# Mexican Cooking



## Mardoo (27/6/13)

OK folks, from the looks of the cultural exchange thread there are a fair few of us who love Mexican food and cook it or want to so it's time for a thread of our own. 

I've cooked, eaten and rolled around in Mexican, New Mexican and Central American food for most of my life. I grew up in California where it's hot and cold running Mexican food everywhere, and the best tacos come three for $6 from the back of a food truck. Paying $20 for three OK tacos here sticks in my craw.

So let's share recipes, books, experiments and ideas for Mexican food, the food that was made for beer!


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## bum (27/6/13)

My entire Mexican food experience is based on visiting California tonnes (mostly LA but there's some proper RAD taco trucks in Oakland) and SWMBO's cooking (her carnitas are _amazing_).

I have no recipes to share.

I want an El Grande Burrito all-beef burrito right now thanks to this thread. You've ruined my day.


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

So the first thing I'll add is one of the great Mexican cookbooks, Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking". She's the doyenne of Mexican cookbooks and this is one of the classics (in English that is).

Mexico has many regions with significantly different types of food and her regional books, particularly the one on Oaxaca, are great.

Her recipes can be a bit fiddly, but if you're not into that you can very easily just mine them for ideas.

The Art of Mexican Cooking
http://amzn.com/0307383253


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (27/6/13)

Just got into it (actually been wanting to get into it, but didn't know where to start). 

Food Safari with the dude from Guzman Y Gomez did it for me (and SWMBO). I've grabbed a book called Muy Bueno from the US and hoping that sort of contains 'real' mexican food. But it's certainly got me doing more research.

I have a particular fondness for chilli, my missus not so much - but she is starting to get used to heat (she now likes the flavour). I blame part of it on her Hungarian father who put Hot Paprika on everything and thus traumatised her from using anything red coloured and related to chilli for a long time.


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

bum said:


> I want an El Grande Burrito all-beef burrito right now thanks to this thread. You've ruined my day.


Story of my life in Oz mate. I feel your pain, (but not your bum). I literally ate Mexican every day for about 15 years in the States. I have struggled on though. Fight the good fight. 

And I'd love to learn a bit about your lady's carnitas. So far cooking carnitas to my satisfaction has evaded me.


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> I have a particular fondness for chilli, my missus not so much - but she is starting to get used to heat (she now likes the flavour).


Awesome. It's incredible food. Tex-Mex (most of what you get here) has a place, but it's far from the whole truth. 

I miss the chili sauces of New Mexico, Roasting and grinding the dried red chiles, bit of garlic, Mexican oregano, etc, cooked into something resembling napoli but ALL chiles. There's a fresh green chile one too. Oh **** me it's good.


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## Bribie G (27/6/13)

I've never been into Mexican food for a simple reason:

Go to an Indian Restaurant and you will be greeted by Jarveesh, Pradeep and his staff
Go to a Chinese Restaurant and Lin Ho will welcome you with open arms
Japanese restaurant - even the local sushi stall - girls and guys look like they are straight out of Kobe
I will not even attempt to pronounce the surname of the lovely couple who own the Old Bar "Thai Tea and Table" restaurant here.

Mexican Restaurants all seem to be run by fat bogans called Sheila and Doug who will happily microwave you a takeaway container of something swimming in red crap with something that looks like rolled up pancakes lurking under the slop.

Mexican has always seemed too much of a learning curve. Might get onto it eventually as I live on garlic and chillies.


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## Liam_snorkel (27/6/13)

for people in Brisbane there is Villa Maria at Camp hill which seems to be pretty legit.
Mexican & Sth American.

EDIT sorry that was a bit off topic. Was just following up Bribies post.


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

Bribie G said:


> Mexican Restaurants all seem to be run by fat bogans called Sheila and Doug who will happily microwave you a takeaway container of something swimming in red crap with something that looks like rolled up pancakes lurking under the slop.


That's the sad truth of most of the Mexican I've seen here BG, but things are looking up. A lot of decent places, and some really good ones have opened in Oz in the last few years.

I myself pretty much stopped eating it out for most of my 15 years here. I still cook better Mexican than most places here, so why would I. 

But if you like chile and you like garlic then done right, it was made for you.


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## scon (27/6/13)

Totally second the recommendation of Dianna Kennedy's book, it's amazing. No pictures though if that sort of thing puts you off.

Also, you can get a lot of the chillis and masa flours from Fireworks Foods.


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## OzPaleAle (27/6/13)

Love mexican food, here are the places I get my mexican ingredients from,

well priced and lots of mexican imported products, online ordering as I'm pretty time poor its very convenient.

http://www.fireworksfoods.com.au/


Also for fresh Tortillas in Melbourne I go here, its just near my work (And Matilda Bay Brewery) in Port Melbourne

http://www.elcielo.com.au/


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

Holy crap! Fresh tortillas in Melbourne! Thanks OzPalAle. That's been the #1 huge problem for me - finding even passable tortillas. World of difference!


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## Bridges (27/6/13)

Love Mexican food too, should try to do a better job of cooking it. This place in Johnston st Fitzroy has some interesting gear.


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

Liam_snorkel said:


> for people in Brisbane there is Villa Maria at Camp hill which seems to be pretty legit.
> Mexican & Sth American.
> 
> EDIT sorry that was a bit off topic. Was just following up Bribies post.


I reckon names of places to get decent Mexican food belong right here just like a burrito belongs in mah belly. Bring on the recommendations.


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## OzPaleAle (27/6/13)

Mardoo said:


> Holy crap! Fresh tortillas in Melbourne! Thanks OzPalAle. That's been the #1 huge problem for me - finding even passable tortillas. World of difference!


No worries, really nice people there, its in a little warehouse of Salmon street, bit tricky to spot at first.

I heard news of an "authentic" Tortilla place in melbourne, I think it was kensington, footscray somewhere out that way.
They use some old technique to make them that is meant to be pretty good, can't remember whats its called though.


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## OzPaleAle (27/6/13)

OzPaleAle said:


> No worries, really nice people there, its in a little warehouse of Salmon street, bit tricky to spot at first.
> 
> I heard news of an "authentic" Tortilla place in melbourne, I think it was kensington, footscray somewhere out that way.
> They use some old technique to make them that is meant to be pretty good, can't remember whats its called though.


This is the one, haven't tried it yet though.

http://latortilleria.com.au/


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

OzPaleAle said:


> This is the one, haven't tried it yet though.
> 
> http://latortilleria.com.au/


Mate, I've died and gone to heaven! Now if I can just get whole New Mexican chile through customs my life will be complete. Thanks again. 

And if you understand the difference good tortillas make , well, you pretty much get the essentials of Mexican cooking. Tortillas, tortillas and tortillas.


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## bum (27/6/13)

Now that you know where to get proper ones from you just need to somehow get people to say it properly.

Good luck with that.


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

bum said:


> Now that you know where to get proper ones from you just need to somehow get people to say it properly.
> 
> Good luck with that.


Call me Sisyphus.


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## Phoney (27/6/13)

Mardoo said:


> So the first thing I'll add is one of the great Mexican cookbooks, Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking". She's the doyenne of Mexican cookbooks and this is one of the classics (in English that is).
> 
> Mexico has many regions with significantly different types of food and her regional books, particularly the one on Oaxaca, are great.
> 
> ...


I bought that book after I came back from a 2 month stint in Mexico. Agree with scon though the no pictures makes it a little difficult. I'm a seafood and eat it kinda guy.

Seriously though, Mex food here has been sorely disappointing here *up until fairly recently* Agree with Bribie that the reason is that there just isnt enough of a Mexican community in Australia to a) import the ingredients and B) to run the restaurants. 

The hardest thing I found in mx was that they actually had names for their dishes. So anywhere else in Latin America you can kind of translate menus into english to work out whats what. eg: filete de carne con ensalada. "Right, that's a beef steak and salad. easy. I'll have that" Whereas in Mexico you see everything on the menu us like Huachinango a la Veracruzana. "WTF? That aint in my dictionary" So you order it anyway and it almost always turned out to be freakin tasty. The only thing I wasn't big on is mole. Pronounced "Moll eh" Think chunks of meat cooked (rather drowned) in chocolate sauce without any sugar and lard served on a plate. I went all through Oaxaca which is supposedly the mole region of mx but I found it all too rich and heart attack inducing.

Everything else was awesome.


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## bum (27/6/13)

Mardoo said:


> And I'd love to learn a bit about your lady's carnitas.


Meant to respond to this earlier but was using phone and quoting is a PITA.

I am not privvy to the details but I know she cooks a pork shoulder in orange juice (of all things) with more garlic cloves than seems reasonable really long for as long as possible, then pulls it, then gives it a quick crisp-up in a boiling hot cast pan. Bloody amazing.

I can't ask for the details - she'll think I'm planing to leave her.


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## manticle (27/6/13)

Stupidly expensive and defeats the idea of mexican taco truck/street food somewhat but if you are feeling flush and want a treat, mamasitas in Melbourne does pretty amazing food with authentic mexican the driving force.

I've never been (to mexico that is - I have been to mamasitas) but I reckon I have a couple of nice recipes for guacamole and salsa, mainly from my days working in commercial kitchens (my recipes entirely - I used to have to make extra guacamole because the waitresses kept eating it all). Might not be traditional/authentic (though much more so than taco bill swill) but damn tasty, fresh ingredients only.


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## MashPaddler (27/6/13)

I bought this book last month and have been hooked on quality Mexican since then. Our favourite guacamole recipe is in here, a simple mix of avocado, pineapple chunks, coriander, onion, chilli and fresh lime juice. 

http://www.amazon.com/Truly-Mexican-Essential-Techniques-Authentic/dp/0470499559/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372333275&sr=1-3&keywords=Mexican+cooking

I bought my chillies from 

http://www.chilemojo.com.au/


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

manticle said:


> Stupidly expensive and defeats the idea of mexican taco truck/street food somewhat but if you are feeling flush and want a treat, mamasitas in Melbourne does pretty amazing food with authentic mexican the driving force.
> 
> I've never been (to mexico that is - I have been to mamasitas) but I reckon I have a couple of nice recipes for guacamole and salsa, mainly from my days working in commercial kitchens (my recipes entirely - I used to have to make extra guacamole because the waitresses kept eating it all). Might not be traditional/authentic (though much more so than taco bill swill) but damn tasty, fresh ingredients only.


You know, I miss authentic Mexican, but then there's just damn good food. Also the dearth of quality Mexican food here for so long has taught me to be grateful for "good". (Best business lesson I ever learned, "The perfect is the enemy of the good.") Sometimes you just need good, and damn I would like a good taco right now.

