Kitchen Encounters

~ Spring Chicken w/Garlic-Butter Pasta & Asparagus ~

This winner of a weeknight chicken dinner is taken straight from pages of my working parents' playbook.  Before heading out the door in the morning, my mom would put four chicken breasts, doused with store-bought Italian dressing, in a bowl, and, at the end of the work day, dad would dredge the breasts in bread crumbs and sauté them in a skillet, while mom cooked a box of kid-friendly pasta and readied some fresh green beans.  It was simple and straightforward, nothing fancy, but, it was a dinner we all liked, right down to the vegetable.  If we four could look back and critique our dinner menus, all of us would agree:  we were not an easy family to feed.

A family that sits down to dinner together, stays together.

A quirky family?  To say the least.  Dad loved Italian dressing -- it was suitable for anything.  My brother detested tomatoes and tomato sauces -- but loved ketchup.  I disliked macaroni and cheese -- but loved pasta and all cheeses.  Mom disliked heavily-breaded chicken, pork or veal cutlets -- but loved batter-dipped, deep-fried fish and seafood.  We all liked green beans and peas (cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and mushrooms too) -- we ate green beans and peas a lot.  We all hated squash.  That said, we ate well, rarely argued, and, mom and dad cooked dinner together every night.  My job was to set the table.  My little brother was in charge of harassment.

Fast forward to present day.  Trying to get four people to agree on anything, let alone what to eat, how to eat it, when to eat it, and, who's going to cook it and/or clean up after it, is:  rocket science. Throw in an occasional vegan or self-imposed gluten-free nut job, well, enough said. That said, if you're courageous enough to give it a try, you have a lot more options available to you now than my mom and dad did back in the 1950's and '60's.  Fresh asparagus is a prime example.  

Asparagus, which came to America in the 1850's, wasn't available outside of its immediate growing areas until refrigerated trucks started rolling across our highways, and, even then, it was sold mostly to restaurant chefs because home cooks had no idea what to do with it. Click here to watch Julia Child, in a 1966 episode of the French Chef, Asparagus From Tip to Butt, show us how to properly prepare it.

Spring forward:  Eat more fresh asparagus.

Interestingly, I enjoyed this family meal so much when I was growing up, forty-five cooking years later, I've not changed it in any way, except for the green vegetable -- asparagus, broccoli, green beans or peas, depending on what's in season.  I kept my dad's favorite skip-the-eggs no-need-to-make-a-heavy-breading method for the chicken cutlets the same (for the traditional Italian-style method and recipe, check out ~ A Flash-in-the-Pan Dinner:  Chicken alla Milanese~), and, I make it in my electric skillet like he did too -- dad sautéed the chicken in the skillet on the countertop while mom simmered the pasta at the stovetop and the two components cooked in about the same amount of time.  Quirky?  Yes.  Yummy?  Yes.  The Italian dressing (along with its herbs and spices), is a great substitute for lemon juice -- a common pairing with asparagus.

8-10  chicken tenderloins, lightly-pounded (2-2 1/2 pounds)

3/4 cup Wish-Bone light Italian dressing, for marinating chicken

1/2-3/4 cup French- or Panko-styee breadcrumbs, for coating chicken 

1  pound trimmed asparagus, from 2  pounds medium-thickness asparagus, trimmed as directed below, to yield 1 pound trimmed asparagus

1  pound fork-friendly, non-tubular pasta like rotini or bow ties

1  tablespoon sea salt, for seasoning water to cook pasta

1/2  cup butter (1 stick)

1/4  cup additional Wish-Bone light Italian dressing

1  teaspoon garlic powder

1/2  teaspoon red pepper flakes

~Step 1.  Arrange the chicken tenders inside a 2-gallon food storage bag.  Using a flat-sided meat mallet, lightly-pound the chicken tenders to flatten them out a bit.  Do not smash them to smithereens.  Add the Italian dressing to bag and seal to close.  Using your fingertips, gently squish the chicken around in the bag to thoroughly coat the tenderloins in dressing.  Place in the refrigerator to marinate 1-2+ hours or overnight.  If you've got the time, overnight is best.

~ Step 2.  Trim the tip ends of the asparagus to a length of 2-2 1/2 inches, then trim the stalk ends into 1" lengths, stopping when the sweet, tender part of the stalks meets the bitter, woody end stalks.  There will be 1-pound trimmed asparagus.

~Step 3.  In a 16" electric skillet, heat a little less than 1/4" of oil, about 1/2 cup.  Remove the chicken tenderloins from the marinade, allowing excess marinade to drain back into the bag, transferring the tenders to a 13" x 9" casserole as you work, arranging them in a single layer in the bottom.  Sprinkle a generous amount of breadcrumbs over their tops, patting the crumbs in with fingertips and let rest about 2 minutes.  Using a fork, flip the tenders over and do the same on their second sides.  

