Mexican Meat & Main Dishes
Enchiladas
Serves 44 Tablespoons Flour
3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1/4 Cup melted Butter or Oil
2 Teaspoons ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Dash Black Pepper
3 Cups Boiling Water
12 Corn Tortillas
10 oz. Grated Cheese (cheddar/jack)
1 large diced or chopped Onion
1/2 Cup diced or chopped Green Pepper
1 1/2 Cups hot Cooking Oil, for fryingBrown the Flour at about 450F. for 10-15 minutes; stir it a couple of times but do not let it burn. Combine the browned flour with the other dry ingredients and blend with the butter (oil) over low heat. Slowly add the boiling water, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously. Add the bouillon cube and stir as you add the remaining water. Simmer the sauce for about one hour, stirring occasionally. Fry the Tortillas, one at a time, for about five to ten seconds per side in the hot oil (they should not get crisp, this is just to "cook" them a little -- the time depends entirely on the temperature of the oil). Remove them from the oil, draining excess oil back into skillet and then dip them in the hot enchilada sauce.
Place the tortilla on a plate for preparation; spoon about 1 tablespoon of a mixture of the Onion and Green Pepper along a line about 1-1/2 inch from the center of the tortilla. Place about 1 tablespoon of cheese along that line also. Carefully roll (it will be hot) the tortilla around the filling and place it seam side down in a rectangular baking dish. Repeat with all the tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and then spread some of the remaining onions/peppers over the top. Finally, top it with a generous portion of the grated cheese. Bake at about 300F. for 15-20 minutes. DO NOT OVER COOK!
Chili Strata
By Luiz Antonio
Serves 61 Egg slightly beaten
3/4 c Water
1 12-oz pkg corn chips
2 15 1/2-oz cans Chili with beans
1 20-oz can enchilada sauce
3/4 c Chopped green pepper
1/2 c Chopped onion
2 c (8-oz) shredded cheddar cheese
4 c Chopped lettuce
2 c Chopped tomatoesHeat oven to 350 degrees. Mix egg and water. Crush 4 c corn chip to make 2 c crushed chips. Add egg mixture to crushed chips, spread in lightly greased 13 x9-inch baking dish.
Combine chili, 1 c enchilada sauce, green pepper and onion; spread over corn chips in casserole. Bake at 350 degrees, 35 minutes. Top with cheese and remaining whole corn chips; bake 5 minutes. Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Serve with sauce.Carne Adovada
(Marinated Pork)
6 servings4 pound Pork(ribs, chops or other)
2 teaspoon Salt
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoon Whole leaf oregano
1 qt Blended red chili sauceSprinkle meat with salt. Add garlic and oregano to blended chili. Pour over meat and marinate in refrigerator 6-8 hours or overnight. Cook slowly on top of stove or in 350 oven until meat is done, about 1 hour. Thick slices of potatoes may be marinated with the meat.
Carne Gisada Con Papas
(Meat & Potatoes)
Yield: 4 servings3 pound round steak, 1/2" thick
2 pound potatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large clove garlic, smashed
1 cup WaterCut round steak into cubes and brown in shortening in heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Peel and cube potatoes (approximately in 1/2-inch cubes). Once meat is slight browned add potatoes and continue to brown. (Don't worry if it sticks to the bottom of the skillet. Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, cumin powder and garlic. Add Approcimately one cup of water and simmer until meat and potatoes are tender. Potatoes will thicken sauce.
Southwest Beef Fajitas
Yield: 8 servings1 pound Top Round Steak;Boneless
1/4 cup Lime Juice
2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoon Red Chiles; Ground
2 Cloves Garlic;Finely Chopped
8 Flour TortillasRound Steak should be cut about 1/2 inch thick. Flour Tortillas should be 10 inches in Diameter and be warmed. Cut beef steak diagonally acros the grain into thin slices, each 2 X 1/8-inch. Mix remaining ingredients except tortillas in a glass or plastic
bowl; stir in beef until well coated.Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Set oven control to broil. Place beef slices on rack in broiler pan. Broil with tops 2 to 3 inches from heat until brown, about 5 minutes. Place 1/8 of the beef, some Cucumber Salsa, Southwest Relish, and Southwest Guacamole in the center of each tortilla. Fold one end of the tortilla up about 1 inch over the beef mixture; fold right and left sides over the folded end overlapping. Fold down the remaining end. Serve with remaining salsa, relish and guacamole.