Mexican is a simple food. You could say it's peasant food, just like some of the best Italian. Making something brilliant from the simple things you have in front of you. That's skillful cooking. I'd rather see people make Mexican food they like from what they have rather than Mexican food I like, if that makes sense. I'm not very doctrinaire and have a hard time seeing how being that way is inspiring for anyone.

Chili sausage rolls anyone?

Oh, and Bum, actually cooking the pork in orange juice is pretty damn traditional in some parts of Mexico. Pineapple too, but then you're edging towards what is often called "al pastor", which is the bomb. Chicharrones too. Deep fried bits of pork belly or skin then (sometimes) cooked in a chile and garlic sauce, rolled up in a burrito. :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2:


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## manticle (27/6/13)

My guacamole recipe involves making a vinegar infusion first.
My nickname at that place was 'mr infusion'. Didn't stop the jokers from wiping me out of guacamole ever dinner session.
Tomorrow when I'm near a pc rather than a phone, I will add it here.
Only way I can actually eat avocado.


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

Best Mexican food experience ever: Camping on the beach halfway down Baja for two weeks, buying slabs of beer and sharing them with the guy at the fish taco stand. We ended up hanging out with him for days on end drinking beers together while he made fish tacos (soft corn tortilla, deep fried fish, cabbage, mayonnaise-ish stuff, green salsa) with one giant fried prawn per taco, prawns he had caught a couple of hours ago.

Here's to you Basilio, wherever you are :beerbang: :beer: :beerbang:


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## MashPaddler (27/6/13)

manticle said:


> My guacamole recipe involves making a vinegar infusion first.
> My nickname at that place was 'mr infusion'. Didn't stop the jokers from wiping me out of guacamole ever dinner session.
> Tomorrow when I'm near a pc rather than a phone, I will add it here.
> Only way I can actually eat avocado.


Hmmm vinegar infusion sounds the goods. Meant to put in previous post the chillies from chilli mojo were super fresh, recently dried and smoked and when dry roasted then soaked in water they add loads of flavour to dishes, more than I expected. There is a pecan and jalapeño sauce in the book I 'll dig out for you it is awesome on tortillas, eggs, BBQ meats etc


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## chefsantos (27/6/13)

Mardoo said:


> Holy crap! Fresh tortillas in Melbourne! Thanks OzPalAle. That's been the #1 huge problem for me - finding even passable tortillas. World of difference!


fireworks is good, it comes from sydney if you want anything spanish or south american in melb head to casa iberica http://casaibericadeli.com.au Fitroy it has almost every thing you will need and is a good place to practice your espanol . it not that cheap but still worth a look


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## bum (27/6/13)

manticle said:


> Stupidly expensive and defeats the idea of mexican taco truck/street food somewhat but if you are feeling flush and want a treat, mamasitas in Melbourne does pretty amazing food with authentic mexican the driving force.


Mamasitas is nice (if you can stand the crowd) and while I do not pretend to be an expert at all I'd have to say it is fairly far from being traditional. Too fiddly. Still canes every other Mexican place I've been to here (but that's not very hard - they all taste like spicy dogfood).


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## Mardoo (27/6/13)

OK then, if folks are getting good chiles and probably some chipotles, here are directions (not so much a recipe) for a simple salsa I make:

Soak 5 to 15 Chipotle chiles overnight in about one cup of water, depending on how much you like the ring of fire.
Next day roast an entire head of garlic in the oven until soft. I use roasted garlic because it complements the smokiness of the chiles well and won't overwhelm it.
Take the chiles out of the soaking water and save the water. De-stem, seed and de-vein the chiles unless you like things really hot. If you like really hot then de-stem the chiles and grind the rest (seeds and all) in a mortar and pestle/molcajete or blender.
Squeeze the garlic into a blender or bowl you use a stick blender in, or into your mortar and pestle if you like a hand job.
Add the chiles.
Peel 4 ripe, medium-size tomatoes and put in blender/bowl/mortar/molcajete (bbm). You can use a container of cherry tomatoes if you rather, without peeling unless you're far more obsessive a gent/lady than I.
Add the juice of one lime or 1 tablespoon of cider or other non-balsamic vinegar to the bbm (preferably not "white" vinegar - taste is wrong). Lemon vs vinegar gives quite a different result, so find out which you like.
Do not roast the spices for this salsa. Grind 2 teaspoons of whole allspice/pimiento in a mortar or spice grinder. Grind 2 teaspoons of whole cumin seed. Add these to the bbm.
Add 1/8 teaspoon of salt, maximum. A pinch is fine. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar if you like to bring out flavors.
Blend/grind this all well. Add the soaking liquid from the chiles bit by bit until you reach a consistency you like.

Tips:
1) Too much salt covers the flavor of chiles as it's quite delicate. Always go easy on the salt when making salsas and chile sauces. Salt the dish, not the sauce.
2) The simpler the food, the more important fresh herbs and spices are, and most Mexican is very simple food. If you can grind your own spices. It will make all the difference in the world.
3) Three things dampen the heat of chiles: alcohol, dairy and citric acid. If you use lime it will likely dampen the heat a bit so you may want to adjust upwards.
4) Many salsas, this one included, improve overnight.
5) Put this on everything and you will live a happy life.


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## chefsantos (27/6/13)

also if you want fresh taco tortillas i have a taco press you can borrow


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## manticle (28/6/13)

bum said:


> Mamasitas is nice (if you can stand the crowd) and while I do not pretend to be an expert at all I'd have to say it is fairly far from being traditional. Too fiddly. Still canes every other Mexican place I've been to here (but that's not very hard - they all taste like spicy dogfood).


Definitely not traditional - informed by tradition maybe (in terms of ingredient, etc), combined with modern cuisine and a fancy pants interpretation and a hefty bill to 
match.

Good food, not somewhere I can afford to eat most days.

I work in a job I like that's really badly paid but two of the longer term staff with whom I work are part owners so I got to see the place when it was a bar (recorded music salon- good whisky, no people) and enjoy a coyple of work related dinners there


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## bum (28/6/13)

Yeah, we can't afford it either but SWMBO was missing Mexican food pretty hard and she'd heard good things.


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## djar007 (28/6/13)

Does anyone ave an easy recipe for sopapillas ? I miss them .


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## Mardoo (28/6/13)

djar007 said:


> Does anyone ave an easy recipe for sopapillas ? I miss them .


Define easy.  If you mean the fried bread served in New Mexico and some other places instead of tortillas here's one I've used a few times. If you mean the biscuit I've never made them. 

http://gingerbreadsnowflakes.com/node/123


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## Mardoo (28/6/13)

manticle said:


> Definitely not traditional - informed by tradition maybe (in terms of ingredient, etc), combined with modern cuisine and a fancy pants interpretation and a hefty bill to
> match.


I have to agree with Manticle on this one, same as Blue Corn in St. Kilda. Informed by tradition. I think it would come off a bit closer to traditional if access to quality traditional ingredients was a bit easier. They make a huitlacoche (corn mushroom - ahem, OK, corn smut) taco and of course have to use canned huitlacoche. From what I've read, in parts of Mexico it's a pretty down-home thing. Hell, looking at it you'd never try it voluntarily without someone saying, "Hey man, that blue turd-looking thing is GOOOOOOOOOD to eat!"





Mamasita's taco is very meh, but fresh huitlacoche will blow your mind completely, and happens to be traditional. But then they're not trying to be traditional. Mamasita's food was great for a while and then seemed to take a serious drop down after a couple years.

One of the funny things I have noticed is that a lot of the nouveau Mex places in Melbourne often have a lot of Indian chefs in the kitchen. The range of spices in Mexican food is mostly contained within Indian cooking, but the proportions are different, sometimes just slightly. Blue Corn is one example of a place where the folks in the kitchen know very well how to use the spices, but I think habit takes over and some of the dishes veer in the curry direction. I might be upset getting that if I was in the States or Mexico and got that dish, but here I just notice it and say thanks for the blessing of something good and quite, if not wholly, Mexican. There you go, time for someone to open a Mexican/Indian fusion restaurant.


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## Mardoo (28/6/13)

For real Tex-Mex recipes try this blog. She redeemed Tex-Mex for me:

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com.au/


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## bum (28/6/13)

Wikipedia makes corn smut sound so appealing:





> Although it can infect any part of the plant, it usually enters the ovaries and replaces the normal kernels of the cobs with large, distorted tumors analogous to mushrooms. These tumors, or "galls", are made up of much-enlarged cells of the infected plant, fungal threads, and blue-black spores.


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## Phoney (28/6/13)

Hey Mardoo; You got any good tamale recipes?


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## Mardoo (28/6/13)

bum said:


> Wikipedia makes corn smut sound so appealing:


Surely there must be something we can work with in the infection photo thread.


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## Mardoo (28/6/13)

phoneyhuh said:


> Hey Mardoo; You got any good tamale recipes?


I have links for a NYTimes one I've been working with, but I am no expert whatsoever. Probably most six-year old Mexican kids can make better ones than me! 

It's all in getting the masa right, not too dry in particular. And lard. Use lard or other animal fat in the dough. Solidified bacon drippings or duck fat can be nice if you feel like messin' but go with lard your first few times 'til you start to get a sense of texture. It takes (me) time to get it close to right. Me not there yet. 

For a nice variation toast about 15% of your masa harina flour (not the finished dough) in the oven 'til it's kind of barley-malt-husk colored, say Vienna. Not too dark though. 

There are two links, one for technique, one the recipe. Read both for sure. As with all recipes, best adapted to your own tastes. 

For instance I sub cassia leaves (called Indian Bay Leaves from any decent Indian shop, and used in southern Mexico) for the bay leaves and allspice/pimiento for the cumin in the meat, keeping the cumin in the sauce. 

http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1014426/Tamales-.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/dining/how-to-make-tamale-bundles-neat.html?ref=dining&_r=1&


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## browndog (29/6/13)

Not being a Mexican food aficionado, would this book, Quick and easy mexican cooking by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee be a good place to start for getting in to Mexican food? You guys have given me an urge to cook mexican.

cheers

Browndog


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## manticle (29/6/13)

For guacamole, I used to take the coriander roots from one bunch of coriander (well washed), some good quality white wine vinegar and a touch of white wine, lime zest, crushed whole garlic clove, a few coriander seeds and a smidge of cumin (dry toasted briefly first) and bring it all to the boil. Once it hit the boil, I'd leave it covered to cool and add some fresh lime juice.

Allow to sit overnight, strain and discard the solids.

Then brunoise some small spanish onion and a clove of garlic. De-seed and brunoise some red capsicum and some fresh tomato. Wash and chop some fresh coriander leaves and fresh red chilli.

