Meximelt someone’s heart

Ok, look, I’m from California.  I don’t feel like I can find a decent variety of delicious Mexican food even in most U.S. cities, let alone at overseas posts.  It is almost as challenging in cosmopolitan world cities as it is in developing world capitals with few international food options.  I’m lucky to find maybe one acceptably okay Mexican restaurant wherever I happen to be living at the time.  So, I’ve been experimenting with Mexican-ish cooking.

Now, I’ve got like 10 readers max, so it’s not like people are lining up to give me endorsement deals.  So, believe me when I tell you, you really need to get one of these:  http://www.amazon.com/Stovetop-Smoker-Original-Camerons-Stainless/dp/B00004SZ9D/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463238125&sr=8-1&keywords=stovetop+smoker.  I should probably demand commissions from the company, because I recommend it to everyone who expresses even a remote interest in exchanging foodie thoughts.  It’s seriously excellent, and I’ll be talking about it periodically, for sure at Thanksgiving because we don’t expect to ever make turkeys without it again.

So Mexican food.  Or even a decent approximation.  Honestly, I’d happily settle for Chipotle if it were available, but it’s somehow not caught up to Starbucks in terms of global dominance, sadly.  So what’s a homesick foodie expat to do?  Copycat version at home!  Mind you, here, it requires trips to 2-3 grocery stores, and a single avocado costs almost as much as a burrito bowl there.  But it can be done, and sometimes it’s totally worth it.  I can vouch for this recipe:  http://www.culinaryhill.com/chipotle-chicken/ .  My preferred method is to use chicken thighs (though it’s also delicious with chicken breasts), smoke in the stovetop smoker for 30 minutes, then heat some oil on medium-high in the cast iron pan, and sear for 2-3 minutes per side with a grill press laid across the top.  Completely delicious.

For the rice, I melt a tbsp or so of butter, add a bay leaf or two, and saute a cup of Basmati rice until it’s translucent.  Then I add a little over 2 cups of stock (homemade is great, a good boxed one is fine), bring to a boil, and then turn down to low and cover.  I let it cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, adding a splash more stock of it seems to be drying out before the rice cooks.  Once done, I add the juice of a small lime, and a big handful of chopped cilantro, and cover it with the lid again.  I fluff it and stir through when ready to serve.

To make the corn salsa, defrost a bag of frozen corn.  If you’re as lazy as I am, take a large fresh jalapeno and quarter an onion and use a small food processor to chop.  Or do it by hand.  Add to the corn.  Add the juice of 1-2 small limes to taste, and a big handful of cilantro.  It gets better as it hangs out.

I am not a fan of beans, but my husband likes them, so, I’ve figured out how to do make decent black beans to add to your burrito/bowl.  Chop an onion and mince 2-3 garlic cloves with a garlic press or on a microplane.  Saute in a litle oil.  Add a bay leaf, a teaspoon or so each of cumin and oregano, and then add in  a can of black beans.  Let it hang out on low heat for a half hour or so.  Add the juice of half a small lime to finish it, if you’d like.

I haven’ yet come to the most important item.  And that, of course, is guac.  I have been tempted to purchase this:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KSJYSEM/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687742&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B014JWOXOI&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=17EAPAKZ2TAD2ZF5D3GC.  If you’re at Chipotle, treat yo’self.  Get the guac.  They make a nice enough one.  However, I’ve never sought out the recipe.  Because I am SO HAPPY with my own guac recipe.  It might not be for everyone.  Some people like texture, like bits of onion or jalapeno.  Others want tomato in theirs.  Some add cilantro.  I won’t openly say how wrong I find those people.

Here’s what goes into my guac: one single perfectly ripe Haas avocado.  It should yield a little to very gentle pressing.  It should cut very easily, and you should be able to scoop out the inside with a spoon.  I use the spoon to shove the pit out/scoop around it, no fancy stab the pit with a knife trick needed.  Add 2-3 cloves of garlic grated through a garlic press or microplane.  Yes, I’m serious.  You won’t fully taste it, it adds a lovely background note and a bit of sharpness.  Add a good sprinkling of salt and the juice of a small lime.  Mash with a fork and stir up.  Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.  That’s it.  I learned the garlic trick from one of the Food Network one-hit wonders, I think she won a season of Food Network Star and was from San Diego, perhaps?  In any case, I’ve been making my guac this way for quite some time, and I love it, cannot get enough of it.

So my beloved guac happened tonight, but not those other Chipotle items.  Tonight I made nachos.  Glorious, crunchy, salty, spicy, savory nachos.

For the chicken, I tried a different marinade.  More or less like an al pastor.  Into the small food processor, several chunks of pineapple, the juice of one orange, a small onion quartered, several cloves of garlic, about two chipotles in adobo from a can (I had been using just the liquid for the Chipotle knock-off chicken, and saved the actual peppers in a ziploc in the fridge.  I’m weirdly parsimonious about some things).   A few glugs of a chipotle adobo sauce purchased separately (if you’re opening a can, obvi just use liquid from that), some oregano, some cumin, and some salt.  Blitzed it up and put some of it on the chicken.  When I’d had a chance to buy guajillo chili powder the next day, I added some of that to the marinade, also.  Cooked in the smoker, finished on the cast iron pan, as mentioned above.

Chips on a plate, shredded cheddar, microwaved.  Chopped chicken, jarred jalapenos and olives, sour cream, jarred salsa, and some of that gorgeous guac I love to make (and even more, that I love to nom).  It. Was. SO. Satisfying!  Here, look again:

I have hung onto much of the marinade, and might attempt pork shoulder in our Ronco rotisserie.  If so, I’ll certainly report back.

I’ve also got some dough doing an overnight rise for cast iron pizza tomorrow, so I look forward to updating again soon.