Ingredients

• 1 cup roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup white sesame seeds
• 1 pound tomatillos (about 9 medium), husked and washed
• 3 medium green bell peppers, halved and destemmed
• 1 sweet onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 jalapeño, split lengthwise
• 6½ cups chicken broth
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt
• 3 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1 large bunch cilantro (leaves and tender stems), roughly chopped
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ⅓-inch cubes
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced into ⅓-inch cubes
• Cooked white rice, for serving

Preparation

Toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds in a medium pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the sesame seeds start to turn light golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender and pulse until sandy, scraping the sides and stirring as needed. Set aside ground seed mixture.

Set the broiler to high. In a large sheet pan, arrange the whole tomatillos, halved peppers, quartered onion and halved jalapeño, cut sides down, in an even layer. Broil until the skin of the vegetables is soft and blistered, rotating the pan as needed, 6 to 8 minutes.

To a large pot, add the chicken broth, chicken thighs and the blistered jalapeño, bell peppers, onion and tomatillos; bring the mixture to a boil over high. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer it, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes.

While the soup cooks, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the minced garlic and 2 teaspoons salt and fry just until golden, swirling the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside in a medium bowl. Add the scallions and cilantro to the broth. Purée the broth in a blender, or directly in the pot using an immersion blender.

Add the garlic mixture to the large pot with the soup, along with the potatoes, carrots and the ground seed mixture. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender and the soup thickens.

Using two forks, pull the chicken into small chunks or bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken back into the soup to warm it, and add more salt to taste.

To serve, scoop cooked rice into a small cup and invert it into a bowl; surround with soup. The soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

NYT

Ingredients

For the pozole:

• 4 qt. water
• 2 lb. cubed pork
• 1 lb. pork spare ribs or baby back ribs
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 8 cloves garlic
• salt
• 3 15-oz. cans hominy (or, see below for dry)

For the chile sauce:

• 5 dried guajillo peppers
• 5 dried ancho peppers
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• salt

Garnishes:

• 1 head lettuce or cabbage, shredded finely
• 1 1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
• ground chile piquin
• 1 1/2 c. radishes, sliced
• Mexican oregano
• Tostadas or tortilla chips
• Lime wedges
• Avocado, diced

Preparation

If you want to use dried hominy (1 to 1 1/2 lb.), rinse it and pick it over, place it in an Instant Pot, cover with water a few inches above the kernels. Add a quarter of an onion, two cloves of garlic, and a few bay leaves. Run the pot on the “beans” setting one or two times, until the hominy is fully tender and starts to pop. Drain it and use it as canned.

Heat water in a large stock pot. Add pork, ribs, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 2 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender and falling off the bone. Season with salt when the meat is almost done. While cooking, skim the foam and fat occasionally, adding water if needed.

Remove pork from broth. Trim excess fat, discard bones, onion, and garlic. Shred the meat.

Meanwhile (or in advance, if you want), soak the anchos and guajillos in just enough water to cover, for 25-30 minutes, until soft. Blend the peppers, garlic cloves, onion, and oregano, adding some of the soaking water if needed, until smooth.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepper sauce and salt to taste, stirring constantly as it cooks. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Add the sauce to the broth, straining it if you want. Bring to a boil and add the meat. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the hominy, and adjust seasoning. Simmer until heated through.

Serve with any garnishes desired.

Mexico Kitchen

Ingredients

For the chile sauce:

• 8 oz. red chile pods (e.g., red New Mexico)
• 6 c. water
• 6 tbsp. flour
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp. salt

For the pulled pork:

• 7-8 lb. pork butt or pork shoulder
• 2 1/2 c. water
• 1 tbsp. salt

For the masa:

• 2 lb. lard
• 2 tsp. baking powder, divided
• 2 tbsp. salt, divided
• 5 lb. masa
• 2-3 c. broth (from above)
• 1/2 c. red chile sauce (if making red chile pork tamales)

For the tamales:

• 6 tbsp. flour
• corn husks

Preparation

Make the chile sauce:

Remove stems, seeds, and veins from the chile pods. Place in a colander and rinse well with cool water.

Add the chiles to a large pot and add enough water so they are just covered. Bring water to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the chiles over with tongs to make sure the chiles soften evenly. Drain cooked pods and allow time to cool down before blending. Discard water.

Fill blender with 3 cups of water, half of the cooled chile pods, 3 tablespoons flour, 2 cloves garlic, and half of the salt. Blend until smooth. Strain sauce through a fine sieve to remove skins and seeds; discard skins and seeds. Repeat blending and straining process with remaining water, pods, flour, garlic, and salt. If necessary, season with more salt.

Note: You can make a double batch of this sauce and keep some frozen.

Make the pulled pork:

Place pork, water, and salt in a slow cooker and cook for 6 to 8 hours. Remove, cool, and shred. As you shred, set aside the fat that you remove, if any.

