Mexico

It's incredible how little I knew about Mexican food until I came to live in North America.  I, like many people in the UK, considered Chili Con Carne to be the epitome of good Mexican food. It's not even Mexican, it was created within the boundaries of that Mexican/American hybrid, Texmex. 

All that changed when Neil and I visited Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, a lively tourist town on the West of the country in the state of Jalisco, popular with American and Canadian holidaymakers. Our first visit there was an unmitigated disaster, but not of Mexico's doing. Our luggage was lost, (mine for the whole trip)! and the holiday consisted of buying awful clothes with miserly compensation money and making phone call after phone call to try and locate our luggage, something the terribly incompetent reps should have been doing. 

Needless to say, we needed comfort, which bottles of rum and tequila provided, but the food surprised us in new and sophisticated ways. At first, we encountered the usual fare of guacamole made at the table, fajitas, burritos, tacos etc, but when we asked at our hotel for an authentic restaurant, they sent us to a gem; El Arrayan

The server was a funky, young Mexican girl who once had a boyfriend from Manchester in the UK, therefore she recognised Neil's accent. Seeming to sense our naivety, she made some recommendations which blew us away. We had three incredible salsas; one made from tomatillos, one black from a particular chili and one red and spicy with a subtle, mysterious smoky twist which I'm assuming came from pimento (smoked paprika), or perhaps a chipotle chili. All three had a sophistication and flair that seemed to lack in other places, the flavours a little more subtle and with depth and complexity. We followed with tostadas, small pieces of bread with toppings, but not the regular cheese or mushroom, one was slow cooked rabbit, one duck and one chicken.

We also tried Ceviche, a seafood dish where the raw fish is 'cooked' only with the use of lime or lemon juice which changes the texture to a more opaque consistency than translucent. It is usually dressed with onion, salt and chili peppers. We had scallop ceviche which was sour and sweet and very bright and clean tasting.

We went back to the same restaurant on our second (compensation) trip 5 months later and the server remembered us, even noticing that my blond hair was dark again. 

Another memorable restaurant wasn't Mexican but drew it's inspiration from Spain, yet it still maintained a typically Mexican vibe and hospitality. It was called Barcelona Tapas and stood at the top of a building right at the top of a hill affording gorgeous views of the ocean and town. The food was incredible, mainly Spanish tapas, but the wonderful almond tequila was so fantastic we bought a bottle to take home.

Tequila is another misunderstood Mexican product, considered to be a get drunk quick drink, hoardes of young people the world over getting intoxicated on the lethal slammer.  This again was corrected for me when I was informed and discovered that there are some very refined and expensive Tequilas which drink like the best brandy or cognac.

Even though Mexico itself helped me to understand and appreciate Mexican cuisine, two other things have also assisted me in learning more. Canada and the US have a love affair with Mexican food, but in a different way to Italian, which is revered to the point of making you blush. Mexican food seems to be the choice for fast, fresh food with tasty ingredients and sauces. Burritos, tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas all share the portable convenience of bread. like a sandwich, they can be eaten on the move, although, I think the real beauty lies in the fresh produce Mexican people use in their everyday cooking.

Avocados, cilantro, onion, tomatoes, combined to create salsas or guacamole are eaten as snacks in comparison to a doughnut, bagel or bag of Doritos a lot of people reach for. Mexican food has embraced the seasonal, local ingredients available and made the most of them. Even in a fast food joint like taco bell, you are still given a wedge of lime and fresh salsa with your burrito. 

The other thing that has helped me shape my idea of Mexican cuisine is my students. Many Mexicans come to Canada to improve their English and are happy to sit and talk about food for hours. One student, Fernando, was a chef and prepared an entire meal for everyone for a school picnic. He made homemade tortillas with his limited equipment at home, cooked a shoulder of pork in his home stay family's oven and prepared fresh salsa, refried beans and an onion and pepper side dish. He packed all this along with paper plates, cutlery and napkins in a heat retaining bag and brought it with him as a surprise. We were astonished. 

Here was a twenty year old who had prepared enough food to feed the entire school, all for free and with an incredibly generous spirit. He had prepared carnitas, a tortilla or taco filled with braised and roasted shredded pork, vegetables, salsa and refried beans. Everyone in the school loved them, the Korean students commenting how popular these are becoming in their country with some regional twists such as Kimchee and radish and carrot pickle.

Mexican Food 101 (very basic)

The staple of Mexican food is corn and beans. Corn can be eaten fresh from the cob or cooked, steamed or boiled and rubbed with butter, chili powder, salt and lime, but it is also an important component. Ground to make Masa, a flour, it can be used for all sorts of dishes such as Tamales, Tortillas and Gorditas.

Huevos Rancheros - a typical Mexican breakfast dish of fried eggs, chili sauce, beans, cheese and sour cream

Tamales are a dough made from Masa, often filled with meat stews or cheese, then wrapped in corn husk leaves and boiled or steamed. They are served unwrapped either plain or covered in a sauce to complement the filling, for example, green mole sauce.