In a food processor, mash up some avocado with a touch of bland vegetable oil and sour cream till it's a nice smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper then add the onion/tomato/coriander mix. Slowly add the infusion and mix through to taste. I have found you can never have too much fresh lime juice in this so add more if you like it at the final stages.

There are probably some things that purists would throw their hands up at but I've always preferred good flavour to purism and this has good flavour.


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## brettprevans (29/6/13)

Chuck roast slow baked in mole sauce :drool:


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## MashPaddler (29/6/13)

Thanks Manticle. 

Pecan chipotle salsa

3 dried chipotle wiped clean and stemmed
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

Toast the chillies in a dry pan until they puff up and blister a bit - 3 -5 minutes.
Put them in the blender with 1/2 cup water. 
toast the pecans in an oven until fragrant, 8 minutes give or take. Add them to the blender and blend. Add a bit more water if needed. 
Using the pan you used for the chillies, add some oil, add the onion and garlic and sautee until the onion is translucent and soft. 
Add the mix from the blender into the pan. Rinse the blender out with a very small amount of water to get as much out as you can.
add the salt and bring to a simmer. simmer for 5 more minutes and cool. 

Makes 1 cup, which goes a long way. Great for tacos, tortillas, boiled eggs, really versatile.


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## mrTbeer (29/6/13)

I've always liked tex-mex but discovered Mexican food about 6 years ago in London of all places.
What made a difference (for me) was seeing mexicans and hearing (Spanish) in the kitchen. Always been a chili nut so was keen to find out more and my wife was keen also.
It's hard to get ingredients in Qld but fireworks is good and stocked up at casa iberico last weekend.
Found some good recipes in men's health magazine at the doctors and
Thomasina Miers Mexican food at home
Deborah Schneider Amor Y Tacos

A lot of cookbooks are good but ingredients tend to favour those available in USA not Oz.
Mamasita would be my fave in Oz but I'm pretty happy to see more Guzman Y Gomez and MadMex opening up too. G y G seem to employ real Mexicans which is cool.

Locally a new Mexican place opened up near me but although the owners were full of energy it was disappointing to think I can cook better than that, they hadn't been to Mexico and didn't have fish tacos?

The US states of Colorado, NewMex, Arizona and California do it really well. Even the tex-mex places are much better than 95% of Oz.

I've got a good piss-easy salsa recipe that I can put up. My tip: the quality of salsa served at bar is directly proportional to quality of food. If its not fresh or bland enjoy your beer and move on to next joint.


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## mrTbeer (29/6/13)

We got a tortilla press to make our own tortillas.
Those hard taco shells (old el paso) don't exist outside of Coles/Woolies.


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## bum (29/6/13)

Taco Bell to crunchy tacos/

SWMBO's mother LOVES them (that the only real I know they exist).

Incidentally, if you ever decide you don't want to eat ever again, you may want to try Taco Bell's quesadillas.


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## Phoney (30/6/13)

Taco Bell went bankrupt in oz didn't they?

Well I hope they did anyway.


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## mrTbeer (30/6/13)

Yeah they did. Tried to get into Oz with Sydney2000. Abandoned business model and ended up serving hot chips and tomato sauce to bogans in 6 months???


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## bum (30/6/13)

You may be thinking of Taco Bill. Totes different.


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## Mardoo (30/6/13)

Taco Bell is the best stoner food on the planet!


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## Mardoo (30/6/13)

browndog said:


> Not being a Mexican food aficionado, would this book, Quick and easy mexican cooking by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee be a good place to start for getting in to Mexican food? You guys have given me an urge to cook mexican.
> 
> cheers
> 
> Browndog


For what my opinion might be worth, the recipe list looks pretty good to me browndog. Hard to tell without looking at the recipes themselves, but then many cookbooks have recipes that are a bit skewif. I'd say give it a go if it looks good to you.


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## Mardoo (30/6/13)

Someone in the American Cultural Exchange thread was looking for a chili recipe. It's not really something I make as I don't really cook much Tex-Mex but I'll post these links to chili recipes on a site I mentioned earlier. Homesick Texan is a great site. Her recipes are spot-on and way better than any Tex-Mex you'll find in a restaurant.

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com.au/2006/10/how-to-make-pot-of-texas-red-part-one_15.html

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com.au/2006/10/how-to-make-pot-of-texas-red-part-two_18.html

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com.au/2009/02/more-precise-texas-chili-recipe.html


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## jyo (30/6/13)

djar007 said:


> Does anyone ave an easy recipe for sopapillas ? I miss them .


I have no clue whether it's traditional Mexican cooking or not, but I've had the sopapilas at Pancho's in Vic Park, Perth and man they are a delicious desert. The eldest daughter was asking me to learn to make them the other night.




bum said:


> Wikipedia makes corn smut sound so appealing:


Dear god, that looks and sounds so wrong.


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## mrTbeer (30/6/13)

http://www.bookdepository.com/Wahaca-Mexican-Food-at-Home-Thomasina-Miers/9781444722390
http://www.bookdepository.com/Amor-Y-Tacos-Deborah-Schneider/9781584798248
http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000344.php still unopened can of smut at home. Truffle? Cuitlacoche?


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## Mardoo (30/6/13)

jyo said:


> I have no clue whether it's traditional Mexican cooking or not, but I've had the sopapilas at Pancho's in Vic Park, Perth and man they are a delicious desert. The eldest daughter was asking me to learn to make them the other night.


If they're little pillows of fried bread served with honey the recipe I posted will do ya'.


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## jyo (30/6/13)

Mardoo said:


> If they're little pillows of fried bread served with honey the recipe I posted will do ya'.


Thanks, mate. Just checked the link and they look nothing like that. These are thin, crispy, almost chip-like coated with sugar, cinnamon and honey, served with icecream.

I might have a go at the recipe you posted. Cheers.


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## browndog (30/6/13)

Mardoo said:


> For what my opinion might be worth, the recipe list looks pretty good to me browndog. Hard to tell without looking at the recipes themselves, but then many cookbooks have recipes that are a bit skewif. I'd say give it a go if it looks good to you.


You can get the Ebook free if you know where to look me bucko.


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## manticle (30/6/13)

Got me wanting to buy a couple of cookbooks now. A few years ago myself and my lady had a dinner party on the eve of the day of the dead and made various mexican dishes including homemade tortillas, mole sauce and various other things I've forgotten that involved chocolate.

Was ******* delicious - I couldn't get the mesa tortilla dough to hold together properly so that's a trick i need to work on but the flavour of proper cornbread is outstanding.

Anyway one more thing to get obsessed by.


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## djar007 (30/6/13)

Thanks mardoo. That is indeed what i was looking for. I do miss these and don't seem to get them at any Mexican restaurants I have been to here.


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## Ducatiboy stu (30/6/13)

My local pub makes a nice nacho..heaps of chilli.

Stupid barman reckons that there should be no beans in nacho......


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## djar007 (30/6/13)

There should be banana according to some. Gives it a great creamy butteriness.


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## Mardoo (30/6/13)

djar007 said:


> There should be banana according to some. Gives it a great creamy butteriness.


OK now that's just weird


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## Phoney (30/6/13)

manticle said:


> Was ******* delicious - I couldn't get the mesa tortilla dough to hold together properly so that's a trick i need to work on but the flavour of proper cornbread is outstanding.
> 
> Anyway one more thing to get obsessed by.


If it's too wet they'll fall apart. Start dry and add water bit by bit until you can start to kneed it. Then keep kneeding it for 10 mins minimum.


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## manticle (30/6/13)

Thanks. I'll have another crack sometime soon. Flavour and aroma were tops. I followed a recipe to the letter and tried a couple of times but will follow your advice next time.

When making bread in commercial kitchens, I always reserved some of the liquid from recipes to get the dough the right consistency as absorption does sometimes seem to vary a tad.


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## aussiechucka (6/7/13)

If you are after a good cook book my wife sells them. It is from the Yucatan area, called Hacienda Teya. Very traditional recipes with some salsas and good food. We used to sell the tortilla presses but she has been busy with bub number two so was not able to order them this year. She does still have some of the books if anyone is keen, PM me and I will see what price I can get for fellow brewers. Here is the link for her page if you want more info on the book. http://www.mexicanhammocks.com.au/Mexican-Food/Mexican-cooking-kit
We do a far bit of Mexican cooking and use this book from time to time. I also bought two book when we were in Mexico last, COCINA YUCATECA AL CHINGADAZO which is in Spanish but they do have an english version. It is mainly food from Yucatan too. And a similar book but for food from around Mexico. Cocina Mexicana al Chingadazo.Cocina Mexicana al chingadazo. These are probably the other books we use recipies from and very traditional.

Best meal we always like to eat is a couple of nice steaks cooked on the BBQ sliced thin after cooking, Blackbeans made at home Cebolla Cambray (which is Spring Oinion cooked on the BBQ/grill slightly burnt) and home madeg guacamole on home made corn tortillas. YUM YUM. Put some Chipotle sauce on them even better. 
Cheers
Chucka


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## Mardoo (6/7/13)

Yum, Thanks. PM sent!!!


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## OzPaleAle (6/7/13)

aussiechucka said:


> If you are after a good cook book my wife sells them. It is from the Yucatan area, called Hacienda Teya. Very traditional recipes with some salsas and good food. We used to sell the tortilla presses but she has been busy with bub number two so was not able to order them this year. She does still have some of the books if anyone is keen, PM me and I will see what price I can get for fellow brewers. Here is the link for her page if you want more info on the book. http://www.mexicanhammocks.com.au/Mexican-Food/Mexican-cooking-kit
> We do a far bit of Mexican cooking and use this book from time to time. I also bought two book when we were in Mexico last, COCINA YUCATECA AL CHINGADAZO which is in Spanish but they do have an english version. It is mainly food from Yucatan too. And a similar book but for food from around Mexico. Cocina Mexicana al Chingadazo.Cocina Mexicana al chingadazo. These are probably the other books we use recipies from and very traditional.
> 
> Best meal we always like to eat is a couple of nice steaks cooked on the BBQ sliced thin after cooking, Blackbeans made at home Cebolla Cambray (which is Spring Oinion cooked on the BBQ/grill slightly burnt) and home madeg guacamole on home made corn tortillas. YUM YUM. Put some Chipotle sauce on them even better.
> ...


Thanks Aussiechucka, that looks like a winner to me.


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## brewologist (6/7/13)

Looks like a good book Chucka. I love the authentic stuff. None of that TexMex for me.

I picked some chilli's from the garden this arvo and have a good supply till next season.