Combine the cooled broth from the pork and the leftover fat in a blender, and blend. Reserve for use when making the tamale masa and filling.

Note: This will also keep, covered, for 1 week in the fridge, or freeze.

Place 1 lb. lard in a large mixer and mix until fluffy, scraping the sides regularly. Add half the baking powder and half the salt, and mix.

Add half the masa, and mix. Slowly add half the broth and half the chile sauce (if using), and mix. At this point, the mixture should be the consistency of smooth peanut butter. If not, add some more broth. Test the masa by taking 1/2 tsp. and dropping it into a cup of warm water. If it floats, it’s ready. If it sinks, add a little more lard, beat for a minute, and test it again.

Repeat those steps for the other half of the ingredients. Cover the masa and set aside.

Make the filling:

Heat 6 tbsp. of the broth in a large skillet. Add flour and cook for at least 4 to 5 minutes. Add one batch of the red chile sauce (around 6 1/2 c.) and cook for 10 minutes. Add the pork and stir. Simmer for at least 10 minutes. Let cool before making tamales.

Make the tamales:

Soak the corn husks in water for an hour before using, and rinse well. Keep them in water while you work on the tamales.

Place the wide end of the husk in the palm of your hand, narrow end at the top. Starting at the middle of the husk, spread 2 tbsp. of masa with the back of a spoon in a rectangle or oval shape, using a downward motion toward the bottom edge. Do not spread to the ends; leave about a 2" border on the left and right sides.

Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp. of your filling down the center of the masa. Fold both sides to the center. Finish off by bringing the pointed end of the husk down toward the filled end. Make sure that closure is snug. Secure by tying a thin strip of corn husk around the tamal.

Use a deep pot or tamale steamer to steam tamales. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. To test if done, try taking off a corn husk; if they come off without sticking, the tamales are done.

Muy Bueno

Ingredients

• 2 poblano chiles
• 5 guajillo chiles, seeded, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• 5 pounds bone-in beef shoulder, cut into large pieces, or goat or lamb stew cuts on the bone
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cloves
• Fresh black pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 limes, quartered
• Corn tortillas, warmed

Preparation

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare the chiles: Use tongs to place the poblano chiles directly over the open flame of a gas burner set to high. Cook the poblanos until totally charred all over, turning as needed, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap so the poblanos can steam. After 10 minutes, use your fingers to pull the blackened skins away from the poblanos, then remove the stems and seeds. Roughly chop the poblanos and set aside.

While the poblano chiles steam, place a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches to cook the guajillo chiles evenly in one layer, flatten the chile halves on the hot skillet and toast them for about 15 seconds, turning once. Put the chiles in a bowl and add 2 cups hot water to help soften them. Set aside.

Prepare the meat: Season the meat all over with the salt. Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof pot over medium-high. Working in batches, sear the meat on all sides until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side, transferring the browned meat to a large bowl as you work.

After you’ve seared all the meat, add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Return all the meat to the pot.

Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oregano, sesame seeds, cumin, cloves and a few grinds of black pepper to a blender, along with the chopped poblanos, toasted guajillos and the chile soaking liquid. Purée until smooth, scraping down the edges of the blender as needed.

Pour the blended mixture into the pot with the meat. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, along with about 4 to 6 cups of water, enough to amply cover the meat.

Cover and cook in the oven until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

Divide among bowls and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top, and a side of warm tortillas.

NYT

Ingredients

• 5 ounces raw pepitas (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• ½ cup shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 jalapeño (stemmed, seeded and finely chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup parsley (lightly packed)
• ¼ cup cilantro (lightly packed)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon orange zest (finely grated)
• Tortilla chips (for serving)

Preparation

In a large skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over moderate heat, tossing occasionally, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.

In the skillet, heat the canola oil until shimmering. Add the shallots, jalapeño, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the food processor and let cool.

Add the parsley, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, orange zest and 1/4 cup of water to the food processor and puree until nearly smooth. Season with salt. Transfer the sikil pak to a bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

for the carnitas:

• 1 (4-5 pound) lean boneless pork roast, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch chunks
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

for the sauce:

• 1 cup beer (or chicken stock)
• 1 head of garlic, cloves separated, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Preparation

In a medium mixing bowl, mix all sauce ingredients together.

Season pork chunks on all sides with salt and pepper.

Click the “Saute” setting on the Instant Pot. Add oil and half of the pork, and sear — turning every 45-60 seconds or so — until the pork is browned on all sides. Transfer pork to a separate clean plate, and repeat with the other half of the pork, searing until browned on all sides. Press “Cancel” to turn off the heat. Pour in the mojo sauce, and toss briefly to combine. Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”. Press “Meat”, then press “Pressure” until the light on “High Pressure” lights up, then adjust the up/down arrows until time reads 30 minutes. Cook. Then let the pressure release naturally, about 15 minutes. Carefully turn the vent to “Venting”, just to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Then remove the lid.