 

Gorditas are a Mexican pasty, made from Masa dough, they are filled with a variety of fillings including chicken stew or shredded beef.

A tortilla toasted and then topped with fried zucchini, broccoli, tomato sauce and topped with bacon.

Other Mexican staple ingredients include: squash, peppers, chilies, oregano, epazote, cinnamon, cocoa, chipotle, onion and garlic. Rice is also an important component as is Frijoles, or refried beans. This is typically a dish made from Pinto, red or black beans, soaked overnight or cooked from dry. They are stewed for a long time until soft and then mashed to form a semi-smooth consistency. This paste is then baked in lard or oil and seasoned with spices and salt. Served as a side dish or used to fill a Burrito.

A Carnita. Slow cooked roasted pork shoulder with sauce and cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Enchiladas is a word heard here very frequently. Extremely popular, they are corn or flour tortillas wrapped around a variety of fillings such as cheese, beans or meats and then covered in a chili pepper sauce. Sometimes they are covered in Mole sauce, (an incredibly complex and deeply flavoured sauce), in which case they are known as Enmoladas.

Tortas are Mexican sandwiches which are sold in speciality shops here and most food malls. I particularly enjoy these because of the contrast between the crusty, flour bread roll and the dizzying array of fillings available such as Chorizo sausage with cheese, marinated steak and bacon with scrambled egg.

Bean and bacon soup or sopa

There are many desserts well known in Mexican cuisine, of which flan is probably one of the most popular. A creme caramel, it is a soft custard with a layer of caramel on top. Also popular are empanadas, a pastry wrapped around a variety of fillings such as meat, cheese, beans, or for desserts, fruits.

Quesadilla stuffed with cheese, fried egg, red peppers, bacon and basil

 Mexican cuisine has become popular and well loved throughout the world. Fresh, bright, lively flavours mix with starchy elements such as bread, rice and beans. hearty and filling, it seems to encompass comfort food and hits all the right buttons in a meal. The tortilla and taco have become a staple for many other cuisines due to their incredible versatility. The only limitation for the filling combinations is your own imagination, and while, perhaps not authentic, you will be forgiven. Mexican people are fantastic like that.

Burrito from street cart in Vancouver. This was the mini pulled pork

The burrito 'plate'. Slow cooked pulled pork, frijoles, salad, rice and corn salsa, all home made on the premises.

An example of Korean - Mexican fusion. Tacos with crisp pulled pork, carrot and Jicama slaw, Korean red pepper sauce and shredded toasted Nori and black sesame seeds.

11 Quesadilla or taco filling ideas.

Basics:

You need 2 tortillas and some kind of cheese, along with your other fillings. The cheese acts as a binder when you grill (broil) or fry the quesadilla, so you can cut it into wedges without it falling apart. You can use any cheese you like such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella or Swiss cheese. I've given some suggestions but feel free to use whatever you prefer.

Place one tortilla on a baking dish or plate and cover with the sauce, (if using) then the cheese, making sure it reaches the edges. Fill with the rest of the ingredients and then top with more cheese. Place the second tortilla on top and either place under the grill or in a frying pan with a little oil. When the top of the tortilla is golden brown and crispy, you need to turn it over. 

If you are using a frying pan, place a plate on top of the tortilla and quickly turn everything over (including the pan). Take the pan away and you should have the bottom tortilla now on the top. Now, Put the plate on top and turn again so that the uncooked tortilla is on the bottom, slide this into the pan to cook. This is to ensure none of your filling falls out.

If you are using a broiler, use the same method to flip the tortilla over and simply slide the uncooked tortilla back into the baking pan and back under the grill (broiler). Protect your hands by wearing gloves while you do this.

The usual accompaniment is sour cream and salsa, but you can vary this to whatever you like, maybe add a little mint sauce to the sour cream for lamb, for example, or use a mild mustard for sausage or pork or even apple sauce.

1.  Grated Monterey Jack, salsa, black olives and basil leaves.

2.  Grated Mozarella, refried beans, sliced cooked Chorizo or sausage and dried oregano.

3. Grated cheddar, grilled mushrooms, crispy fried bacon, fried egg and shredded bell pepper.

4. Strips of cooked chicken, pesto, Swiss cheese and pine nuts.

5. Cream cheese, salmon, capers and slivers of red onion.

6. Ground beef fried with onions and chili powder until crispy and well browned, sliced tomatoes, cheddar or Parmesan and finely shredded cilantro.

7. Ricotta, fried zuchinni slices and blossoms, asparagus tips and oregano.

8. Slices of cooked lamb, feta cheese, black olives, mint leaves and onions.

9. Shredded pork shoulder or beef brisket, barbecue sauce, finely shredded carrot, apple and radish salad, blue cheese.

10. Fried or broiled shrimp, avocado, chili pepper, Monterey Jack.

11. (An homage to Wales) Caerphilly cheese, sauteed leeks, thinly sliced red onion and sliced walnuts.