Texas Red Chili con Carne
Most championship chili recipes use some tomato paste or tomato sauce. This
one doesn't and is reputed to bean authentic recreation of chili as served to
drovers and hands in the days of the trail drives, where chili is alleged to
have originated.Servings: 6
3 pound boned beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2" cubes and trimmed of fat
1 tablespoon bacon drippings
6 dried ancho peppers
2 cups cold water
1 tablespoon oregano
3 cups water
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, crushed
2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon cayenne
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 Tbsp masa harina (Mexican hominy flour)Put the meat through the coarse blade of a meat grinder. Brown in small batches in the bacon fat in a heavy skillet. Transfer the cooked meat to a second large heavy skillet using a slotted spoon. Set aside. Wash the peppers in cold water. Discard the stems and seeds. Tear the peppers into 2" pieces. Place the pieces in a small sauce pan with the first measure of (cold) water. Cover. Simmer 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking water. Peel the skin from the peppers. Place in the work bowl of a food processor. Add the reserved water. Puree with short pulses. Mix the pepper puree into the beef. Add the second measure of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a slow simmer. Cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the masa harina. Cover. Simmer 45 minutes. Mix in the masa harina. Cover. Reduce heat to the lowest possible. Cook 30 minutes longer, stirring occasionally so that the mixture doesn't stick. If too thick, thin with small amounts of boiling water. Serve.
Chicken or Beef Fajitas
1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
1/2 Cup Lime juice
1 Cup Tequila
1/4 Cup Tomato paste
2 Garlic cloves -- minced
1 Whole jalapeno pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1 1/2 pounds Chicken breast*
10 Flour tortillas for fajitas
3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 Large bell pepper -- cut into
1 Large onion -- cut into strips
1 Large tomato -- cut into chunks*Boneless, skinless breast, cut into strips; or skirt steak.
In a glass bowl or baking dish, combine 1/2 cup oil, lime juice, tequila, tomato paste, garlic, jalapeno, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Blend well. Add chicken, cover, and marinate in refrigerator at least 6 hours or overnight. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes while preparing fajitas. Remove chicken from marinade. In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat 3 Tbl oil. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is done. Add bell pepper and onion and cook 3 minutes more along with tomatoes, just until vegetables are crisp-tender. Serve with tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and grated cheese.
Crock Pot Beef Fajitas
1 1/2 Pounds beef flank steak **
1 onion -- sliced
1 green pepper -- sliced
1 red pepper -- sliced
1 jalapeno chile pepper -- chopped
1 Tablespoon cilantro
2 Cloves garlic -- minced
1 Teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces tomatoes, canned -- chopped
12 flour tortillasCut flank steak into 6 portions to fit into crock pot. In any size crock pot, combine meat, onion, peppers, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander and salt. Add tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (or on high 4-5 hours). Remove meat from crock pot and shred. Return meat to crock pot and stir. To serve fajitas, spread meat mixture on tortillas and add favorite toppings.
Toppings: Sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa (or use whatever toppings suit you).
Easy Beef Fajitas
1 Cup Sliced onions
1 Cup Sliced mushrooms
1 Teaspoon Safflower oil
1/3 Cup Dry sherry
1 Pound Sirlon tip -- fat trimmed
2 Serrano or jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Ground coriander
1 teaspoon Minced cilantro
4 large Flour tortillas
1/2 cup Bottled salsa
1/2 Avocado -- thinly sliced
1 cup Nonfat plain yogurt1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions and mushrooms in oil and sherry for 10 minutes. Cut steak into 1-1/2-inch strips and add to saute, cooking for 2 minutes more. Add chiles, cumin, coriander, and cilantro, and cook 3 more minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Warm tortillas in toaster oven or conventional oven. Arrange bowls of salsa, sliced avocado, and yogurt on a tray. Wrap warmed tortillas in clean cloth napkin. Serve meat filling out of skillet or in prewarmed serving dish. Guests then assemble their own fajitas.
Quick Fajitas with Pico De Gallo
1 Pound boneless beef top sirloin steak -- 3/4" thick
8 flour tortillas -- (8 inch) warmed
Marinade:
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Teaspoons vegetable oil
2 Cloves garlic -- crushed
Pico de Gallo:
1/2 Cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup seeded tomatoes -- chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup prepared picante sauce -- or salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juiceCombine marinade ingredients. Place beef steak in plastic bag; add marinde, turning to coat. Close bag and marinate in refrigerator 20-30 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile, prepare Pico de Gallo by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well. Remove steak from marinde; discard marinde. Place steak on grid over medium coals. Grill 12-16 minutes for rare to medium doneness, turing once. Trim fat from steak. Carve steak crosswise into slices; serve in tortillas with Pico de Gallo. Serves 4.