~Step 4.  Add the bread-crumb-coated chicken tenders to the skillet, all ten will fit, just look at the photo.  Give them a light sprinkling of freshly-ground sea salt.  Adjust heat to sauté, 240°-250°, until nicely-browned and cooked through, turning once and salting the second sides too, about 6 minutes per side.  Using a fork &/or a spatula (not tongs), gently transfer tenders, so as not to disturb the delicate crumb coating, to a wire rack that's been placed atop a layer of paper towels.

~Step 5.  Add the asparagus to the perfectly-seasoned drippings in skillet.  Sauté, using a spatula to keep them moving around constantly, until just cooked through and crunch-tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Do not overcook the asparagus.

~Step 6.  Meanwhile, back at the stovetop, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil over high heat and add 1 tablespoon sea salt.  Add the pasta, give the water a stir, and cook pasta as package directs, until al dente, 10-11 minutes. Drain pasta into a colander and immediately return it to the hot stockpot on the still warm stovetop.  Add the butter, Italian dressing, garlic powder and red pepper flakes.  Stir until butter melts and spices are incorporated throughout this tangy make-shift garlicy-butter-sauce.

~ Step 7.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the freshly-sautéd asparagus to the pasta, then give the mixture a gentle stir. Portion into 4-6 pasta bowls and serve with 1 or 2 sliced chicken tenderloins atop each portion.

Portion 1-2 sliced chicken tenderloins atop pasta & eat ASAP:

Garlic-butter pasta & asparagus -- a fantastic side-dish too:

Spring Chicken w/Garlic-Butter Pasta & Asparagus:  Recipe yields 4-6 servings.

Special Equipment List:  2-gallon food storage bag; flat-sided meat mallet; 1-cup measuring container; cutting board; chef's knife; 16" electric skillet; 13" x 9" x 2" casserole; fork; slotted spatula; wire cooling rack; paper towels; 8-quart stockpot; colander

Cook's Note:  The first time I ate classic Oscar was in 1983 in The Big Easy.  We were sitting in a fancy New Orleans French-Quarter restaurant, Arnoud's, listening to a jazz band.  My meal arrived and it was wonderful:  a lightly-pounded, gently-sauteed, fork-tender veal paillard, heaped with Louisiana crayfish, drizzled with buttery bearnaise and garnished with asparagus tips.  Click here to get my recipe for ~ All that Jazz Chicken Oscar w/Blender Bernaise ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2024

~Creamy, Cheesy & E-Z Chile-Lime Refried Bean Dip~

I love a starry night.  Sitting outside in the warm Summer air, watching the sun set and listening to my next-door neighbors, the dairy cows, lowing in the pasture -- it's peaceful.  That said, on some Summer nights, Thursdays during June, July and August, a band plays "up on the mountain" (the ski slope to the other side of the cow pasture).  Weather permitting, on those toe-tapping evenings, if you stop by, you'll find a snack or three on the table next to the cooler of Corona.

My neighbors, music on the mountain, &, bean dip.

This easy bean dip is one of my favorite Summer appetizers and it's also one of the easiest to make -- a handful of ingredients that I always have on-hand.  Served alongside some homemade or high-quality spicy pico de gallo, citrusy guacamole and crispy tortilla chips, these four small-bowl Texican snacks, in place of one big dinner, are just fine by me.  There's more.  Bean dip is filling.  A little goes a long way.  That's why I make it in two smaller two-cup-size crocks rather than one bigger casserole -- one for tonight and a spare (to bake and serve over the weekend).

Summer nights are right for a simple snack like bean dip.

1  16-ounce can refried beans

1  4 1/2-ounce can diced green chiles (undrained)

2  tablespoons salsa verde (green salsa), hot or mild

2  teaspoons lime juice

4  tablespoons Mexican crema (or sour cream)

1-1 1/2  teaspoons ground cumin

1/2-3/4  teaspoon each: garlic powder and onion powder

8  ounces shredded pepper Jack cheese, about 2 cups (Note:  Monterey Jack cheese is a great melting cheese.  If hot peppers in your cheese is not your thing, substitute plain Jack, but, refrain from block cheddars as they won't melt to the creamy consistency that Jack does.)

Mexican-style hot sauce, your favorite brand, for accompaniment

lime wedges, for garnish

Basic refried beans or frijoles refritos = well-fried beans.

Refried beans, or frijoles refritos, are a traditional Mexican side-dish made with twice-cooked beans.  The beans (pinto or kidney) are boiled, thoroughly drained, mashed or smashed while they're still warm, then cooked a second time.  Much like making mashed potatoes, basic spices are added, to taste, while mashing or smashing to the desired smooth to slightly-lumpy state. Once blended, the mixture is placed in a skillet containing melted lard, shortening or vegetable oil. The amount of fat added controls their thick-and-creamy to slightly-soupy texture.  Store-bought refried beans are mashed and ready-to-eat, use as directed in any recipe, or, reheat in a skillet to serve as a side-dish.  A common misconception is that refried beans are vegetarian -- not so, unless the can is clearly labeled "vegetarian".  Why?  Many store-bought brands do contain lard.