And a hop Hog on hand too


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## aussiechucka (7/7/13)

When making corn tortillas you need the correct maize flour. We use San carlos I think fireworks sells it. The dough should feel like playdough.


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## Mercs Own (15/7/13)

Rick Bayless - Authentic Mexican is one of my all time favourite cook books.

Pacos Tacos in Melb is a neat place to pop in for a couple of tacos and a Beer.


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## Mardoo (27/7/13)

aussiechucka said:


> If you are after a good cook book my wife sells them. It is from the Yucatan area, called Hacienda Teya. Very traditional recipes with some salsas and good food. We used to sell the tortilla presses but she has been busy with bub number two so was not able to order them this year. She does still have some of the books if anyone is keen, PM me and I will see what price I can get for fellow brewers. Here is the link for her page if you want more info on the book. http://www.mexicanhammocks.com.au/Mexican-Food/Mexican-cooking-kit


I just got this book and it's a dead-authentic, great little book if you're already keen on Mexican cooking. I'm really looking forward to cooking these recipes as I have little experience with food from this particular region of Mexico. Plus aussiechucka is a truly awesome bloke judging from my experience. Thanks!


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## pk.sax (27/7/13)

Only good taste I had was off a burrito truck in Bern. Yummy street food. Being veg doesn't help too much with Mexican food but I love the flavour. This is something I like making every now and then, been a hit with the crowd as well, housemates polished off anything I left in the pan.










Apart from the obvious, the chopped chilli ain't that hot, the heat is from the oodles of chilli flakes. The only other spice is salt.
I toss in the tomato and onion right at the end try to not cook it all.

I'd love some suggestions on vege mex options


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## cripple469 (27/7/13)

This thread is making my mouth water. I never truly understood Mexican food until I went to the US and ate some authentic Mexican. Until that time, I thought Cactus Jacks (a nasty nasty chain restaurant, microwave style in Queensland) was actual Mexican. I was very wrong. 

My kingdom for a tamale.


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## kevo (27/7/13)

Was in Sydney a while back and went to this tiny restaurant Chica Bonita in one of the arcades off the Corso in Manly.

I'm no expert on Mexican food, but it was the polar opposite of the microwaved stuff in red sauce I've had elsewhere.

Lots of beans, coriander, pickled cabbage all washed down with Sierra Nevada PA...yum yum yum.

I would guess the place would sit 40 people tops - and was always chockablock.

Kev


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## Mardoo (27/7/13)

practicalfool said:


> I'd love some suggestions on vege mex options


There are a lot of options for vego food in Mexican cooking. Hell, with a lot of the country living in poverty a lot of Mexicans don't see meat all that often.

I'll scrounge for a few recipe links for you. Are you vegan? Please say no, that makes Mexican much harder. 

In the mean time if you're in Melbourne (sorry, on mobile so I can't tell where you are) try Trippy Taco in Fitzroy. They're all vego, last I checked.


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## pk.sax (27/7/13)

Okie, I'm not vegan btw, a friend who turned tried to turn me but I like butter and cheese too much 
I'm always wanting to come down, will be definitely going there whenever next.

I kinda had the same feeling about both SE Asian food and South American food, it's a rich land with lots of vegetation and poverty, but restaurants are amazingly boganised... Hence why my try at mex is that 2 spice n basics bean fry. I'd be glad if you link me up, looked up tamale mentioned above, would be trying my hand at that.


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## Mardoo (27/7/13)

Yep, I was going to suggest sweetcorn and cheese tamales with a bit of oregano and garlic. You can use frozen corn if you want. Heat a frypan very hot, add a bit of oil and char the corn a bit. Turn the heat down and add the garlic towards the end and then the oregano at turn off. Salt it. Use to fill tamales. 

See my earlier links about tamales for masa dough process and how to wrap. You can use banana leaves (any SE Asian grocer will have some) if you have trouble finding corn husks. Really you can make the filling with fresh sweetcorn and then use the husks to wrap the tamales. If you can find it some achiote added to this is nice. Adds an interesting astringency against the corn. 

Anyways, I'll find you some good links.

I was vegan for three years. Then this one day I was standing in front of KFC...


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## Spiesy (27/7/13)

Love Mexican food... just ordered "The Art of Mexican Cooking" cookbook recommended on the 1st page, thanks.


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## Spiesy (27/7/13)

This sounds pretty good, although I must admit I'm a little wary of coffee and chocolate in the recipe, but I'll try to keep an open mind:

http://www.homesicktexan.com/2009/02/more-precise-texas-chili-recipe.html


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## aussiechucka (30/7/13)

Mardoo said:


> I just got this book and it's a dead-authentic, great little book if you're already keen on Mexican cooking. I'm really looking forward to cooking these recipes as I have little experience with food from this particular region of Mexico. Plus aussiechucka is a truly awesome bloke judging from my experience. Thanks!


Hope you enjoy the book and are able to propagate some plants from those seeds. Just let me know if you need help with any of the ingredients. Probably the only one you will have a hard time tracking down is chilmole paste but Fireworks Foods has it http://www.fireworksfoods.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=243&category_id=10&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53
This is the best with home made tortillas.

If anyone else is keen on the book it is available for $15 includes shipping. Just PM me and I will pass on details.
Cheers
Mardoo and enjoy the book.
PS the Queso relleno is also one of my favorites. A bit fiddly but worth it.

PPS
For any one that is looking for true Mexican ingredients we buy ours from Fireworks Foods. ( no marketing ties to them) Just vey happy customers.


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## bum (30/7/13)

aussiechucka said:


> Fireworks Foods.


Chipotle in adobo? SOLD!

Also, webrings still exist?


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## Airgead (30/7/13)

*grin* actually Fireworks host with us. Yes webrings do still exist. Kind of.

We are working with the guy to upgrade his site and make it a little less... you know... early 90s. He likes it just fine the way it is though *sigh*.

He pays partially in chilli though which is very cool.

Cheers
Dave


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## Airgead (31/7/13)

Actually guys... if you do hop onto the fireworks site, can you shoot me a quick PM with anything you like/don't like about it. It might help us convince him to do a refresh if we have some feedback from his customers...

At the moment he wants us to rebuild it on a new platform and make it look exactly like it is now. This makes my wife (who does our design work) very sad.

Cheers
Dave


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## bum (31/7/13)

Honestly, it doesn't look _that_ bad. Yeah, it is dated and a bit cookie-cutter looking but it is cleanish and inoffensive.

A bit of font consistency and flattening of the background would really be all I'd ask for (also that fire at the top is a bit whatevs but is thematically sound). I honestly think the kinda homemade-iness works in its favour - gives a very approachable, small family-business kind of vibe.


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## Airgead (1/8/13)

Yeah... consistent fonts. That you can read. Top of our list already.

Number two is convincing the owner not to animate the fire at the top (yes really... geocities circa 1995).

A template that will render on a mobile device and stay readable is up there too.


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## Mardoo (2/8/13)

practicalfool said:


> Okie, I'm not vegan btw, a friend who turned tried to turn me but I like butter and cheese too much
> I'm always wanting to come down, will be definitely going there whenever next.
> 
> I kinda had the same feeling about both SE Asian food and South American food, it's a rich land with lots of vegetation and poverty, but restaurants are amazingly boganised... Hence why my try at mex is that 2 spice n basics bean fry. I'd be glad if you link me up, looked up tamale mentioned above, would be trying my hand at that.


OK, sorry mate, been busy but here are some pretty Vegetarian Mexican good recipes/recipe sources.

When they talk about nopales they're talking about the cactus paddles from prickly pears, which you will see at fresh markets sometimes here in Oz. I freakin' love nopale burritos and still think regularly about the ones I used to get in my hometown. Here's a description of how to prepare them. Note that you don't slice them until AFTER you cook them. Otherwise you can end up with a goopy mess. http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=113 They make great fillings for burritos, enchiladas and tacos.

When they talk about chayote they are the same thing as chokos, which you will find here in most asian stores/market stalls that sell fresh vegetables.

It will not be easy to find fresh poblanos, and other fresh chiles referred to, in Australia. The poblano is a not very hot but really flavorful chile used a lot in mexican cooking. Might be worth it to find some seeds and grow some if you're so inclined. Dried ones will work but will taste quite different.

Honestly, good mexican salsas will turn just about anything Mexican so here is Rick Bayliss' page on salsas. He's a good source for recipes. http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/category?categoryID=7

Here is his vegetables page which has a few things http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/category?categoryID=12

And his tacos and tamales page, particularly the sweet corn tamale recipe and an couple others, although mostly meaty recipes http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/category?categoryID=11 Try the Yucatecan tamales towards the bottom.

There are some good ideas on this page http://www.treehugger.com/easy-vegetarian-recipes/how-have-vegetarian-cinco-de-mayo.html

Here are a crapload of vego Mexican recipes. You'lll notice a heavy amount of salsas but there's other stuff salted in there as well http://www.amazingmexicanrecipes.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/#.UfrA-FOWCmx

Here's a good article from the LA Times. It's not so much recipes as it is ideas but it's a good article http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/07/food/la-fo-mexican-vegetarian-20110407

Hope all that helps.


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## OzPaleAle (2/8/13)

Mardoo said:


> When they talk about nopales they're talking about the cactus paddles from prickly pears, which you will see at fresh markets sometimes here in Oz. I freakin' love nopale burritos and still think regularly about the ones I used to get in my hometown. Here's a description of how to prepare them. Note that you don't slice them until AFTER you cook them. Otherwise you can end up with a goopy mess. http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=113 They make great fillings for burritos, enchiladas and tacos.


Funny you mention that, we used to do an iron chef thing with mates and one of them bought s a big bag of these cactus paddles for the mystery ingredient......
Basically ended up with various flavoured dishes of slime, part of the challenge was that you couldn't look up recipes and we had no idea what to do with them. So cooking first is the trick, I'll know for next time!


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## Mardoo (2/8/13)

OzPaleAle said:


> Basically ended up with various flavoured dishes of slime, part of the challenge was that you couldn't look up recipes and we had no idea what to do with them. So cooking first is the trick, I'll know for next time!


They'll still be, uh, "slippery". The way I like them prepared is fried as in the recipe you mentioned (a little charring is nice in my book), then stewed with onion and garlic and Mexican oregano as in this recipe http://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2009/06/how-to-cook-cactus-pads-nopalescomo.html?m=1

The key is to drain off the liquid from the stewing. Then you can use them however you like.


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## losp (2/8/13)

I've got a recipe that a Mexician friend got me on to. Cabrito Al Pastor.

http://www.goatworld.com/caprinecuisine/recipes/cabritoalpastorrecipe.shtml

I reckon its a real good one for brewers, because we already have the big stock pot handy. You just need a spit.

