Green Chile Chicken Burritos

So out here in the west there is a fast food Mexican chain that puts Taco Bell / Taco Time / Del Taco to shame.  It's Cafe Rio.  It started here in Salt Lake, but has spread like wildfire to neighboring states and is now spreading to Virginia.

It's the ultimate in assembly line mexican food.  You order your version of the tortilla with meat, cheese and vegetables, and as you walk down the line, you specify exactly what you want and how much you want of each ingredient.  They slap it together fast, punch your card, take your cash and you're on you way.  And the best part, it's REALLY good food.  Also, the have a meal card, where when you have 12 meals, you get one for free.  Cash in one of these card and the cashier will scream, "FREE MEAL!".  Which is then met a few seconds later as everyone behind the counter (close to 20 people) yell back "Free Meal!"

Now I usually go with the hot red sauce when I smother my burrito.  But occasionally I'll get the tomatillo and green chile sauce instead.  It all depends on the mood of the day.  The green sauce is a great mix of spice and sweetness.

Now I've made my own Green Chile sauce.  This is not a copycat recipe from Cafe Rio.  This sauce has a great chile flavor with just the slightest hint of sweetness.  It's almost chile verde-like.  The secret is to let it simmer for at least 20 minutes before you serve it up.  Longer is better, because the longer the sauce simmers, the more water evaporates, which will concentrate the tastes together.

Green Chile Chicken Burritos

Makes 4 burritos

3-4 anaheim or poblano peppers
1 jalapeno pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped fine
A few sprigs of cilantro, to your liking. (I use about 2 teaspoons)
2 14oz can crushed tomatillos
1 teaspoon cumim
1 pound chicken diced or shredded chicken meat (from thighs, breast, whatever you prefer)
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can refried or black beans (optional)
Some Mexican style rice (optional)
4 fresh tortillas

Place the anaheim and jalapeno under your broiler for 5 minutes.  Flip them over and roast for another 5 minutes.  Don't let them burn too much.  Then remove the peppers, take as much of the skins off as possible and remove the seeds (especially from the jalapeno, unless you want this REALLY hot).  Place the peppers, garlic, green chiles, and onions into a food processor and pulse until everything has been chopped into little bits.

Pour the contents into a large saucepan along with the crushed tomatillos and cumin and bring to a boil.  Then drop the heat and simmer while you cook your chicken.  Once the chicken is cooked and either diced or shredded, return it to the pan combine half of the green chile sauce with the chicken.  Fill the tortillas with the chicken, cheese and the rice and beans if you want.  Roll up the tortillas and smother the burrito in the chile sauce and more cheese. Garnish with salsa and sour cream if you wish and serve with Spanish Rice and beans.

So make a batch of these tonight, and also visit a Cafe Rio for lunch near you.  If there isn't one in your area, there will be soon, trust me.

Chicken Tortilla Soup - Stovetop and Crock Pot versions.

Tortilla soup is becoming much more popular.  Just a few years ago, there were a few Mexican restaurants that would offer it and one deli in town.  That's it.  Now it's everywhere!

Most of the Mexican restaurants now offer a version of it.  The other day I went through the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru, because I'm addicted to their spicy chicken sandwich and the waffle fries.  And sure enough, Chicken Tortilla Soup is now on their menu!  My wife has tried it, and it's really not that bad.

Now I'm all for a spicy soup, and this one's hearty enough to be a meal all by itself.  But if you want it to be an appetizer for some Enchiladas, Tamales, or any other fare, do it!  If you have about 30-45 minutes, the stovetop version is great.  But if you're like the rest of us and have tight time constraints, then try out the Crock Pot version and tell me what you think.  I really like the taste of the marinade on the chicken breasts, but if you are under time constraints, you can just cook unmarinaded breasts instead.  Just add the cumin and chili powder that you would use for the marinade directly into the soup.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Marinaded Chicken
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
Juice from one lime
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Cholulu, Tapatio, Tobasco, or your favorite)
1 teaspoon chipotle sauce, from a chipotle can or a bottled sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound of chicken breasts, skinless and boneless


Soup Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 clove of garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
3 14 ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Cholulu, Tapatio, Tobasco, or your favorite)
1 can black beans (drained of any juice)
6 ounces can tomato paste
2 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup half-and-half cream 
1/4 cup corn or vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas (4 for soaking, 4 for crispifying)




Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large ziploc bag and squish around to combine.  Add the chicken breast and seal the bag.  Set in your fridge to soak in the goodness for at least 15 minutes, overnight or 24 hours is even better.


