/beef/mexican-essentials-make-ahead-burrito-filling.html *** THE SALSA *** https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/salsa/awesome-tomatillo-lime-salsa.html?r=4 *** THE CHEESE SAUCE *** https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/other-sauce-spread/mexican-essentials-green-chili-sauce.html
• 4. A medium avocado will provide you with enough topping for 2 or possibly 3 burritos.
• 5. If you are freezing these, stop before you get to the steps on pan frying. When needed, let them defrost for about an hour, then wrap in foil, or parchment paper, and stick into a 250f (120c), oven for about 30 - 40 minutes, then remove and pan fry.
• 6. Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• 7. Lay the flour tortilla down on a clean surface, and then add the refried beans in an even layer, right down the middle.
• 8. Chef's Note: Since we will be rolling this tortilla up, leave about an inch (2.5cm) on the left and right.
• 9. Next, add the rice.
• 10. Then the spicy ground beef/pork.
• 11. The salsa.
• 12. Finally, the cheese.
• 13. THE FOLDING
• 14. Ah, one of the secrets to a good burrito, or chimichanga is proper folding. It is not exactly rocket science; however, there are a few things to consider. First of all, do not overstuff with filling, or it will fall apart when you try to eat it. Another tip is that the beef/pork filling should be nice and warm, but not boiling hot. Finally, of course, is the folding: As you face the tortilla, the filling should be going left-to-right. Fold the two sides in towards the center. Fold the bottom (the side closest to you), tightly up and over the filling. Now, tightly roll it up and over the top, so that the flap is on the bottom. There you go.
• 15. Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium heat.
• 16. When the foaming subsides, add the burrito, flap-side down, and cook until golden brown, about 3 - 5 minutes.
• 17. Turn over, and repeat for the other side.
• 18. Chef's Note: Pan-frying the burrito, accomplishes two things: It gives the tortilla a satisfying crunch (like a chimichunga, but without deep frying), and it helps to melt the cheese, making it gooey and yummy.
• 19. PLATE/PRESENT
• 20. Cut on the diagonal, add a dollop of mashed avocado, and drizzle with some yummy cheese sauce. Serve with some additional salsa, and sour cream, on the side, and maybe some nice tortilla chips. Enjoy
• 21. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.