Red's South Texas Fajitas
4 jalapeno peppers -- pierced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Bottle Herb And Garlic Oil Based Dressing
1 Can Beer (Preferrably Lone Star)
1 1/2 Teaspoons garlic powder
4 Small Mexican limes -- juiced
2 Teaspoons cumin powder
1 Large onion -- minced
2 Tablespoons cilantro -- minced
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
3 Pounds skirt steakAbout twelve to fifteen years ago, fajitas were "discovered." since then, an awful lot of good meat has been wrecked, and skirt steak--once a "grinder" item--has risen sharply in price. Because skirt doesn't come from a "tender quadrant" of the carcass, some care is needed to turn it into good food. First, it needs to be marinated to tenderize and flavor it.
Mix all the ingredients together, except the meat, to make a marinade. Pour over the skirt steak, in a non-reactive container (not metal), cover, and stir occasiionally for six to eight hours.
Fajitas can be cooked in several ways. If you have the space, smoke the fajitas for 30 minutes with pure mesquite smoke, and then cook for 4-7 minutes per side over direct heat--mesquite coals being the heat of choice. Baste with the marinade throughout the cooking process. If you need to cook completely over direct heat, then use a fairly slow fire, about like you should use when grilling chicken, and cook, covered if possible, for about 10 - 15 minutes per side, basting with the marinade.
Figure about a half pound of meat and 3 to 4 tortillas per person. When slicing fajitas, you'll notice that the grain of the skirt steak all runs the same way. If you'll slice the skirt at a forty-five degree angle to the grain, and hold your knife on a forty-five degree angle as well, you'll find that the fajitas are much more tender! Serve the fajitas with flour tortillas, pico de gallo salsa, guacamole, and cold beer. You'll notice that I didn't say anything about chicken fajitas--that's a contradiction in terms.
Simple Fajitas
onions -- (1 to 2)
green peppers -- (1 to 2)
1 Pound beef strips -- (1 to 2)
1 Cup your favorite italian dressing
1 Cup your favorite salsa
1/4 Cup your favorite soy sauceCombine italian dressing, salsa and soy sauce in large container with lid. Add beef strips and marinate for at least 6 hours. I usually do it the night before. When ready to cook you first saute the onions sliced however you prefer them in butter or oil. Remove onions and saute green peppers sliced however you prefer them. Next, drain beef reserving the sauce if you would like a little sauce in your fajitas. Cook beef until done adding the onions and green peppers to the mix at the very end. If you have reserved some of the sauce you could add it when doing this. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Chili Beans
Courtesy of Mary <Vaughndell2@juno.com>1 qt. uncooked brown or chili beans
1 lb hamburger
1 large onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 T. curry powder
1 qt. cooked tomatoes
1 piece suet (size of medium apple)
1 T. saltCook beans until about half done. Cut suet into small pieces and put into a skillet and melt
Add hamburger and fry until medium brown Add onion and brown along with hamburger
Add tomatoes, chili powder, curry powder and the minced garlic to this mixture. Cook all together for a few minutes, then add to the beans and cook slowly for 2 hours. Add salt when beans are almost done. More meat or tomatoes may be used if desired. Slow, long cooking improves the flavor.Beef Ole
Courtesy of Mary <Vaughndell2@juno.com>2 to 2 1/2 lbs. beef round steak, cut 1-inch thick
2 T. lard or drippings
2 medium onions, chopped
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 1 1/4-oz. pkg. taco seasonings
1/4 tsp.. hot sauce (optional)
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 avocado, peeled and cut in 8 wedges
1 medium tomato, cut in 8 wedges
6 pitted olives, sliced
8 round slices lettuce, cut 1/4-inch thickSlice beef crosswise in thin strips approximately 1/4-inch thick. Then cut in pieces 2 inches long. Brown beef strips in melted lard or drippings. Pour off drippings. Add onions, tomato sauce, taco seasoning and hot sauce. Stir over low heat to blend. Turn into a 9-inch round baking dish 2 inches deep. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips and grated cheese on top. Arrange avocado and tomato wedges alternately in wheel fashion to top. Place olives in center. Return to oven and continue baking uncovered 10 minutes or until vegetables are heated through. Serve on round slices of lettuce. Serves 8 .
If you have comments or suggestions, email us at
devriesb@ican.net
Webpage designed and maintained by Leilani Devries