When you're ready, bake, grill or pan-fry the chicken breasts until fully cooked.  Shred the chicken breasts into small bits and then set aside.


Slice your tortillas into small strips. For the ones to soak, cut them in half, then cut them into 1/4 inch strips.  For the future crispy ones, cut the tortillas in half and slice into 1/8 in strips.  Set the soakers aside. 


In a large saute pan or stockpot, saute the onions over medium heat until they become translucent.  Add the minced garlic and tomatoes and stir for another 2 minutes.  Pour in the chicken broth (WATCH OUT FOR STEAM!) and then add all the spices.  Bring to a boil.  Add the beans and the shredded chicken and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.


While simmering, combine the tomato paste and water in a bowl.  Once well blended, add the cronstarch and mix again.  Now pour the mixture into the rest of the soup and stir.  This is where you would add the half-and-half if you want the creamier version.  Simmer for another 5-10 minutes.


At this point, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add half of the 1/8 inch tortilla strips and allow them to fry up.  When they become cripsy, remove and lay on paper towels.  Repeat with the remaining strips.


After the last simmer is complete, add the 1/4 inch unfried tortilla strips into the soup and let them soak for about 5 minutes before serving up the soup.  Garnish with cilantro, some cheese and sprinkle on the cripsy tortilla strips.


CROCK POT COOKERS:


You can also make this in the crock pot in just a few hours (or all day of you want)  There are a few alterations that have to be made for the long cook time, the lack of the chicken breast marinade and the evaporation of the liquid...


Soup Ingredients
6 ounces can tomato paste
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 cups water
Juice from one lime

1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3 clove of garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
4 14 ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce (Cholulu, Tapatio, Tobasco, or your favorite)
1 can black beans (drained of any juice)
3/4 cup half-and-half cream 


Tortilla stuff
1/4 cup corn or vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas (4 for soaking, 4 for crispifying)


In a small bowl, mix the tomato paste and the cornstarch, to prevent lumps when you add it to the other ingredients.  Then quickly saute the onions.  Add all of the soup ingredients directly into the crock pot and stir.  Set on low and allow to cook for 3-4 hours (longer is just fine).  


Fifteen minutes before serving, scoop the chicken breasts out of the soup.  Shred them with a pair of forks and add them back into the soup. 


Slice four of the corn tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and add to the soup.  Slice the other four into 1/8 strips and fry in a small saute pan with some oil until they are crispy.


Serve the soup garnished with cheese and/or sour cream with the crispy tortillas spread on the top.

Freezer Meals / Small Preparation Meals For Family Emergencies

With little Kaleb's birth last month, as with any birth, your world gets turned upside down.  Sleep schedules are destroyed, anyone with the slightest sniffle is quarantined and you hole up in the house for the first few weeks.

And when it comes to eating, well, your kitchen is usually an afterthought.  We lucked out and had family and friends help by bringing dinners by, but that lasted for about a week.  After that, you have to find a way to feed the family with very limited time and a mental state that barely allows you to read the numbers on the stove dials.

To cover those nights, it's best to prepare ahead of time so you don't have to call out for delivery every night.  Freezing meals work the best.  Especially if you portion them out perfectly.  But there's also a number of meals that can take just a few minutes of prep that will pay off later on.. 

So here are my favorite recipes from the blog that you can either prepare and freeze ahead of time, or assemble in 10 minutes or less and let cook all day long.

Freezer Meals / Small Preparation Meals For Family Emergencies

Enchiladas - Freezable item - 60-80 minutes baking time - You'll assemble the enchiladas beforehand just as you would normally, but you'll prepare them in disposable tin foil pans. Tin foil cookware will become your best friend in the next few weeks. The 8x8 pans are the perfect portions for 2-4 people (4 flour tortilla enchiladas or 6 corn tortilla enchiladas) and when you're done with them, toss them in the recycling bin. Use paper plates and then there are no dishes to do. Oh, and if you like the Spanish Rice, make a batch of it at the same time.  That's freezable as well.