~ Step 1.  In a medium bowl, place and stir together the beans, chiles, salsa, lime juice, crema and spices.  There will be 3 cups bean dip.  Divide the mixture between two 2-cup crocks or place into a shallow 1-quart shallow casserole.  Set aside about 15-30 minutes, to give the flavors a bit of  time to marry.

~Step 2.  Use a hand-held box grater to grate the Jack cheese and preheat oven or toaster oven to 325°.  If you are baking one crock of bean dip, top it with 3/4 cup of cheese, meaning: don't top the second crock with the shredded cheese until just prior to baking it.*  If baking the 1-quart casserole, distribute all the cheese, the full two cups evenly over the top of it.

*Note:  Store remaining crock and bowl of cheese, covered, in refrigerator for 1-3 days.  Return dip to room temperature, 30-45 minutes prior to topping with cheese and baking as directed.

~ Step 3. Place both crocks on center rack of 325º oven or toaster oven and bake until cheese is melted and crock/casserole is bubbling and browning around the edges and heated through, 16-18 minutes. Remove from oven, top with a splash of hot sauce and a few squirts of fresh lime juice.  Serve immediately, accompanied by lots of tortilla chips.  Gently reheat any leftovers in the microwave. 

A handful of ingredients, mixed in one bowl, come together to make this scrumptious Mexican-restaurant-style bean dip.

Creamy, Cheesy & E-Z Chile-Lime Refried Bean Dip:  Recipe yields 4 cups.

Special Equipment List:  hand-held box grater; large spoon; 2, 2-cup size crocks or ramekins or a shallow 1-quart casserole

Cook's Note:  In its earliest form, Monterey Jack was made by the Mexican Fanciscan friars of Monterey, Alta California during the 18th century.  California businessman David Jack sold their cheese locally, and, before long, this semi-hard, 1-2-month aged, mild, white, creamy cow's milk cheese came to be known as "Jack's cheese".  Eventually other ranchers began mass-producing "Monterey Jack".  A common misspelling is Monterrey Jack, in confusion with the Mexican city of  Monterrey.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2024)

~ Mexican-Style Adobo Rice (Meatless Spanish Rice) ~

Mexican rice became a staple on our family's table back in the 1980's.  Whenever we ate in a Mexican restaurant, remarkably, our three kids would eat the side-dishes:  the muli-colored veggie-bejeweled rice, the murky-earthy slightly-soupy refried beans, and, the bright-green garlic-laced guacamole.  Without complaint or prodding, they'd slather and scoop 'em onto and into tacos, fajitas, carnitas (or whatever else they were eating), along with red or green salsa and the bottled hot-sauce du jour.  Go figure, and, "shut my mouth wide open."  I started stocking my pantry with whatever Texican-type ingredients I could find in our Central, PA grocery stores. 

The biggest difference between Mexican rice and Spanish rice (as per me) is akin to the difference between a side-salad and a chef's salad.  Both contain similar ingredients, but, the first gets eaten alongside the main course, while the latter is the main course. If anyone has a better description, I'm all ears, but, the bottom line:  both are Spanish.  When I think "Mexican rice", I think "tawny-red-tinged, onion-and-garlic laced, side-dish riddled with bits of vegetables (beans, corn and/or tomatoes, or peas and carrots)".  When I think "Spanish rice", I think "protein-packed Mexican rice, chocked full of chards or chunks of meat, poultry or shellfish as a main-dish".     

Kid-tested mother-approved Mexican rice (arroz Mexicano):

If anyone's got qualms with my definition of basic Spanish-type rice, simmer down. I'm not of Spanish heritage or related to anyone who is.  I am, however, savvy enough to know there are differences between Mexican- and Spanish- rice recipes.  While the word Mexican refers to one Spanish-speaking country, Spanish encompasses many countries, islands and territories on several continents, not to mention several states and cities right here in the USA.  That means, when you come across an authentic recipe for a specific dish follow the recipe as written.

2  tablespoons achiote vegetable oil, or any plain (clear) ordinary vegetable oil

1  cup diced sweet onion

2  cups extra-long-grain or long-grain white rice

1  teaspoon each:  garlic powder and sea salt

1/2  teaspoon each:  ground cumin and jalapeño pepper

3  cups vegetable stock* 

1  14 1/2-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4  teaspoon Goya adobo all-purpose seasoning with pepper

1-1/4  cups cooked corn kernels

*Note:  I use high-quality unsalted vegetable stock to make Spanish rice -- it allows the flavors of the spices to take center stage.  Feel free to substitute beef or chicken or seafood stock, to complement the dish/meal being served, but, if the stock is salted, adjust my recipe, "to taste".