Its a great meat to have with a bunch of mates!


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## mrTbeer (2/8/13)

Esquitas for dinner tonight at home, yum.
Noticed a New Mexican restaurant opening in my hood also. "Prickly Piñata" fingers crossed it works for them.


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## punkin (3/8/13)

OzPaleAle said:


> Funny you mention that, we used to do an iron chef thing with mates and one of them bought s a big bag of these cactus paddles for the mystery ingredient......
> Basically ended up with various flavoured dishes of slime, part of the challenge was that you couldn't look up recipes and we had no idea what to do with them. So cooking first is the trick, I'll know for next time!



Ha ha you're a foodie.


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## OzPaleAle (3/8/13)

punkin said:


> Ha ha you're a foodie.


I guess so, is it a requirement of being a foodie that the meals you end up with taste good? Because they tended to end up a drunken cooking session trying to outdo each other with more and more strange mystery ingredients, many of the dishes were not what you would call edible......


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## Liam_snorkel (19/10/13)

I just got home from the shops with a bag of mulito chillies, a couple of tins of black beans, and a bag of maize flour. Recipe ideas? I'm clueless. 
Will have a look at that homesick Texan blog.


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## Mardoo (19/10/13)

Black Bean tamales with mulato salsa (below). Use one of the tamale links I posted earlier. Mulatos make a great base for mole so you could do a tamale pie with mole chicken or black beans if you're vego. Homesick Texan will have a tamale pie recipe and its less of a pain than tamales. Let us know what you come up with. 

Roast the mulatos in the oven at 150 for about 10 minutes. Watch them very closely, pull them out every minute after 5 ideally. You don't want them to get too roasted as they go bitter. Take them to the point that they smell nice and fruity and roasty. Soak them in water just to cover for a couple hours. Remove the stems and seeds and purée them, adding the soaking liquid as needed to help. Strain to get out any bits of skin. Add a touch of molasses, ground raw cumin seed, a touch of salt (too much salt can kill the subtler chile flavors), bit of cinnamon and some orange zest. See how it tastes. May or may not need garlic.


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## Liam_snorkel (19/10/13)

Thanks Mardoo. The mulatos are dried, do I still roast them?


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## Mardoo (19/10/13)

Yep. Dried chiles are almost always roasted before using in most Mexican cooking. It brings out the flavors more. Raw chiles you may or may not, roast but pretty much always for dried ones.

Again, keep a very close eye on them. They can go from just about, to too far very quickly. If you go too far they're still useable, but the flavors will drop and there's a bitterness that comes up. It's not so noticeable when you're using a little chile in a dish, but it's dogs balls when you're making chile based sauces.


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## Liam_snorkel (19/10/13)

Cool thanks, been in the oven for 2mins 

They smell amazing.


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## Liam_snorkel (19/10/13)

Well I made the salsa recipe, it was nice, but I ended up adding some lemon juice and brown sugar to turn it into a fcking delicious BBQ sauce.


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## Liam_snorkel (19/10/13)

That's sacrilegious isn't it


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## jimmyjack (19/10/13)

> I love New Mexican Chili. Coming from Albuquerque I get my cousin to import all of the red and green chili I need to cook the good stuff!!


Awesome. It's incredible food. Tex-Mex (most of what you get here) has a place, but it's far from the whole truth. 

I miss the chili sauces of New Mexico, Roasting and grinding the dried red chiles, bit of garlic, Mexican oregano, etc, cooked into something resembling napoli but ALL chiles. There's a fresh green chile one too. Oh **** me it's good.


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## jlm (19/10/13)

Holy shit....This thread got jimmyjack back onto the board......One of the names I used to see around the traps when I joined up.......Soooooo much advice on cooking stuff that's way up my alley in this thread. Bring on some spare time to brew and cook.


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## Mardoo (19/10/13)

Well I made the salsa recipe, it was nice, but I ended up adding some lemon juice and brown sugar to turn it into a fcking delicious BBQ sauce.

Best way to make BBQ sauce! Great way to go for sure.


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## Mardoo (19/10/13)

I miss the chili sauces of New Mexico, Roasting and grinding the dried red chiles, bit of garlic, Mexican oregano, etc, cooked into something resembling napoli but ALL chiles. There's a fresh green chile one too. Oh **** me it's good.

Awesome. Another local! Where were you living? I was in NNM, Taos, Santa Fe, Galisteo, Madrid and Cerrillos over the course of my 10 years there. I also did a nomad stint camping in the Sangre de Cristos outside Santa Fe.


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## browndog (19/10/13)

Liam_snorkel said:


> I just got home from the shops with a bag of mulito chillies, a couple of tins of black beans, and a bag of maize flour. Recipe ideas? I'm clueless.
> Will have a look at that homesick Texan blog.


Where did you get this stuff mate?


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## Liam_snorkel (19/10/13)

Where did you get this stuff mate?
http://www.pennisicuisine.com.au/ this place is a 5min drive away from where I live, spotted it by chance once when I was dropping the car off at the mechanic, stoked! They have everything. Heaps of cured meats and cheeses too.


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## indica86 (5/11/13)

mmm Home made Nachos with roasted halapeno salsa tonight.
nom nom nom


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## Snowdog (17/11/13)

Mardoo said:


> _"... and the best tacos come three for $6 from the back of a food truck. Paying $20 for three OK tacos here sticks in my craw."_


[SIZE=10.5pt]I hear this! Miss the Mexican/Tex-Mex/Cal-Mex/WA-Mex food of North America. Being I hadn't found a great tortilla here in Brisbane (some fair, but none great), I was thinking of investing in what is needed to make my own. As far as tacos go, I make my own which would probably be in the averagely decent range of the U.S. taco truck fare.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]For the quick fix, I use the Mission Jumbo hard taco shells, a 500 gram pack of turkey mince, a packet of Mission seasoning, some chopped shallots, iceberg lettuce, a chopped vine-ripened tomato, and a jar of Byron Bay Chili co salsa. If I want it to be better and I have time, I make my own seasoning and salsa.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]*Taco Seasoning*[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Chilli powder to taste (1 tsp for mild, to 1 Tbls for hot). [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]• ¼ tsp garlic powder [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]• ¼ tsp onion powder [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]• ¼ tsp dried oregano [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]• ½ tsp paprika [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]• 1½ tsp ground cumin [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]• 1 tsp sea salt ( or to taste for lower salt mix) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]• 1 tsp ground black pepper [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Combine all ingredients together. You can add some corn starch to expand it some and help it absorb into the meat while cooking.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]And in the Salsa department....[/SIZE]


*[SIZE=10.5pt]Pico de Gallo Salsa[/SIZE]* 

[SIZE=9pt]- one Red Capsicum Bell Pepper [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- one Yellow Capsicum Bell Pepper [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- one Green Sweet Chili [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- one Green Sweet Chili starting to turn red [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- one Jalapeno [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- a bunch of Shallot Spring Onions[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- a bunch of Coriander[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- three cloves of Garlic [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- three skinned & cored Tomatoes [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- Salt [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- Black Pepper [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]- one tiny Lime squeezed for juice. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Tossed it all into a food processor and done.[/SIZE]


*[SIZE=10.5pt]Roasted Tomato Salsa[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=10.5pt]You need:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 1 medium white onion, cut into six wedges[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 1 large garlic clove, halved[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- A couple pinches of finely ground sea salt[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 1 medium dried guajillo chile pepper, soaked in boiling water until softened, and then drained[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 1 or 2 chipotles in adobo sauce (canned)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Heat oven to 200° C.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Now gently tossed the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and salt with the olive oil in a large bowl.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]After they are nicely coated arrange in a single layer, tomatoes cut-side facing up, across a parchment-lined baking sheet.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the tomatoes start to collapse and the onions begin to caramelize a bit.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Remove from the oven.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Puree the chiles (both the guajillo and chipotles) with the roasted garlic and two roasted tomato halves.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Chop the remaining tomatoes by hand (once they've cooled a bit).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Chop and add the onions as well.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Season with salt and stir in the cilantro.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Makes about 2 1/2 cups[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=10.5pt]Notes:[/SIZE]*_[SIZE=10.5pt] If you can't find a guajillo pepper, no worries - just leave it out of the recipe. The salsa will still taste delicious with just the roasted tomatoes and chipotles. You can also substitute another type of chile if you like. The reddish-brown guajillo are known for their strong, complex and earthy flavor, and medium heat. Feel free to experiment with more readily available chiles from your area until you find one you really like to play off the flavors of the chipotles and roasted tomatoes. Two chipotles can be very spicy, consider yourself warned. Start with one, or even one-half a chipotle if you or your family are heat-sensitive, and work up from there.[/SIZE]_

[SIZE=10.5pt] Here is another recipe that turned out fairly good...[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]*Chicken Soft Tacos*[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Ingredients:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Taco Sauce (make your own, but use store-bought if you have to)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 2 teaspoons Chili-infused Olive Oil[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Olive Oil of choice for dressing[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 500 grams/1 Lb chicken breast cut into strips ( I use the stir-fry strips from the butcher)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- finely-shredded lettuce and/or savoury cabbage[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Red apple cut into matchstick size strips[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 1 cup Coriander leaves[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- juice of one Lime[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Half cup light sour cream[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- 1 pack good-quality tortillas [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Directions:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Heat Olive Oil in large fry-pan.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Add chicken strips when oil is hot. Reduce heat to medium/high.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Cook chicken for 5 minutes or until golden brown.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Add Taco Sauce to fry-pan and stir, coating all the chicken. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 2 minutes.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Mix the lettuce, cabbage, and apple.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Dress with Lime juice and some Olive Oil.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Mix in some light sour cream and season to taste[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- Warm tortillas, or use cold. Add chicken and salad mix, roll, and enjoy![/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]And these were made for dinner by Kristy, a friend of mine who married a Mexican. They live in far north Mexico ... a.k.a. Yakima Washington (Hops Country)[/SIZE]

*[SIZE=10.5pt]Mexican Ceviche with Shrimp[/SIZE]*

[SIZE=9pt]Ingredients: [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]1 lb cooked shrimp marinated in the juice of 5 limes. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]1 chopped onion [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]1 diced tomato [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]1 chopped green pepper [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]2 tbls white vinegar [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]2 tblsp finely chopped parsley or cilantro. Jay doesn't like cilantro so I used parsley. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]2 or 3 jalapenos chopped (I also added a little jalapeno juice.) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]1 avacado [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Salt, pepper, mexican oregano to taste. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]I added everything together except the shrimp and avacado. Drain the lime juice first [/SIZE]_[SIZE=10.5pt]if you wish[/SIZE]_[SIZE=9pt]. Add shrimp and avocado, mix well. Serve with chips or tostada shells. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]*Flautas*[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] (Kristy) [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]I boiled some chicken breasts to cook them. Then I shredded them using two forks. This was new to me and took forever.... [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Mixed the chicken with picante sauce and a bit of cumin. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]I took corn tortillas and dipped them in hot oil on both sides quickly, then used paper towels to absorb some of the oil. (be careful or you could burn a thumb) [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]I put some of the chicken mix in the center of the tortilla and added a little shredded Mexican cheese and rolled them up. Placed them seam side down on a pan. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]I used leftover cheese to sprinkle on top of the flautas and baked in a 180°C heated oven for 15 minutes. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Be careful taking them out of the oven or you could burn your other thumb.[/SIZE]


----------



## mwd (17/11/13)

Roma tomatoes seem to have much more taste than the ordinary varieties. Supermarket toms just taste of water. ie nothing.