Beef Roast - 10 minutes to assemble, 9-24 hours to cook -  A whole roast?  Isn't that a Sunday meal?  Yes, it's a big meal, but you can put everything together in a few minutes and let it simmer in the crock pot all day.  Just add all the cans of liquid and dry soup, stir until combined, and put the fully frozen roast in the crock pot.  Set it on Low and let it cook.  Should take about 5 minutes.  When there's three hours left in the cooking, pour in 1 pound of baby carrots and 4-5 potatoes that have been sliced into 1 inch cubes.  They'll cook to soft perfection by the time you're ready to eat.  You get a complete and filling meal with very little work.  And you can hold onto the leftovers for another night, or make into sandwiches.

Italian Meatballs with Marinara - Freezable item, whatever cooking time you want - Best thing to do is bake up a batch or two of these, allow them to cool and toss them into freezer bags. Now there are a number of low-effort ways to warm them up when needed. You can nuke them, along with a bottle of marinara sauce (used out of necessity) for a very quick and dirty meal. Or if you have 5 minutes of prep time available, grab a stock pot, add the ingredients for the quick and easy marinara, dump the frozen meatballs into the sauce and let it simmer over medium low heat for a couple hours. An even easier way is to do the same in a crock pot. Add the marinara and meatballs in and cook on low for 3-4 hours. When you're ready to eat, load them up in hoagies or use it to cover some noodles.

Calzones - Freezable item, 20 minute baking time - The recipe is for Barbecue Chicken Calzones, but you can stuff them with whatever you want.  Go with some quick and easy marinara, and ingredients you love and a bunch of mozzarella cheese.  You'll prepare your calzones days ahead of time, just as the recipe describes.  But instead of cooking for the full time, cook for 8-10 minutes and remove from the oven.  Allow them to cool completely and add to freezer ziploc bags.  When you are ready to comsume them, bring them out of the freezer and allow them to thaw for three hours.  Then pop them into the oven for 10-15 minutes to complete the process.  Nuke some marinara and use it for dipping.

Stuffed Shells - Freezable item. 60-70 minute baking time.  This recipe makes a LOT of shells, almost three meals worth for a family of 3-4.  So if you're planning of freezing it, I suggest changing it up a bit.  Maybe stuff a dozen or so with portabello mushrooms, pepperoni and cheese, like the recipe says.  Then maybe brown up some Italian sausage and insert a generous portion into the shells along with the cheese mixture.  And then if you want to go the vegetarian route, you could mix 1/2 cup of chopped spinach, 1/2 cup diced mushrooms and and 1/4 diced peppers into the remaining cheese and cram it into the remaining shells.  That way the recipe won't be redundant and boring if you eat it three nights in a row.

Beef Vegetable Soup - 10 minutes to assemble, 9 hours to cook - Very similar to the Roast process. You will need to cube a few potatoes and slice up your onions, but after that, it's a matter of dumping everything into the cooking vessel. You'll add all of the cans of liquid into the crock pot, pour in precut stew meat, small sliced frozen carrots, the other prepared veggies and spices, and then cook on low all day long.  The house will smell awesome.  Also, there's enough to feed everyone and maybe have a bowl or two of leftovers for another dinner or lunch.

Tamales - Freezable item, short cooking time - This has the longest pre-preparation time, but probably the best return.  Once you've created the large batch of tamales, steam them and then toss them in the freezer ziplocs and wait...  When you're ready to consume them later, nuke them wrapped in a moist paper towel for about 3-4 minutes.  And you're done!  If you want some sides, make a batch of Spanish rice beforehand, freeze it, and then nuke it as well.  Microwave a bowl of refried or black beans out of a can for 2 minutes and you'll have a complete Mexican Meal in 8 minutes and a clean stove!

Lasagna - Freezable item, 60-80 minutes baking time - You'll be able to create 2 8x8 pans of lasagna from the recipe.  I'd recommend increasing the sauce to the following:
6 14 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
3 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
That way you have some additional sauce to keep them moist.  Build your lasagnas in the extremely efficient 8x8 tin foil pans so there's no cleanup.  Cover them in foil and cook them covered for the first 60 minutes, then remove it for the last bit of cooking.