Shred the pork with two forks. Then transfer it with a slotted spoon to a large baking sheet. Spoon about a third of the leftover juices evenly on top of the pork. Then broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin browning and crisping up. Remove the sheet from the oven, then ladle a remaining third of the juices from the Instant Pot evenly over the pork, and then give it a good toss with some tongs. Broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat even more crispy. Then remove and ladle the final third of the juices over the pork, and toss to combine.

Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients

• 10 tomatillos
• 2 small roma tomatoes
• 3-6 chipotle chiles in adobo (based on spice)
• 1 chile serrano
• 2 cups water (maybe less, control thickness here)
• 1 tbsp dry oregano
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1/8 cup white vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic

Preparation

Boil the tomatillos and the tomatoes together. Once boiled, drain them and place in blender. Add the rest of the ingredients, and blend it all.

Authentic Mexican Recipes

Ingredients

• 16 tortillas de maiz
• 800g (1.5 lbs) pork butt
• 1/2 pineapple
• 1 lg. onion
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 8 limes
• salt

For the axiote marinade:

• juice of 2 oranges
• 300g ground axiote (powder)
• 10 dry chiles guajillos
• 1 medium size onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp white pepper
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 stick of cinnamon

1 recipe salsa taquera

Preparation

1. Make a cut into the side of each chile guajillo, and devein them (rip out the stem and the guts) and soak them in hot water. Once they’ve hydrated and they’re soft, remove from water and place in blender. Add the vinegar, the juice of two oranges, chop up the medium sized onion and add that too. Add your garlic cloves, the cinnamon, and blend it a little. Then add the axiote, the white pepper, then blend. Then add salt to taste. Once the mix is ready, pour into a big bowl you’ll use to marinate the meat.

2. Cut your pork hiney into half steak pieces. Try to make them uniformly thick, but they don’t need to look pretty at all because we’re going to chop them all up before the end to serve in the tacos.

3. Cover each “steak” in the axiote marinade and then refrigerate them all for as long as you can afford to (at least three hours).

4. When it’s time to make dinner, start be preheating the grill.

5. Slice your 1/2 pineapple into “disks” just a bit over 1cm thick (about 1/2″). You can just cut the slices across the entire pineapple, and you don’t have to peel the outside of the pineapple off before you grill it, either.

6. With a hot grill, throw on the now-marinated pork steaks along with your pineapple pieces until both have been cooked. This should take about eight minutes, maybe a touch more. You know you’ve cooked the pineapple enough when it has become soft throughout. It’s alright if the pineapple slices get charred a bit, but do your best to keep them from burning, otherwise they will not taste good.

7. Now peel the pineapple rings off and chop the pineapple into small little cooked pieces.

8. Mince the onions, chop up the cilantro, then mix them together with the pineapple in a bowl. Take a lime and squeeze its juice into the mix and add salt to taste. Sample it to see if you need to add more lime juice.

9. Chop up the pork into little strips and pieces for filling your tacos with.

10. Make the tacos: add the meat to the tortillas first, then your pineapple-cilantro-onion mix, and then top off with your delicious authentic salsa taquera.

Authentic Mexican Recipes

Ingredients

PIPERADE PEPPER STEW

• 4 red bell peppers
• 3 green bell peppers
• 1 yellow pepper
• 2 tablespoons canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

CHICKEN TINGA

• 1 chicken breast
• 1/2 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• Bay leaves
• 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large yellow onion, julienned
• 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 425F. Cut peppers in half, place on foil lined baking sheet. Roast until blackened, about 15 minutes. Wrap up in foil and lets steam for 15 minutes. Peel and slice.

Bring water to a boil, add chicken breast, ½ onion, 1 garlic clove & couple bay leafs. Cook 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Cool and shred. Add olive oil to a large skillet. Add yellow onions & garlic let it slowly sweat for 20 minutes. Add peppers, canned tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves & chipotle pepper (to taste). Add chicken, jalapeno and salt and pepper. Serve as taco filling.

Edible Nashville

Ingredients

• 1 small (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 pound dry black beans (do not soak)
• 2 quarts mild vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Red wine vinegar, to taste
• Pickled onions, cilantro, sour cream, avocados (optional, for garnish)

Preparation

Empty the can of chiles into a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, scrape into a container, and set aside. Put on a teakettle of water to boil, and keep hot.

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out to the edges of the pot and dollop 2 teaspoons of chipotle purée in the center. Let fry for a minute and then stir together with the vegetables.

Add beans, stock, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.

Meanwhile, make the pickled onions, if using: In a bowl, combine sliced onions, lime juice and a sprinkling of salt. Let soften at room temperature until crunchy and tart, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve. If desired, chop coarsely before serving.

Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick broth without puréeing. If soup seems thin, use an immersion blender or blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.

Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, drops of red wine vinegar and dabs of chipotle purée.

Julia Moskin, New York Times