----------



## adryargument (17/11/13)

Met a nice mexican the other day, we made some candy for the kids. Currently its in the drybed crystallizing. We followed the recipe below:
http://textfiles.com/uploads/methmethod.txt


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (17/11/13)

Tropical_Brews said:


> Roma tomatoes seem to have much more taste than the ordinary varieties. Supermarket toms just taste of water. ie nothing.


They do. Also known as Italian tomatoes and are ideal for canning and making tomatoe puree.
The best to use in Bolognase sauce.

My other fav tom is the Black Russian


----------



## OzPaleAle (17/11/13)

adryargument said:


> Met a nice mexican the other day, we made some candy for the kids. Currently its in the drybed crystallizing. We followed the recipe below:
> http://textfiles.com/uploads/methmethod.txt


This will be deleted in 5,4,3,2.......


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## brettprevans (3/12/13)

For tge melb peeps

anyone got an idea where to but a tortilla press from? Google is not helpful. http://casaibericadeli.com.au/ in fitzroy doesnt say they have them but im assuming they do. 

The kids have now fallen in love with 'soft taco' so looks like I can finally get a press

edit. Just did some ringing around general trader etc. Matchbox has just in a bunch of mexican cookware incl torilla basket makers etc. Apparently its aluminum but I wasnt necessarily after cast iron so it should be fine. 

Now to find a few good mexican cookbooks to put on the xmas list.


----------



## Airgead (3/12/13)

Fireworks foods have them and they deliver...

fireworksfoods.com.au


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## OzPaleAle (3/12/13)

I got mine from Casa Iberica, was a few years ago now but was maybe ~$35 from memory

Or from these guys if you need some flour etc also.

http://www.fireworksfoods.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=119&category_id=21&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53


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## brettprevans (3/12/13)

Airgead said:


> Fireworks foods have them and they deliver...
> 
> fireworksfoods.com.au


sorry yeah I checked them out and saw id have to get it shipped. I didnt want to pay the extra $. I also couldnt fibd out how much shipping was. They have some great stuff though. Will be getting corn flour for some corn tortillas. Yum


----------



## OzPaleAle (3/12/13)

citymorgue2 said:


> Matchbox has just in a bunch of mexican cookware incl torilla basket makers etc.


The tortilla basket makers sound interesting, make for some tasty bean nacho bowls.


----------



## brettprevans (3/12/13)

Well basic tortilla mix is resting.

1cup plain flour
1 cuo wholemeal flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
4 tablespoons olive oil

slicing up some tenderized rump and making guacomole ready for dinner.


----------



## benno1973 (3/12/13)

For those Perth peeps in need of Mexican ingredients, if you're NOR try the Spice Wagon in Coventry Markets, Morley. The owner is passionate about Mexican cooking and sells masa flour, tortilla presses, anchos, chipotles, pasilla negros, guajillos, arbols, chipotles en adobo etc etc. They also do postage if you're not in Perth


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## brettprevans (3/12/13)

citymorgue2 said:


> Well basic tortilla mix is resting.
> 1cup plain flour
> 1 cuo wholemeal flour
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
> ...


 it made a killer tortilla but too thick and not soft enough for a soft taco imo. Fantastic for fahitas or quasadea (killer as a quasadea. I made extra dough for breakky quesadea with mushrooms and egg). But the kids were after something a little softer. Maybe 8 have to use 100% white flour and more oil or use lard to get that softer elastic consistency.

so post up ur best soft taco dough recipe


----------



## Airgead (4/12/13)

citymorgue2 said:


> sorry yeah I checked them out and saw id have to get it shipped. I didnt want to pay the extra $. I also couldnt fibd out how much shipping was. They have some great stuff though. Will be getting corn flour for some corn tortillas. Yum


Yeah... the shipping quote thingy is on their checkout page. Can't see shipping on an individual item without going part way through checkout.

We are currently doing a website upgrade for them. Might have to have a chat to them about that..

Cheers
Dave


----------



## djar007 (4/12/13)

Love that a meth recipe was slipped into the thread and no one batted an eyelid.

Update:tried to be funny and send that text file to my mate. Accidentally sent it to outpatients at Sunshine hospital who just texted me my next appointment. That's going to be an awkward day.


----------



## shaunous (4/12/13)

For the SE QLD lads, hit Serranos Mexican Cantina in Beenleigh, the place is AMAZING. Husband and wife team, won every award known to man kind in QLD for its food. and its cheap. Was my local restaurant, I was spoilt for 3 years :lol:

Never cooked Mexican beyond the premade crap you get from the supermarkets, have tried others and its just not Serranos. I cook indian like my name is Sanjeev, cant get enough of it.


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## pk.sax (7/12/13)

CM2

International cookware shop on Elizabeth street should have it. I've bought stuff off them way back when most places looked at you weird if said Spätzle.

I hope they still exist.


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## brettprevans (10/12/13)

tried another recipe

3 cups plain flour
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1.5tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup warm water

made about 24 6inch soft tacos

absolute gold. trick was not to cook them too much otherwise they got got harder the longer you cooked them. trick is to just cook them so you think they might be slightly underdone. see for yourself.





also cooked up beef and chicken and mixed with homemade fajita seasoning. just measure and mix it up. I added 2 tsp per 500g of meat. lovely. pungent yet subtle. 
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon crushed chicken bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin


----------



## pk.sax (10/12/13)

Couldn't you just roll those with a rolling pin?

Gives me an idea, there was once a craze about roti makers, basically a press that has both sides with an electric heating element in them and you place a ball of dough between and turn it on. It flattens and cooks and when the roti puffs up it makes the two parts open up and it's ready. Could use that. Or just cook on a hot plate (pancake pan).


----------



## brettprevans (10/12/13)

practicalfool said:


> Couldn't you just roll those with a rolling pin?Gives me an idea, there was once a craze about roti makers, basically a press that has both sides with an electric heating element in them and you place a ball of dough between and turn it on. It flattens and cooks and when the roti puffs up it makes the two parts open up and it's ready. Could use that. Or just cook on a hot plate (pancake pan).


 yeah u can. I used a press to get the shape then used a rolling pin. The aluminum press isnt heavy enough to squeeze the dough out enough. A cast iron one would be a lot faster than rolling is all


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## pk.sax (10/12/13)

Ah, if you strike out, look in an Indian store for a poori press. Those are only about 6 inches in diameter and have an enamel surface inside and are heavy cast iron. Round.


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## brettprevans (11/12/13)

citymorgue2 said:


> tried another recipe
> 
> 3 cups plain flour
> 1/2 cup sunflower oil
> ...


left over tortillas for breakkie. Some sauteed mushrooms and scrambled eggs with bbq sauce and a coffee. Sooo good. Def a good recipe. Kids ate one each after they saw mine and had a bite.


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## OzPaleAle (11/12/13)

Nice, When the tortillas start getting a bit old and dry I switch from tacos to quesadillas.


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## stevepreece (11/12/13)

Hi,
If you are looking for a tortilla press you can get them from casa iberica on Johnson street in Melbourne. You can also pick up some yellow corn meal, masa harina, which is what tortillas are made from in mexico. Just add water and salt, slap a ball in between some cling film on the press and cook in a dry pan. Only thing is to adjust the water so that when you use a press they spread to the required thickness, if they don't go thin enough its generally too dry. wrap the cooked ones in a tea towel and they will stay warm. The smell you get from corn tortillas is fantastic.

http://casaibericadeli.com.au/

They also have fantatic Chorizo, amongst other wonderful goodies 

Enjoy


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## brettprevans (11/12/13)

Thx steve we have already covered casa iberi in the prev page. 

Well ive had 5 of these bloody things today. Lots of salad, corn, bit of natural yoghurt and a bit of lean meat. Damn these soft taco recipe keeps well.

Unfortunately it must be the oil so im going to play with the recipe and reduce the oil and sub for water, beer whatever to makr them a bit healthier. I dont add oil to my pizza dough and very little to my bread so id like to keep the oil down if possible. If not its not a bit deal as well generally have homemade tacos/burritos once a fortnight in summer so its just a sometimes thing.


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## Mardoo (11/12/13)

Go native and use lard.


----------



## brettprevans (11/12/13)

Mardoo said:


> Go native and use lard.


if we had it I would. Saw a commwnt on a forum with sone redneck saying they had 4kg of bacon lard in the fridge and they use that. How the fk do u collect 4kg of bacon fat?!!!


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## shaunous (12/12/13)

citymorgue2 said:


> if we had it I would. Saw a commwnt on a forum with sone redneck saying they had 4kg of bacon lard in the fridge and they use that. How the fk do u collect 4kg of bacon fat?!!!


Home Pig Kills?


----------



## punkin (12/12/13)




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## Mardoo (12/12/13)

citymorgue2 said:


> if we had it I would. Saw a commwnt on a forum with sone redneck saying they had 4kg of bacon lard in the fridge and they use that. How the fk do u collect 4kg of bacon fat?!!!


 Wow. That's extreme. My Mum always had her can of drippin' on the back of the stove. 

Refried beans made with lard are like nothing else. Those with tortillas are a meal in my book. I just roast pork belly or duck from time to time and collect the fat from the pan. Get them from Asian butchers. Much cheaper!

No need to do some special process. I'm sure the abuelas (grandmothers) aren't gettin' too fancy about their lard.

And Punkin, what time is dinner? Seems you like the magic animal as much as I do.


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## punkin (12/12/13)

Those ones really were magic. They were large blacks we fed up on vegie scraps and horse feed and grains. I love the heritage pork, so much better in flavour than regular pigs.

If we still had somewhere to raise em we'd still be doing it, but my mate sold his little farm. They ended costing us about $120 each at around 40kg dressed.


