And just because it goes so well with the chiles, Mexican Flag Rice is the side, which is basically red, green and white rice, exquisitely seasoned and laid out in thirds on a platter so it looks like the Mexican flag without the eagle. Kind of. Sort of. Not really.
I first learned of CEN from the book Como Agua Para Chocolate. Tita prepares them for Rosaura's wedding feast and the guests are transported to heaven by the dish and Tita's genius execution of it. They will later be transported to the outhouse and any available bush by the wedding cake, into the batter of which Tita cried the night before, knowing that the next day her love is marrying her sister simply to be able to have the chance to be close to her. Her Mami (Wicked Witch of Brownsville) accuses her of putting an emetic into the batter, but it's just the magical properties of a truly broken heart at play.
You should try to wear your Dias de los Muertos sugar skull apron while preparing this. Optional for boys.
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| One of my Catrinas! |
I'll take one of the chiles to Fort Rosecrans National cemetery tomorrow and violate their grave memorials policy by leaving it with Dad. He did like to try new things and I never made this for him. Plus, the caretakers there will think it's those Goose and Pops people. Goose and Pops are in the same columbarium row as Dad, and their family always leaves outrageous, rule-skirting tributes (and one permanent stone that reads Goose and Pops!). They'll take the hit and enjoy it. They sound like they were fun folks.
I think this is an old Gourmet Magazine receta, I can no longer read the margins of the paper. Mangia!
Chiles en Nogada
1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2" pieces (make your butcher happy: ask for a whole shoulder roast, have him bone it and save 1/2 for another day. Toss the bone in with water. Nothing like a bone in stock to make everybody happy)
1 tsp salt
1 onion, cut in quarters
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 spring fresh thyme
Filling
1 cup onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 28 oz. can tomatoes (I use San Marzano tomatoes, crush with your fingers as you add them)
1 spring fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 4" cinnamon stick (go ahead and use ground, I won't tell anyone, just make sure it's not old and still fragrant, go 1/2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg (yes, I am the owner of a nutmeg grater. Having said that, I really don't use it. Please try whole nutmeg. You can use the fine holes from a four-sided grater. It really does make a HUGE difference. Your creamed spinach will thank you.This is like the arguments against other specialized gadgets, like a garlic press. Hard to get all the good pieces out and hard to clean. The Two Hot Tamales taught me this trick way, way back: chop up the garlic, then sprinkle salt on it and use the edge of your knife to mash and drag against the cutting board surface toward you, mash and drag until it's a lovely smooth - and seasoned! - paste. Where were we? Oh, yes, Nogada)
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar, or to taste (I like vinegar...So, set 'em up, Joe)
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 small peach
1/3 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raisins (I use golden, but you could use regular raisins)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup diced peeled green apple
1/2 cup diced peeled very firm banana
Sauce
1 1/2 cup walnut halves
3/4 cup slivered almonds, plus additional if you need to thicken the sauce
1 1/2 cups whole milk, plus additional if you need to thin the sauce (this isn't an exact science here if you hadn't noticed)
6 oz. queso fresco, crumbled
1 tbsp. sugar, or to taste
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
Chiles
8 large fresh poblano chiles, roasted and peeled * (At the store, they will be mislabeled as pasillas)
1 cup fresh pomegranate seed (1 pomegranate)
1 very cold bottle of good Sauvignon Blanc (doesn't go into the dish, this is to get you through the dish. Feel free to substitute whatever booze floats your boat)
Drink a big glass of wine. Put pork in a 3 quart. heavy saucepan with next 4 ingredients and cold water to cover by 1/2 inch. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, skin foam and simmer partially covered until pork is tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool pork in liquid uncovered, 15 or 20 minutes. Drain and shred. Discard remaining ingredients, reserving about 1 cup broth. Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
Filling: Have another glass of wine. Cook onion and garlic in oil in 12" heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes, Add tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, vinegar, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup reserved pork broth, simmer uncovered stirring occasionally until mixture is slightly thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
While mixture simmers, skin peach by cutting a small X in bottom of peach and dropping it into boiling water for 10 or 20 seconds. Transfer to cold water in bowl, let cool; skin should slip off. Dice.
Discard whole spices and herbs from sauce; add pork and remaining filling ingredients and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes to soften fruit. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar.
Sauce: Another glass of wine will sound good right about now. Puree walnuts and almonds in blender with remaining sauce ingredients until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add milk or more almonds to thin or thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon easily. Season with S and P.
Stuff and bake chiles: How did you manage to go through that whole bottle? Uncork another, or if you bought Kim Crawford, unscrew another bottle. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a lengthwise slit in chiles being careful to maintain some edge at the bottom and leaving stem intact. Carefully and gently cut out seeds and veins, kitchen shears are good for this, or you could turn the tap on very low and gently rinse the insides of the chile while rubbing the seeds and veins away. Divide pork filling between chiles (I always have leftover filling. Freeze it. It's good later stuffing red bell peppers or squash - mix it with rice). Overlap edges slightly, and spear the center of the seams with a toothpick. Transfer to a 13 by 9 shallow baking pan, cover with foil and bake until heated, 15 to 25 minutes.
Transfer chiles to plate. Pour about 1/3 cup walnut sauce over each chile and yourself another glass of wine, leaving some of the chile visible to see its brilliant green. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Fantasize about that hot renegade soldier Tita's sister Gertrudis runs off with, naked and smelling of rose petals.
*Preheat broiler. Place chiles on a baking sheet. Broil for about 6 to 8 minutes until most of the skin is charred and blistering, then turn the chiles over. Broil for another 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper or plastic bag and seal bag loosely. The steam will help loosen the blackened skins, which should be easy to slip off after you take them out of the bag. Handle them gently because they need to maintain the integrity of the walls of the flesh for stuffing. Don't get hung up if there are bits of skin that are hard to get off. This is cooking. It's not perfect and it's supposed to be fun.
Mexican Flag Rice
Courtesy: Frida's Fiestas
This is basically a green rice, a red one and a white one, arranged on a platter like the Mexican flag.
Green Rice
1 cup long grain white rice
1 small onion, minced
3 poblano chiles and one jalapeno, de-veined and de-seeded, pureed in a blender with about 1/2 cup water
1 good sized bunch cilantro, roughly chopped and pureed with the chiles
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 line
Soak one cup of long grain white rice in hot water for about 15 minutes. You want some of the starch out. Drain, rinse well and drain completely. Saute the rice in a couple of tbsp. neutral oil for a couple of minutes, then add onion and saute for a few minutes. Add chile and cilantro puree, broth and lime juice. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook about 20 minutes or until tender.
Red Rice (can't help myself: just start chanting "Red Rice, Red Rice, Red Rice" in Danny Torrance's voice from The Shining)
1 cup long grain white rice
2 medium ripe tomatoes, pureed with 1/2 onion and 2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp tomato paste (Buy it in tubes. It keeps better in the fridge than some sad plastic wrap covering a little, lonely 6 oz. can)
1 celery stalk
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 lime
Soak, drain, rinse and saute rice as in green rice recipe. Add tomatoes and stir until thickened. add the remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook about 20 minutes or until tender. Discard celery.
White Rice
1 cup long grain white rice
1/2 onion grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk
cups chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 lime
Soak, drain, rinse and saute rice as in green rice recipe. Add onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook about 20 minutes or until tender.Discard celery.
Arrange the three rices on a platter and garnish with either celery leaves or cilantro (I'm no Martha Stewart. You can skip the garnish. Really.)
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