~Step 1.  Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium- medium-high.  Stir in the garlic powder, cumin  jalapeño pepper and salt.  Add the onion. Adjust heat to sauté, stirring constantly, until onion is softened, 4-5 minutes.  Add rice and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until grains are coated in oil and mixture is steaming, about 3 minutes.

~Step 2.  Stir in the diced tomatoes, followed by the vegetable stock and the adobo seasoning. Stir thoroughly and bring mixture to a boil over high heat.  When mixture comes to a boil, adjust heat to a slow, steady simmer, cover the pot and continue to simmer gently until rice has absorbed the liquid, about 20-22 minutes.  Do not lift the lid during the simmering process.  

Tip from Mel:  When I cook rice I like to use a saucepan with a glass lid. This makes it easy to keep an eye on the progress without allowing the steam to escape -- and it works perfectly.

~ Step 3.  Turn the heat off and allow rice to sit, covered on the stovetop for 2-3 additional minutes. Uncover the saucepan. Using a fork, gently rake through the rice with a fork to gradually separate the grains, starting at the top and working down to the bottom of the saucepan.  Add the corn kernels and gently rake them into the rice.  The residual heat from the rice will heat the corn kernels through.  

Serve ASAP w/beef, chicken, pork, fish or shellfish:  

Mexican-Style Adobo Rice (Meatless Spanish Rice):  Recipe yields 8 cups rice/8, 1-cup servings.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; 1-quart measuring container; 4-quart saucepan w/lid (preferably a glass lid); large spoon

Cook's Note: The 1905 chef's salad. Never heard of it?  Read on.  The Columbia Restaurant, a chain of six or seven restaurants in The Sunshine State, is a 4th-generation family-owned business specializing in Spanish food.  To say it's a tourist attraction is true, we ate there and as tourists on the recommendation of a native Floridian.  Now, if I'm in Florida and there's a Columbia within striking distance, I'm going there just for the ~ 1905:  It was a very good year for a salad. ~

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2024)

~ Spicy Mexican Ahogada-Style Grilled Shrimp Tacos ~

If you're like me, an American cook with a fondness for Mexican fare, you most likely have a recipe-or-six for tacos (American-style ground beef tacos, grilled-beef tacos al carbon, shredded-pork carnitas tacos, shredded-pork tacos al pastor, chicken tacos, fish tacos, etc.).   Today I'm adding another one, and, the inspiration for my creation came from the signature sandwich of Guadalajara:  the Torta Ahogada (in Mexico, "torta" means "sandwich" and "ahogada" means "drenched", "drowned" or "drunken").  After eating these famous tortas for our Cinco de Mayo celebration, it occurred to me that making these shrimp tacos tonight might be a fine use for the leftover Mexican marinade and ahogada sauce.  I was, spot-on, right.

To glibly dismiss Cinco de Mayo as an all-American drinking-holiday: is a display of unresearched ignorance.  Read on:   

"Cinco de Mayo" (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5.  While it is celebrated nationwide in the United States, celebrations are also held in parts of Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, England, France, and South Africa.  In Mexico, "El Día de la Batalla de Puebla" ("The Day of the Battle of Puebla"), considered a military holiday, is primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla.  The date has been observed in the United States since 1863, as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and, to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War.  In Mexico, while it is not a National holiday (banks and schools stay open), in the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, the most important and patriotic National holiday in Mexico (September 16).  

The degree to which Mexico celebrates this holiday varies from community-to-community, which is no different than the degree to which we Americans celebrate some of our lesser holidays (example:  May Day).  Furthermore, to state (to me) that Mexicans in Mexico do not know what Cinco de Mayo is, is: stupid.  Those are the facts kiddies.  Got 'em in your head?  Let's cook.

Part One:  Making a crunchy Southwestern slaw.

For the Southwestern slaw:

4  cups store-bought coleslaw mix, a mixture of green & red cabbage & matchstick carrots

3/4  cup each: thinly-sliced green onions, white and light green part only, and, minced cilantro

2-3  tablespoons finely-diced jalapeño pepper, 2-3 tablespoons after removing seeds and ribs

3  tablespoons each: fresh lime juice and honey

1/2  teaspoon sea salt

~Step 1.  In a large bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey and salt.  Using a rubber spatula, stir in the scallions, cilantro and jalapeños.  Fold in the slaw mix.  When mixture is thoroughly combined, refrigerate 4-6 hours, or overnight, stopping to stir every now and then, until serving chilled.

Part Two:  Marinating & sautéing/grill-panning the shrimp.

2  pounds jumbo shrimp (16/20 count), peeled, deveined, tails off (Note:  To learn more, read my post, ~ Purchase Shrimp by their "Count" not their "Size" ~.)