So build up your freezer reserves in preparation for a big day... or just have a few things ready to go on those nights you absolutely don't want to cook.

Mexican Pizza that will feed the masses

My wife loves Taco Bell.

I do not.

Why? Because I like spending the time between 8:00PM and Midnight somewhere else than a bathroom suffering the consequences of the taco "Meat".

I know it doesn't effect everyone that way.  I'm not even knocking all fast food Mexican.  Nothing's better than a bag of cheap Del Taco, Taco Time or Carl's Jr. tacos when I'm watching the first set of Sunday NFL games.  But my body chemistry has a volatile and explosive reaction to the whatever Taco Bell puts in their food.

But one item on the Taco Bell menu ingruiges me... the Mexican Pizza.  Yes, it's still a tortilla with meat, cheese and vegetables, but the configuration is unique.  I like the beans in-between the two tortillas with a little bit of cheese.  And the enchilada style sauce as the base is pretty good.

So once again, I've made my own version, sans the "Taco Bell Experience"  It's really easy to make and it's a great activity to do with the kids.   Let me top their own with whatever they'd like.  Just make sure to help them handle the jalapenos if they choose to add them.  Nothing's worse than a kid rubbing his eyes after handling peppers. Capsaicin everywhere, it'll all end in tears...  You can use my enchilada sauce recipe, but if you're pressed for time, then your favorite canned sauce would work just fine.

Mexican Pizza

Makes 6 pizzas - Feeds 8-12


Enchilada Sauce
1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons flour
1/8 cup chili powder
1 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
1 6 oz cans tomato paste
1 teaspoons oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)
1 tablespoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Other ingredients
1 1/2 pound chicken breasts or ground beef
12 tortillas
1 14 ounce can refried beans
2 cups Spanish rice (either my recipe or out of the box, whichever you prefer)
1 can olives, sliced
1 small onion, diced fine
1 small can diced jalapeno (optional)
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese (your choice)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salsa, guacamole and sour cream for garnish

To make the sauce, heat the oil over medium heat in a small saucepan.  Add the flour and chili powder and stir until it clumps together.  Pour in the chicken broth (watch out for steam!) and then stir in the tomato paste until well mixed.  Add all of the spices and stir to combine.  Once you start seeing your first boiling bubbles, drop the heat to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Assembling the pizza starts with two tortills.  Coat one side of one tortilla with the refried beans.  Then spread about 1/3 of a cup of Spanish rice over the beans and sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top (more as as adherence medium for the next step).  Coat one side of the other tortilla with enchilada sauce and lay it sauce side down on top of the beany side of the other tortilla.  Coat the top of the tortilla sandwich with enchilada sauce.  Spread as much of the other vegetable ingredients on top of the sauce.  Cover the pizza with the cheese and as much cilantro as you like.  Assemble the rest of the pizzas.  Place them on cookie sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Slice up with a pizza cutter for easy eating.

So make some of these Mexican Pizzas at home and avoid the unfortunate and painful consequences of Taco Hell food.

The Monstrosity That is the Peanut Butter Cookie Pie!

I experiment in the kitchen.... a lot.   But as I have mentioned before, some recipes are just too good to tinker with.  For example, the Toll House Pie from the back of the Nestle bag is great.  I've tried tinkering with it a bit in an attempt to make the pie bigger and better, but honestly, it's best the way it is.

For a Chocolate Chip Pie, that recipe is great... but it gave me a little bit of inspiration.  What if we wanted a different type of cookie?  Like maybe a peanut butter cookie?  We can use the same measurements for the base ingredients, but why not give it a completely different flavor.

And in the process, I created a monster...  As you can tell from the picture, it grew a little... OK, it grew a LOT, to where is almost poured over the edges.  The cookie actually swelled to the point where almost all of the Oreo cookie crust was hidden.  I know it looks like a cookie, but that's a 9 1/2 inch wide cookie!  If you use butter in this recipe, it will swell to this size when it's fresh out of the oven, but then collaspe a bit.  That because butter has a lower melting point, so it won't resolidify until later in the cooling process, when the sheer weight of the pie causes it to collapse upon itself.  If you use butter flavored shortening, it melts later in the process, still hefts up to the size, but then will keep most of it's size when it cools down.