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## bum (12/12/13)

Our recent trip to the States saw SWMBO bring back 4 big bags of dried chilies - each a different variety that can't be had too readily here (don't ask me which - I just eat them). Expecting a few very interesting meals coming up.

Last night was a chili she's never made before (infact, she never really makes chili at all - usually my thing to make). Anyway, it was pretty great - nothing mind blowing but the difference in the chili sitting under everything was pretty apparent. Much more complex than the spicy capsicum that passes for chili in our supermarkets.


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## Not For Horses (12/12/13)

I've bought chillis from http://www.herbies.com.au/shop/search.php?mode=search&page=1
Great selection of spices for loads of other cooking as well.


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## shaunous (12/12/13)

Looks awesome punkin, one of my next builds is a permanent pig pen. So I can get home pork, currently only now doing cattle and sheep, odd deer after hunting, pigs are more of a pain in the arse to keep, but can be made a lot easier by buildin an industructable pig pen. The only meat I buy now is cheap silverside for jerky, that and pig.


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## sp0rk (12/12/13)

Hmmm, I might have to pay you a visit for some pig meats once they're raised...


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## shaunous (12/12/13)

sp0rk said:


> Hmmm, I might have to pay you a visit for some pig meats once they're raised...


Handy on a knife?


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## punkin (13/12/13)

shaunous said:


> Looks awesome punkin, one of my next builds is a permanent pig pen. So I can get home pork, currently only now doing cattle and sheep, odd deer after hunting, pigs are more of a pain in the arse to keep, but can be made a lot easier by buildin an industructable pig pen. The only meat I buy now is cheap silverside for jerky, that and pig.



I can highly recommend the Large Blacks;
http://www.largeblackpigs.com.au/

As far as flavour goes it's like a home grown tomato versus a supermarket one, we just never knew pork could have so much flavour. Other heritage breeds may be just as good, but this was the one we tried.


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## shaunous (20/12/13)

They are some massive looking pigs Punkin. I can get the saddle back pigs from a pig breeder I work with, they look cool, and probably yummy. I'll rotate the breed like our cattle. 
I hope there isn't a version of the Brahman in pigs though, Fuk they wreck shit. Spent the last 2 days doing cattle work, a quarter of which was repairing every post and rail they smashed through. Lots of swearing.


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## Snowdog (8/2/14)

Decided to order some things from Fireworks Foods, including a tortilla press. I got some corn flour from USA Foods a while back but they didn't send me the tortilla press. Said they were out of stock an refunded my $

Sent the link for Spice Wagon to a friend in Perth

Found some good websites trekking the Ring of Fire.


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## browndog (13/2/14)

New show starting on SBS at 7:30pm tonight with Peter Kuruvita travelling around Mexico checking out the cuisine. Should be great going off his last effort.


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## OzPaleAle (13/2/14)

browndog said:


> New show starting on SBS at 7:30pm tonight with Peter Kuruvita travelling around Mexico checking out the cuisine. Should be great going off his last effort.


Saw the ad for that, thanks for the reminder, should be interesting. Bet we don't see any nachos or hard shell tacos!


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## Mardoo (13/2/14)

Or fajitas. Or chimichangas. Or Margaritas for that matter, but Im not sure on that one. Let's just say my tours there didn't involve any nasty Bagginses in my tequila or mezcal.


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## neal32 (13/2/14)

Mexican food, super overrated I think. I just got back from travelling around that part of the world for 10-11 months, was more a fan of the chicken, rice and beans down Nicaragua way. El Salvador Papusas (spelling?) where cheap and delicious though. Got well over anything corn based after a few months and to think of the price that you would pay for Mexican in Australia....forget about it. However, if you want to make your own tortillas, use this http://www.usafoods.com.au/Groceries/American-Groceries/Maseca-Masa-Flour-4-4lb Maseca is what we made them with in Guatemala.


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## yankinoz (13/2/14)

Bribie G said:


> I've never been into Mexican food for a simple reason:
> 
> Go to an Indian Restaurant and you will be greeted by Jarveesh, Pradeep and his staff
> Go to a Chinese Restaurant and Lin Ho will welcome you with open arms
> ...


There are quite a few Mexicans in Australia now, and some reportedly run good restaurants. Shop around, because Mexican food at its best is way more varied than Aussified Tex-Mex, and one of the world'd great cuisines. But I warn you, not all the expats can cook; I know of one who started a restaurant in a town whose name I've conveniently forgotten. She says she got her recipes from her mom. Too bad mom couldn't cook. Would you believe evaporated milk in damn near every main?

I have spent time in Mexico, from Baja to The City and Yucatan, and years in the US. Here are some clues to look for to rule out Tex-Mex. In a Mexican restaurant some dishes contain cheese, but not most of them. A variety of soups such as the classic albondigas is a good sign. So are fish dishes and grilled meats. Not everything is fiery, though hot sauce is on the tables. Most of the tortillas should be corn. Flour tortillas used to be confined to northern Mexico and the US, though they are spreading south.

Once upon a time tacos and tortilla chips with salsa were strictly street or bar food that no good restaurant would offer. That has changed, and their presence is no longer a bad sign, but their absence together with a broad menu can signal that the owner is serious about both tradition and quality.


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## yankinoz (13/2/14)

Mardoo said:


> I have to agree with Manticle on this one, same as Blue Corn in St. Kilda. Informed by tradition. I think it would come off a bit closer to traditional if access to quality traditional ingredients was a bit easier. They make a huitlacoche (corn mushroom - ahem, OK, corn smut) taco and of course have to use canned huitlacoche. From what I've read, in parts of Mexico it's a pretty down-home thing. Hell, looking at it you'd never try it voluntarily without someone saying, "Hey man, that blue turd-looking thing is GOOOOOOOOOD to eat!"
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They have fresh huitlacoche in Australia? Was corn smut already here? I can imagine opening a suitcase full of the stuff for the quarantine folks at the airport. I've only seen it here in cans.


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## browndog (13/2/14)

I thought the show was pretty good, not that I know anything at all about Mexico.


----------



## bconnery (14/2/14)

Liam_snorkel said:


> for people in Brisbane there is Villa Maria at Camp hill which seems to be pretty legit.
> Mexican & Sth American.
> 
> EDIT sorry that was a bit off topic. Was just following up Bribies post.


It looks legit but the food wasn't that crash hot in my book. 
It had all the right ingredients but just seemed to lack a little flavour. 
I'd take the supposedly non authentic Montezumas over that place (admittedly based on one visit to Villa Maria)
Mind you I just love the beans in any form, black, refried, don't care, as long as it has beans. 

I had a go at one variation of a mole sauce recently from a mexican book I have, inspired by Food Safari as mentioned by someone above. 
It was a fair bit of work but gee it was tasty! Spicy, chocolatety and hot...
For those in Brisbane there's a deli next to Coles at Carindale that has a lot of the smoked chillis, tomatillos, (sp?) etc. that you need. Can't remember the name of it though...


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## Mardoo (14/2/14)

yankinoz said:


> They have fresh huitlacoche in Australia? Was corn smut already here? I can imagine opening a suitcase full of the stuff for the quarantine folks at the airport. I've only seen it here in cans.


Not that I've seen. Didn't mean to give that impression. But oh, if they did... :drool:


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## Bribie G (14/2/14)

I am delighted to announce that Taree is a Mexican-free zone. Yippee 

Just down the road at Forster we have Aztec's, doesn't look too promising but how does the menu look?

Would Beavis and Butthead eat there?


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## OzPaleAle (14/2/14)

Was interesting they mentioned on the show that flour tortillas & burritos were actually something eaten in a northern region of mexico, I had always assumed it was a creation of the american market and it was all corn tortillas in mexico.


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## Bribie G (14/2/14)

Quite common, according to Wikipedia, and have been since the Spanish introduced wheat. Also finding their way into Central America.


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## OzPaleAle (14/2/14)

Interesting, I saw he got some cool wheat bread type product that was a rectangle slab that was very light and they pile all sorts of thing on top of it, a popular snack when you leave the pub apparently, I'd like to find out what that was.


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## OzPaleAle (14/2/14)

These things


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## indica86 (14/2/14)

Yep, looked like a big Nacho thing.
He was reasonably pissed at that stage too.


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## OzPaleAle (14/2/14)

Yeah I noticed he was pretty well done by then, I think he mentioned he was curious as to what it was but probably if he was sober he may have asked them. But then probably noticed something shiney and got distracted as can happen at that point in the night.....


----------



## shaunous (14/2/14)

Mardoo said:


>


I clearly missed this page because WHAT THE FUK IS THAT GOD DAMN ABOMINATION???

I've seen insects and green egg's look more appetizing in Chinese culture shows that what the Mexicans have done to a juicy corn cob...

They look like people lined up on a 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not' human face freak show.


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## OzPaleAle (14/2/14)

Tis a delicacy, corn smut.


----------



## Airgead (14/2/14)

Reminds me of a site I used to read years ago... a guy would eat wierd stuff and post about it. He ate corn smut (tinned). Wonder if it still exists. Well blow me down.. it does - http://www.thesneeze.com/2005/steve-dont-eat-it-vol-7.php


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## OzPaleAle (14/2/14)

OzPaleAle said:


> These things



FYI they are called 

CHILINDRINAS


----------



## Liam_snorkel (14/2/14)

browndog said:


> I thought the show was pretty good, not that I know anything at all about Mexico.


Ditto, just watched it. Found it inspiring, I want to hand make some tortillas to put chilli beans on now. The beef ribs on the edge of the canyon looked drool worthy. He seems to like a drink.


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## browndog (14/2/14)

Liam_snorkel said:


> Ditto, just watched it. Found it inspiring, I want to hand make some tortillas to put chilli beans on now. The beef ribs on the edge of the canyon looked drool worthy. He seems to like a drink.


Yes and I bet that spirit was a little more than 37% too.


----------



## MartinOC (1/6/14)

Folks, I've been doing a bit of a "purge" on the pantry today & came-across some Ancho, Pasilla, Mulato & Chipotle's that have been sitting around for a couple of years. Some are still "leathery" & some (ie. chipotle's) are dry & hard.

Will they be any good now, or should I pay them off as a bad idea to use?

Any good ideas &/or recipe's?


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## breakbeer (1/6/14)

Taco night tonight!

Shredded chicken with adobo sauce, barbecued corn, avocado/tomato/red onion salsa


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## breakbeer (1/6/14)

Taco night tonight!

Shredded chicken with adobo sauce, barbecued corn, avocado/tomato/red onion salsa


----------



## breakbeer (1/6/14)

Taco night tonight!