1/2-3/4  cup my recipe for ~ A Basic Mexican Marinade for Beef, Pork or Poultry -- Great for Shellfish too. ~, which takes about 5 minutes to whisk together  

~Step 1.  Prepare the marinade as directed in recipe.  Peel, devein and remove the tails from the shrimp, placing the shrimp in a medium bowl as you work.  Add 1/2-3/4 cup of the marinade and thoroughly stir.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to marinate, 2-4 hours or up to 6-8 hours, restirring the shrimp a few times during the process.  Remove shrimp from refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to sautéing/grill-panning, according to the following instructions:

~Step 2.  Place a 12" nonstick grill-pan over medium-high heat.  Don't have a grill pan?  Use a 12" skillet.  Using a large slotted spoon transfer the shrimp from the marinade to the grill pan. Discard the remaining marinade.  Grill-pan the the shrimp over medium-high heat, using a nonstick spatula to flip and turn them, for 6 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Use a slotting spoon to transfer shrimp from the grill-pan to a bowl or a plate.  Discard any juices remaining in grill-pan.   

Part Three:  Making ahogada-crema & assembling the tacos.

8  taco shells, preferably freshly deep-fried using high-quality store-bought fresh corn tortillas

all of the Southwestern slaw, from above recipe

all of the marinated and cooked shrimp, from above recipe

1/2  cup  recipe for ~ Ahogada Sauce for Mexican Drowned Sandwiches ~, stirred together w/1/2  cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)

~Step 1.  Arrange deep-fried taco shells on individual plates or all of them on a platter.  Scoop some chilled Southwestern slaw into each shell, top the slaw with 6-8 still-warm and juicy shrimp, then, drizzle ahogada crema generously over all.  Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and enjoy.

Assemble as follows:  taco shell, a scoop of Southwestern slaw, 6-8 shrimp, & a generous drizzle of ahogada crema:

Celebrate a nicely-spiced ahogoda-shrimp-taco holiday:

Spicy Mexican Ahogada-Style Grilled Shrimp Tacos:  Recipe yields 8 large, hearty tacos.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; 1-cup measuring container; whisk; plastic wrap; large slotted spoon; 12" round or square nonstick grill pan; nonstick spatula

Cook's Note: When it comes to fish tacos made with grilled or pan-fried fish fillets, you can make them with the fish you like best -- almost any type of fresh fish can be added to a fish taco.  That will not work for the batter-dipped, deep-fried fish taco -- thin filets and/or delicate fish will not hold up to the rigors of deep-fat-frying. For me, cod is hands-down my favorite.  You only live once, so, I suggest you these divine ~ Beer-Batter-Dipped, Deep-Fried, Cod-Fish Tacos ~.  Cinco de Mayo!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2024)

~ Sink or Swim: Mexican Drowned-Beef Sandwiches ~

Tacos and tortas -- two staples of Mexican cuisine.  They are to Mexico's culture what pizza and hamburgers are to America's -- you can't pass through a city or a town where you can't find either. If you're an American cook with a fondness for Mexican fare, like me, you most likely have a recipe-or-six for tacos (American-style ground beef tacos, grilled-beef tacos al carbon, shredded-pork carnitas tacos, shredded-pork tacos al pastor, chicken tacos, fish tacos, etc.).  That said, how many Mexican torta recipes do you have in your repertoire?  I'm guessing not too many, or none.  Sink or swim:  there is no time like the present to add one.

Torta ahogada.  Culinarily, "torta" can mean several things: in Spain it refers to a "pancake", in Latin America it's a "cake", in Central America it's an "omelette", and, in Mexico it's a "sandwich" -- the kind that, unlike the taco, fits the culinary definition of anything edible placed between two slices of bread.  Generally speaking, in Spanish "ahogada" means "drowned", "drenched" or "drunk". Putting two and two together, today's recipe is:  a Mexican sandwich, drowned or drenched in a spicy sauce, with a reputation for being a sure-fire cure for the common hangover.

Savory marinade + spicy sauce + the proper roll + protein of choice. All the components for Mexican-style sandwich perfection.

The drowned sandwich (torta ahogada) was invented in Guadalajara in the early 1900's.  It was literally a mistake, a "slip-of-the-hand", so to speak.  Don Ignacio "Nacho" Saldaña, was a thirty year old who just started working for one of the city's largest vendors, Luis De La Torre, at his central plaza location, which was managed by De La Torre's father. As per Saldaña, a customer requested extra sauce on his pork sandwich, and, senior De La Torre accidentally dropped the sandwich in the container.  "It's drowned", the customer cried, but, after eating it and declaring how good it was, the son began selling torta ahogadas in all of his eateries. Saldaña eventually saved enough money to open his own restaurant at the corner of Madero and Indepence Streets, where, now, five decades later and well into his 80's, he's still selling the iconic sandwiches.