I used chunky peanut butter, because I like the peanut texture, but creamy works just as well.  You do have the option of adding chocolate chips, because, well, chocolate was born to mix with peanut butter.  But if you decide to add them, just use 1/2 cup since the peanut butter is the star of this dish.  I also added a little vanilla to lighten the heaviness of the peanut butter.


I'm currently experimenting with an Oatmeal Raisin, Snickerdoodle, and Chocolate Mint Cookie Pie, which I will post when I have them perfected.  But if you can think of another option, feel free to e-mail your suggestion to thatmeanswegetpie@gmail.com and I will make an attempt.

Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

Crust
1 package Oreo Cookies
1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter

Filling
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks of butter or butter flavored shortening, brought to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Scrape the filling off of the Oreos and place the the cookies in a large Ziploc bag. Eat discarded filling…if you really want to. Crush the cookies in the bag to your desired consistency, somewhere between very small chunks to almost powdered. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add the cookies and stir until the cookies soak up the butter. Scoop the mixture into a pie plate and press the mixture flat until the entire plate is covered. Bake the crust in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool while you make the filling.

Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until they are foamy.  Add the sugars and beat on high speed until they become creamy.  Add the flour gradually until it is incorporated.  Add the butter and beat it again until it's well blended.  Stir in the chunky peanut butter until completely mixed in.  Scoop the mixture into the pie crust and smooth out.  If you want, drag a large fork across the top of the pie to create that customary criss-cross design.

Bake in the 325 degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out with very little cookie dough attached.

Serve warm with some whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Try drizzling some chocolate sauce or some hot fudge over it all.

The Toll House Cookie Pie: Don't mess with perfection

The Toll House Pie... absolute perfection.

Go grab a big old bag of Nestle's Toll House Morsels and look on the back.  Besides the recipe for the cookies, there's a recipe for the Toll House Pie.  It's a cookie, it's a pie... the person who first concocted the idea was a genius.  The chips settle to the bottom and create a loose chocolate layer interlaced with the dough.  Spoon a little bit of whipped cream or a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream on top and you have heaven on a plate.  It's simple and downright delicious.

Now I'm all for experimentation.  Nothing's better than playing around with the ingredients and coming up with a bigger and better pie recipe.  I've done that with the Peppermint Fudge Pie, and the plethora of cream pies, and the mini-pies, and the Peanut Butter Cup Pie. And with certain recipes, you think you can make it better.   Sometimes you look at it and say, "I wonder if I can improve it by doing..."

In this case of Toll House Pie, you would be wrong.

While cooking can be an art form, baking is more of a science. And this pie is much more like baking a cookie than it is about building a pie filling.  Experimenting with the mixture in a baked item can have drastic consequences.  Make one little mistake in the experiment and it doesn't turn out the way you planned.  Maybe it doesn't rise.  Maybe it's too dry or it's so runny that is spills all over the plate.  So after some testing, I can honestly say that you just don't want to mess with this recipe if you want a great chocolate chip cookie pie.

And I'm not alone.  Do a Google Search for Toll House Pie Recipe or Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie recipe.  Almost every single one of them is identical to this one, unless they suggest you squeeze a tube of pre-fab cookie dough into a pie crust.  If you live in Utah, you know that the Dodo restaurant has an awesome Toll House Pie.   Do a Google search for "Dodo Toll House Pie Recipe" and according to a number of the other food blogs out there, the recipe that they use is the exact same as the one on the bag, except the portions are  larger.  Their filling is very loose, and I believe that is due to a shorter cooking time.  If you want that consistency, reduce the cooking time by 5-7 minutes.

Beyond that, why try to mess with Chocolate Chip Perfection?  Let's use Nestle's recipe.

Now that doesn't mean that we can't vary it a bit to create different types of cookie pies, like a Peanut Butter Cookie Pie or an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Pie... but those recipes will be posted another day.

Toll House Pie

Courtesy of Nestle

2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks of butter, brought to room temperature
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until they are foamy.  Add the sugars and beat on high speed until they become creamy.  Add the flour gradually until it is incorporated.  Add the butter and beat it again until it's well blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts.  Scoop the mixture into the pie crust and smooth out.

Bake in the 325 degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out without any cookie dough attached.

Serve warm with some whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

So make one of these tonight and I challenge you to eat only one slice.