Shredded chicken with adobo sauce, barbecued corn, avocado/tomato/red onion salsa


----------



## breakbeer (1/6/14)

Taco night tonight!

Shredded chicken with adobo sauce, barbecued corn, avocado/tomato/red onion salsa


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## Wilkensone (1/6/14)

breakbeer said:


> Taco night tonight!
> 
> Shredded chicken with adobo sauce, barbecued corn, avocado/tomato/red onion salsa


Trying to get your post count up mate?


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## MartinOC (1/6/14)

Thanks, breakbeer......and back to the question.....??


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## Mardoo (1/6/14)

Depends on how they've been stored. Glass jar? Use them. Plastic bag? Make BBQ sauce with them. 

If they're in good condition you can make a killer sauce for enchiladas from those four, or leave out the chipotles if you want to get some of the subtleties of the other three. Make 1/2 chicken and half pork, separately, not mixed together. Killer. 

This recipe is a good place to start. Simple. It's about the chile, not everything else. If you can track down Mexican oregano it makes a difference. Leave the chipotles out of this one: http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/enchiladas-de-chile-ancho


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## Mardoo (7/12/17)

Breakfast of champions!
New Mexico red chile huevos rancheros. The sauce is ground NM red chile, garlic, onions and stock - that’s it. This is my soul food. And that’s New Mexico as in the US state and culture, not molecular cuisine. 






Been a long time since I touched down here!


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## Crakkers (7/12/17)

Mardoo said:


> Breakfast of champions!
> New Mexico red chile huevos rancheros. The sauce is ground NM red chile, garlic, onions and stock - that’s it. This is my soul food. And that’s New Mexico as in the US state and culture, not molecular cuisine.
> 
> View attachment 110257
> ...


Yum!
Looks like there's a fart or two in that lot.


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## Mardoo (7/12/17)

I may or may not have recently had an answer for you.


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## manticle (7/12/17)

Remind me next week that I need to buy that kennedy book


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## indica86 (7/12/17)

Just planted some tomatillos after buying a can and loving it.


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## Dave70 (7/12/17)

Crakkers said:


> Yum!
> Looks like there's a fart or two in that lot.



Interestingly, or not, I find once you get into the rhythm of eating pulses and legumes a few times a week, the farty side effects seem to go away. Must be something in the mitochondria. 
For example, I smashed an XL sized bowl of made from scratch split pea and ham soup last night and am no more flatulent today than regular. For me.


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## Mardoo (7/12/17)

Where did you find the seed? I had some going a few years ago but had to move suddenly and couldn’t take any seed with me.


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## manticle (7/12/17)

@Dave70 - It's hard to count back from 10 p/h.

I rate quality over quantity, myself


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## indica86 (7/12/17)

Mardoo said:


> Where did you find the seed?



http://greenharvest.com.au/SeedOrganic/VegetableSeeds/TomatilloToTurnip.html < I bought the purple ones and heaps came up.


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## Mardoo (7/12/17)

Awesome. Thanks! If anyone reading this thread likes cooking Mexican food, there are few better choices you can make than sourcing fresh tomatillos. It's an inimitable flavour that just makes a lot of Mexican cooking "right".


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## mondestrunken (7/12/17)

OK it's been a while since I had fresh tomatillos but here is my recipe for salsa verde:

12 tomatillos, chili(es), onion, garlic, coriander leaves (you decide for yourself how much of each you want!)
Remove the tomatillo husks and wash off the stickiness. Cover with water and boil for 20 minutes and drain, saving the water. Chuck everything in the food processor, adding enough of the cooking water until everything is combined but still a bit rough.

Enjoy.

One of the top three hottest things that I've ever eaten was eggs with salsa verde for breakfast in Mexico. God damn that was unreal. I thought the green stuff is supposed to be milder than the red, but that morning it was not the case.


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## Mardoo (7/12/17)

In New Mexico at least, green chile can always go hotter than red.


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## mondestrunken (7/12/17)

Mardoo said:


> In New Mexico at least, green chile can always go hotter than red.


Yep it's not a traffic light system, as I discovered.


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## Mardoo (7/12/17)

I find it’s all go go go


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## indica86 (7/12/17)

Mardoo said:


> tomatillos



Never used fresh and only eaten canned once. Mind was blown.

https://patijinich.com/recipe/chicken-in-a-tomatillo-chipotle-and-brown-sugar-sauce/


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## Mardoo (7/12/17)

You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. Well, for me at least.


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## Mardoo (8/12/17)

NM style green chile chicken enchiladas. They make their enchiladas flat in NM. The green chile sauce is just ground dried green chile, garlic, onion, stock and oregano. You’d use fresh or frozen chiles in NM, but needs must.







And yeah, the green chile is half again as hot as the red.


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## Phoney (8/12/17)

Nice thread resurrection.

I made a Pozole verde de pollo the other day (green hominy soup with chicken). God damn, seriously one of the best soups I've ever made. Labour intenstive, yes, but oh so good.

Recipe is here and step by step instructions here. It can be a bit of a mission to get all the ingredients together. Luckily Coles seems to sell fresh Poblano chilis at the moment and I sub'd Anaheim with the ordinary long green chilis. A Fijian grocery store near me stocks lots of Mex foods eg: Canned Tomatillos, hominy, Mexican oregano etc.

I've made Pozole verde (red hominy soup) in the past, but I think this one wins. Next time i'll try it with pork


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## Mardoo (8/12/17)

Man, pozole is incredible. I love green with pork. Try roasting the pork first, it gives it another level of flavour. I use a combination of belly and neck

I’ll have to check out the Fijian shops. You wouldn’t happen to be in eastern Melbourne, would you @Phoney ? I have a hard time finding Mexican oregano here, and zero luck with epazote. I should try online.


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## Phoney (8/12/17)

Actually I was going to go one up on that. 6 hour smoked pork shoulder, pulled & thrown in. Not quite authentic but what the hell 

I'm in Sydney (Fiji Market in Newtown).

Epazote I had to order from fireworks. Their shipping fees suck but they're the only store I could find. Otherwise there's seeds for sale on ebay but if I wanted to grow every obscure herb under the sun I'd have to live on a farm, not in the inner city..


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## Bridges (9/12/17)

Casa Iberica a shop which is on Johnson St. and now is in Alphington too. It is awesome. They definitely have mexican oregano it's listed on their site. Among other things I buy my smoked paprika there, awesome shop. Not sure they have an online shop for anyone not in Melb, but it'd possibly be worth calling to ask if they ship.
No affiliation etc just a happy customer.


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## yankinoz (9/12/17)

Bribie G said:


> I've never been into Mexican food for a simple reason:
> 
> Go to an Indian Restaurant and you will be greeted by Jarveesh, Pradeep and his staff
> Go to a Chinese Restaurant and Lin Ho will welcome you with open arms
> ...



By and large, Bribie, you're right, but should you wander down Melbourne way, check out Mamasita's. Two guys who run it are from NYC and Mexico City. They've backed off a bit on the muy autentico parts of the menu, but what's left is still good. On the other hand I know of a Mex restaurant in a town east of Melbourne whose name I've conveniently forgotten, where the cook is from Monterey, the Mexican one, and uses her mother's recipes. Trouble is mama couldn't cook; would you believe evaporated milk in damn near every recipe?

As for the original question, where to start, try getting a range of chiles (not chillis, aargh). Look in odd places. An Indian store in Belmont has pasillas, anchos, habaneros, guajillas, moritas and more. Get a source for quality tortillas. Then start with recipes for the various classic enchiladas. Fajitas are verboten. Tortillas are with few exceptions made with corn. In Mexico tacos used to be strictly street food, until tourists badgered the restaurant owners.

I promise I'll post a recipe for enchiladas suizas en mole poblano. Tender chicken strips and gruyere cheese rolled into fresh corn tortillas and baked in a sauce redolent with four chiles, bulked with ground pepitas and blessed with flavours as diverse as cumin, cinnamon (very light) and bitter chocolate.

Bribie, given your stated tastes, try a simple sopa de ajo (garlic soup). Dice fine every last clove of a large garlic, soften in butter, add a litre of real chicken stock with a little marjoram, simmer a few minutes, pour into crockery bowls, top with toast and a good Mexican queso fresco (halloumi is a better substitute than cheddar or Monterey jack), and stick under the broiler to melt and lightly brown the cheese.


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## Bribie G (9/12/17)

Unlikely to get down to Melbourne but the garlic soup sounds brilliant, especially as I grow my own. 
I don't own a broiler but possibly a grill might do the job.


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## Dave70 (11/12/17)

There certainly seems to be a distinct lack of representation for authentic Mexican cuisine, thats for sure. 
Such an insult, its actually racist..
_No Mas!






_


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## Mardoo (11/12/17)

I cannot begin to tell you how much I miss Taco Bell’s festy tacos.


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## wynnum1 (11/12/17)

Dave70 said:


> There certainly seems to be a distinct lack of representation for authentic Mexican cuisine, thats for sure.
> Such an insult, its actually racist..
> _No Mas!
> 
> ...


Only restaurant chain to survive the ”*franchise wars*” into the year 2030 will be *Taco Bell*


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## Dave70 (11/12/17)

Mardoo said:


> I cannot begin to tell you how much I miss Taco Bell’s festy tacos.



I'll look into their tacos then. I wrote them off after once getting a burrito that was a soggy, greasy coagulated tube cheesy disappointment.


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## laxation (11/12/17)

Mardoo said:


> NM style green chile chicken enchiladas. They make their enchiladas flat in NM. The green chile sauce is just ground dried green chile, garlic, onion, stock and oregano. You’d use fresh or frozen chiles in NM, but needs must.


Dont suppose you have a recipe for that? looks amazing


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## Mardoo (11/12/17)

Dave70 said:


> I'll look into their tacos then. I wrote them off after once getting a burrito that was a soggy, greasy coagulated tube cheesy disappointment.



Don’t. They’re awful. But it’s like Macca’s…


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## Mardoo (11/12/17)

laxation said:


> Dont suppose you have a recipe for that? looks amazing



I’ll write one up.


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## wynnum1 (11/12/17)

Do you throw out excess fat can be reused. Animal Fats- There are many options such as chicken fat, mutton fat, beef drippings and lard, to use, the use of these fat depend upon the requirement and when their flavor is appropriate to the sauce. Thus, chicken fat can be used for chicken velouté,


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## aussiechucka (19/9/18)

Recently started making cheese. One of my second cheeses was Queso Oaxaca. Confirmed by Mexican friends that it was same flavour and texture as the real deal. If you are after the recipe check out Gavin Webber on youtube.

Enjoy.


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