By simple word-of-mouth this humble, mess-of-a-pork and lightly-grilled- or raw-onion sandwich quickly grew in popularity.  Before long, vendors all across the city were touting their versions, by tweaking the recipes for the Mexican-style marinade for the protein and/or the firey, tawny-red ahogada sauce -- not a lot, just enough to claim them their own. Variations on the presentation followed, with some serving the sauce in a bowl to the side, while others began slathering the all-important semi-firm textured bolillo roll with condiments like refried beans or guacamole prior to drowning.  Still others took it one step further, by offering beef, chicken or shrimp options as a substitute for pork.  The proper way to eat a drenched sandwich, served in a bowl (in a restaurant) or in a bag (on the street) is with the hands -- in Mexico, it often comes to you along with a pair of plastic gloves.  

Today, I'm making mine using beef.   Flavorful, juicy, tender and perfectly-cooked flank steak. 

For 4 hearty sandwiches:

1  2-pound flank steak

1/2  cup my recipe for A Basic Mexican Marinade for Beef, Pork or Poultry

1 1/2  cups my recipe for Ahogada Sauce for Mexican Drowned Sandwiches

1  very large sweet onion (12-14-ounces), cut into 1/4"-thick rings

2  tablespoons achiote vegetable oil, or any plain (clear) ordinary vegetable oil*

4  bolillo, ciabatta or other crusty, 6" long sandwich-rolls, halved, and if desired, lightly-toasted or grilled

guacamole and tortilla chips, for accompaniment

*Note:  Achiote oil, which is readily available everywhere, has annatto added to it, which is what gives it its signature pretty orange color, and, ever-so-slight hint of earthy, musty, peppery flavor. Annatto is the seed of the achiote tree, which is indigenous to Central and South America.  The seeds are usually ground to a powder or steeped in oil prior to adding to all sorts of Spanish-style fare.  If you don't do a lot of this type of cooking, don't buy it, or, if you don't want the orange color added to the dish you are serving, simply substitute vegetable oil without compromise.

~Step 1.  Prepare the marinade as directed in recipe.  Place the flank steak in a 1-gallon food storage bag and add 1/2 cup of the marinade. Seal the bag.  Using your fingertips, squish the bag a bit, to push the steak and the marinade around enough to thoroughly coat the steak in marinade.  Refrigerate for 6-12 hours or overnight -- overnight is best.

~ Step 2.  Prepare the ahogada sauce as directed in recipe.  It's easy to make, and, it freezes well too, so, make the whole batch and freeze the leftovers to have on hand for two more meals.

~Step 3.  Position oven rack about 8" underneath heating element and preheat broiler.  Remove the room temperature flank steak from the marinade and place on an 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" disposable aluminum broiler pan (the kind with the corrugated bottom).  Place flank steak under the broiler and cook 8-9 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and flip steak over.  Return to broiler and cook 8-9 more minutes, using an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness after 8 minutes. Remove steak from oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 130°-134°.  Allow steak to rest 10-15 minutes.

~Step 4.  While steak is resting, peel and slice onion into 1/4" thick rings.  Heat oil in a 10" skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and lightly season them with freshly-ground sea salt and peppercorn blend, about 15 grinds salt and 25 grinds pepper.  Continue to cook until onions are soft but not mushy, 4-5 minutes, gently flipping them in the skillet with a fork or two forks during the process.  Remove from heat and set aside.

~ Step 5.  Slice the rested-but-warm steak in half lengthwise, then thinly-slice each half across the grain while holding the knife at a 30° angle, into (1/8"-1/4"-thick) strips. Yield: enough to amply fill (stuff) four, hearty, 6"-long sandwiches.

Note:  Broiling steak just before assembling the sandwiches is best, but, if it must be made ahead, reheat uncut steak gently in microwave 60-90 seconds.

~Step 6.  To assemble the sandwiches, slice the rolls in half, then place the bottom half of each in a wide, shallow bowl.  Divide and heap the meat evenly atop the four "bun bottoms", followed by an even layer of onions (reserve a few onions for garnish at the end).  I like to add the guacamole and tortilla chips to my "bowls" at this time.  Before placing the top on each sandwich, pull a bit of the soft bread from their centers with your fingertips -- this forms a dome which helps keep the meat and onions in place while eating these sandwiches (see photo below).  Using a small ladle, drizzle a scant 1/2 cup warm sauce over each sandwich, garnish with a few of the reserved onions and serve ASAP.

Drizzle w/sauce, garnish w/onions, &, serve ASAP:

Try the traditional Torta Ahogada Drowned Pork Sandwich too:

Sink or Swim:  Mexican Drowned-Beef Sandwiches:  Recipe yields 4 large, hearty sandwiches.