Tamales - I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you

So I found out getting a good tamale recipe is like asking someone how they make their chili or their barbecue sauce.  They could tell you, but they'd have to kill you.

There's a lady in my mother-in-law's office who makes wonderful tamales.  When my mother-in-law mentioned to her that I was looking for a good recipe and I would credit her, she flat-out denied to give it out.  There were a few people I have worked with in the past who made them all the time, would bring them for special occasions, but wouldn't give out the recipe to save their lives.  It's like it's a family heirloom.

If they want to feel that way, fine.  We can live with it.  So instead, I've played around in the kitchen to create my own recipe.

Now, couple things you have to understand about tamales.

First, they will take a LONG time to prepare.  The boiling of the meat will take at minimum 2 hours to do.  I had a beef roast take almost 4 hours one time.  And then the steaming takes another couple of hours.  So it's not a bad idea to split the work between a couple of days.  Boil the meat one night as you prepare another meal. Shred it before going to bed, then make the masa mix and the assemble the tamales the next day.

Second, this tamale recipe makes a couple dozen.  If you wanted to cut everything in half and make a smaller batch, more power to you.  But if you're going to go through the time and effort to make these, you should make the full batch and freeze the rest.  That way you have a few quick and easy lunches, or another complete meal that's just 10 minutes and a microwave away.

Third, I've added a number of peppers to this recipe, so it has a regular palatte's equivalent of medium heat. Add or remove a few New Mexico chiles to adjust the spiciness to your liking.

Tamales

Makes about 18-24 - takes 5-6 hours to prepare, so plan accordingly


Meat Filling
2 pound Pork or Beef roast, or 3 pounds of chicken parts, bone in
1/2 onion sliced into half-moons
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
Water
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder

Chile Sauce
4 large dried New Mexico chiles
1 anaheim chiles
1 jalepeno chile
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon cumin

Wrappings
Corn husk wrappers
4 cups Masa or cornmeal
4 cups liquid leftover from boiling the meat
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup lard or vegetable shortning

Slice your onions and smash each clove of garlic with either the side of your knife or another large blunt instrument.  Add the onions, garlic and meat to a large stockpot.  Add enough water to cover the meat and crank the heat up to high.  Once it comes to a boil, add the cumin and chili powder.  Boil the meat until it will pull apart with a fork (2 to 4 hours).  When the meat is close to being done, start working on the chile sauce.

Top all of the chiles (dry and fresh) and scoop out all of the seeds to prevent it from getting too hot.  In a small saucepan, boil the dried chiles for about 20 minutes to reconstitute them.  Place the other chiles under your broiler to char the skin, turning them occasionally to char all sides.  Peel the skins off the roasted chiles. When all of the chiles are ready, place them in a food processor along with the garlic clove and cumin.  Blend it until its smooth.  Strain the mixture to remove any leftover skins or seeds.  Set aside and return to the meat.

When the meat is done, strain off the water, but save it for later.  Shred the meat and discard any skin, bones or other inedible bits.  Pour the chile mixture into the meat and combine.  Refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the tamales.

For the wrappings, soak the corn husks in a stockpot or sink full of warm water for 30+ minutes to loosen them up.  While waiting for them to become pliable, work on the cormmeal dough. Nuke the leftover cooking liquid so it is warm, not hot.   Add the shortning to a large mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until it's creamy and fluffy.  Add one cup of masa, one cup of liquid, all of the baking powder and the salt to the mixture and mix on medium until combined.  Add the rest of the masa and liquid, one cup at a time until it's all incorporated and then mix until the dough is a little spongy.

To assemble, extract a corn husk and dry it with a paper towel.  Spread an even layer of the corn mixture on the husk. Don't make it too thick, about 1/8-1/4 of an inch.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of the meat and then roll it closed. fold up the bottom of the tamale, then roll the sides together.  Press gently so the sides seal.  Then pinch the top to seal.  Repeat until everything is used up.

Place a colander in the bottom of a large stockpot (or if your have a steamer insert, even better and pour 2-3 inches of water in the bottom.  Set all of the tamales vertically on top of the colander, folded end down.  Don't let the water touch the tamales.  Turn the heat up until you get a boil, then drop the heat to maintain a low boil.  Cover the tamales with a washcloth to avoid drips onto them.  Put a lid on the stockpot and let them steam for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Add more water about every 15-20 minutes so you never go dry.  You will know when they are done when the tamales pull away from their corn husk wrappers.