Special Equipment List:  1-cup measuring container; 1-gallon food storage bag; cutting board; chef's knife; 10" nonstick skillet; 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" x 1 1/4" disposable aluminum broiler pan w/corrugated bottom; instant-read meat thermometer (optional); serrated bread knife; small ladle

Cook's Note:  A well done flank steak is not well done at all.  Flank steak, while it lends its succulent flavorful self to indoor cooking beautifully, if the lean and sexy flank steak is not quickly-cooked and served rare- medium-rare it is not worth eating. While I occasionally pan-sear it, my favorite method is to cook it under the broiler.  My foolproof method takes all the guesswork out of it too:  ~ Melanie's Perfectly-Cooked 18-Minute Flank Steak ~.  You're gonna love it.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2024)

~ Mexico's Torta Ahogada Drowned-Pork Sandwich ~

Torta ahogada.  Culinarily, torta can mean several things: in Spain it refers to a pancake, in Latin America it's a cake, in Central America it's an omelette, and, in Mexico it's a sandwich -- the kind that, unlike the taco, fits the culinary definition of anything edible placed between two slices of bread.  Generally speaking, in Spanish ahogada means drowned, drenched or drunk. Putting two and two together, today's recipe is:  a Mexican sandwich, drowned or drenched in sauce.  A traditional torta ahogada is a fried-pork and onion sandwich drenched in a spicy red sauce, and, this Mexican working-man's lunch has a reputation for being a sure-fire cure for a hangover.

Tacos and tortas -- two staples of Mexican cuisine.  They are to Mexico's culture what pizza and hamburgers are to America's -- you can't pass through a city or a town where you can't find either. If you're an American cook with a fondness for Mexican fare, like me, you most likely have a recipe-or-six for tacos (American-style ground beef tacos, grilled-beef tacos al carbon, shredded-pork carnitas tacos, shredded-pork tacos al pastor, chicken tacos, fish tacos, etc.).  That said, how many Mexican torta recipes do you have in your repertoire?  I'm guessing not too many, or none.  Sink or swim:  there is no time like the present to add one.

The drowned sandwich (torta ahogada) was invented in Guadalajara in the early 1900's.  It was literally a mistake, a "slip-of-the-hand", so to speak.  Don Ignacio "Nacho" Saldaña, was a thirty year old who just started working for one of the city's largest vendors, Luis De La Torre, at his central plaza location, which was managed by De La Torre's father. As per Saldaña, a customer requested extra sauce on his pork sandwich, and, senior De La Torre accidentally dropped the sandwich in the container.  "It's drowned", the customer cried, but, after eating it and declaring how good it was, the son began selling torta ahogadas in all of his eateries. Saldaña eventually saved enough money to open his own restaurant at the corner of Madero and Indepence Streets, where, now, five decades later and well into his 80's, he's still selling the iconic sandwiches.

By simple word-of-mouth this  humble, mess-of-a-pork and lightly-grilled- or raw-onion sandwich quickly grew in popularity.  Before long, vendors all across the city were touting their versions, by tweaking the recipes for the Mexican-style marinade for the protein and/or the firey, tawny-red ahogada sauce -- not a lot, just enough to claim them their own. Variations on the presentation followed, with some serving the sauce to the side, while others began slathering the all-important semi-firm textured bolillo roll with condiments like refried beans or guacamole prior to drowning.  Still others took it one step further, by offering beef, chicken or shrimp options as a substitute for pork.  The proper way to eat a drenched sandwich, served in a bowl (in a restaurant) or in a bag (on the street) is with the hands -- in Mexico, it often comes to you along with a pair of plastic gloves.

Two days ago I posted my recipe for ~ Sink or Swim:  Mexican Drowned-Beef Sandwiches ~ using flavorful, juicy, tender and perfectly-cooked flank steak (pictured above).  Today, I'm make the traditional torta ahogada, using pork blade steaks -- a pork butt (shoulder) cut into steaks.

Steaks cut from the pork shoulder are marbled with lots of fat and rich with collagen, which, like the roast, makes them extremely flavorful.  

Because overcooking renders them dry and tough, this quick-cooking cut is perfect for the grill, sauté pan or broiler.  Choose pinkish-gray steaks that are generally the same size and thickness (3/4"-1" thick is ideal), and, have been trimmed of excessive fat from the fat-cap-side.

Note:  These 4 steaks, weighing a total of 6.48 pounds, cost $10.87.  That's a whole lot of economical porcine wonderfulness -- especially if you've got a big family with big appetites.

Because overcooking renders them tough, this quick-cooking pork steak is perfect for the grill, grill pan, sauté pan or broiler.

For 6 hearty sandwiches:

2  3/4"-1"-thick, bone-in pork butt blade steaks, about 1 1/2-1 3/4-pounds each

1/2  cup my recipe for A Basic Mexican Marinade for Beef, Pork or Poultry

2  cups my recipe for Ahogada Sauce for Mexican Drowned Sandwiches

1  very large sweet onion (12-14-ounces), cut into 1/4"-thick rings

2  tablespoons achiote vegetable oil, or any plain (clear) ordinary vegetable oil*

6  bolillo, ciabatta or other crusty, semi-firm, 6" long sandwich-rolls, halved, and if desired, lightly-toasted or grilled

additional achiote oil, for the diced-pork-and-onion sauté at assembly time

guacamole and tortilla chips, for accompaniment

*Note:  Achiote oil, which is readily available everywhere, has annatto added to it, which is what gives it its signature pretty orange color, and, ever-so-slight hint of earthy, musty, peppery flavor. Annatto is the seed of the achiote tree, which is indigenous to Central and South America.  The seeds are usually ground to a powder or steeped in oil prior to adding to all sorts of Spanish-style fare.  If you don't do a lot of this type of cooking, don't buy it, or, if you don't want the orange color added to the dish you are serving, simply substitute vegetable oil without compromise.