Serve quickly.  If you don't eat them all, you can wrap them in ziploc bags or place them in airtight containers and freeze them for up to 2 months.

Tres Hombres: Great Mexican food with the freshest salsa

Salt Lake is bereft will all sorts of Mexican restarants.  Literally dozens litter the valley with all different levels of quality.  I've eaten enough pink, dull rice and pasty flavorless beans at a number of restaurants to not trust most of them. 

But if you want high quality, flavorful, and unique Mexican fare, you definitely owe it to yourself to stop into Tres Hombres, located on at 33rd South and Highland Drive.  The variety is great, the flavors are wonderful and their specialties are unlike anything else in Salt Lake.

Now I've eaten here for years and tried almost everything on the menu.  I have my traditional standbys, like the Nachos.  For $8, you can get an extremely large plate of freshly cooked chips absolutely buried in delicious refried beans, cheese, onions, olives, jalapenos, sour cream and guacamole. It's an appetizer for 4-6, but I've bought one for dinner and finished it myself.

If you want the basic fare, they do it in spades.  They have your common combinations, but they do it extremely well.  One example is the Tres Tacos lunch option.  It's a 3 pack of shredded beef tacos, smothered in pico de gallo and guacamole, with a side of rice and beans.

Now I have to say that their rice and beans, unlike many other restaurants, is not an afterthought. The rice is tasty and spicy, not bland and soupy.  They add just a little bit of spices to the beans as well, so they aren't plain and forgettable.

On this particular occasion, I had the Machaca Burrito.  They serve it for both lunch and dinner, but no matter when you eat it, you're going to have leftovers.  It's stuffed to capacity with your choice of meat, rice beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and the smothered in enchilada sauce.  I attempted to stomach the entire thing in one sitting, I even allowed a few of my family members help out.  I had a party of 20 with me for my birthday celebration back in February and they were little help, mainly because they could barely finish the giant portions on each of their plates.

One very unique and wonderful thing about their menu is their seafood options.  You may get the occasional and very stereotypical fish taco at other restaurants, but Tres Hombres leaves that thinking in the dust.  First they use large portions of seafood.  My mother selected the Camarones Acapulco and the shrimp were as large as your thumb.  Not the tip of your thumb, the ENTIRE thumb!  Second, they combine the seafood into great dishes, such as the Chimichanga del Mar.  It's a large flour tortilla filled with shrimp, crab, chilis, onions, rice, and cheese, which is deep fried and served with guacamole and sour cream.  I will normally ask them to smother it in enchilada sauce and cheese.  It's decadence personified, since the juices from the crab and shrimp infuse with the rice and cheese in the chimichanga as it's bathing in the oil.  It's one of the more expensive items on the menu, but it's definitely worth it.  I used to order their Habanero Shrimp all the time, which was those same giant shrimp bathed in a habanero scampi-style sauce. It'll clean out the sinuses and burn the hair off my upper list, but it's one of the few extremely hot dishes I've ever had with an abundance of flavor.  I wish they would bring it back.

The service and speed of the restaurant is great as well.  Every member of the wait staff is attentive and happy to see you.  And in most cases, we've had our food on the table within 10 minutes or less.  You barely have enough time to enjoy their wonderful chips and salsa.  The chips are light and salted perfectly.  And their salsa?  I could drink it straight out of the container.  It's a blended salsa that varies in heat from time to time, but it's the perfect blend and a great accent to all of their dishes.

So do yourself a favor this weekend.  Stop in at Tres Hombres for lunch or dinner and try anything on the menu.  It doesn't matter what it is, I'll guarantee you'll love it.  Here's all their vital information:

Tres Hombres Mexican Cantina
3298 South Highland Drive
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
http://www.treshombrescantina.org/

And please tell them that the That Means We Get Pie blog sent you!!!!

And since we're talking Mexican food, that's what we'll be featuring this month in the blog posts.  There will be traditional mexican fare, like Tamales and Green Chile Burritos, but you'll see a few Americanized recipes as well.  Keep reading the blog twice a week so you'll catch all the new posts!