~Step 1.  Prepare the marinade as directed in recipe.  Place the blade steaks in a 1-gallon food storage bag and add all of the marinade. Seal the bag.  Using your fingertips, squish the bag a bit, to push the steaks and the marinade around enough to thoroughly coat the steaks in marinade.  Refrigerate for 6-12 hours or overnight -- overnight is best.

~ Step 2.  Prepare the ahogada sauce as directed in recipe.  It's easy to make, and, it freezes well too, so, make the whole batch and freeze the leftovers to have on hand for two more meals.

~Step 3.  Remove steaks from refrigerator and return to room temperature, 30-45 minutes. Position oven rack 7 1/2"-8" under heating element and preheat broiler.  Remove room temp blade steaks from marinade and place on an 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" disposable broiler pan (the kind with the corrugated bottom).  Place steaks under broiler and cook 11 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and flip steaks over.  Return to broiler and cook 11 more minutes, using an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness at 10 minutes. Remove steaks from oven when they reach an internal temperature of 140°-145°.  Allow steaks to rest 10-15 minutes.

~Step 4.  While steaks ares resting, peel and slice onion into 1/4" thick rings.  Heat oil in a 10" skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and lightly season them with freshly-ground sea salt and peppercorn blend, about 15 grinds salt and 25 grinds pepper.  Continue to cook until onions are soft but not mushy, 4-5 minutes, gently flipping them in the skillet with a fork or two forks during the process.  Remove from heat and set aside.

~Step 5.  Slice each rested-but-warm blade steak, on a diagonal, in half lengthwise -- half bone-in, the other boneless. Thinly-slice the boneless half across the grain while holding the knife at a 30° angle, into (1/8"-1/4"-thick) strips, then dice the strips.  Carve the meat away from the bone on the second half, then slice and dice that meat too.  Place the diced meat in a bowl and repeat process with the second steak. Each steak, depending upon the size of the bone (large or small), will yield 2 1/2-3 cups diced pork, enough to amply fill (stuff) six, hearty, 6"-long sandwiches.

Note:  To this point, all the components for these unique sandwiches (the sauce, the onions and the pork) can be prepared several hours to one day ahead of assembling and serving.

~Step 7.  To prepare the spicy fried-pork-and-onion filling, in an appropriately-sized skillet (8", 10" or 12", depending on how many sandwiches you plan to assemble at one time), heat 1-2-3 tablespoons achiote oil over medium-high heat.  Add 1 cup diced pork per sandwich and sauté until meat is heated through and fat is crisping up, 1 1/2-2 minutes.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of the ahogada sauce per cup of meat.  When steaming, fold in 1/3 cup (5-6 tablespoons) sautéd onions per cup of meat.  Remove from heat.  

~Step 8.  To assemble each sandwich, choose a bowl, slice a roll in half, then place the bottom in the bowl.  Using your fingertips, pull a bit of the soft bread from the center of the top of the roll and set aside -- this forms a dome that helps keep the filling in place while eating (see photo below).  Slather the "bun bottom" with guacamole.  Heap the warm meat mixture evenly atop the guacamole.  I like to add extra guacamole to the bowl at this time.  Place the top on the sandwich.  Using a small ladle, drizzle a scant 1/2 cup warm sauce over the top, garnish with a few leftover onions, add some tortilla chips to the dish and eat.

Drizzle generously w/warmed sauce, garnish w/onions...

... &, serve, ASAP w/more guacamole & tortilla chips:

Mexico's Torta Ahogada Drowned-Pork Sandwichs:  Recipe yields 6 large, hearty sandwiches.

Special Equipment List:  1-cup measuring container; 1-gallon food storage bag; cutting board; chef's knife; 10" nonstick skillet; 2, 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" x 1 1/4" disposable aluminum broiler pans w/corrugated bottom; instant-read meat thermometer (optional); appropriately-sized skillet

Cook's Note: The Portuguese people eat these pork sandwiches like we Americans eat burgers -- anytime and anywhere.  The bifana is so popular, McDonald's even launched the McBifana in Portugal. Never heard of the bifana? There's no shame in that -- we Americans don't always have access to authentic Spanish-style recipes. Click here to get my recipe for ~ The Bifana:  A Perfect Portuguese Pork Sandwich ~, and, here for the ~ Papos Secos: Portuguese Dinner/Sandwich Rolls ~ recipe.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2024)