# The Mexican Food Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 11, 2001, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-food-thread/54035 "2001-02-11T13:16:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-food-thread/54035/61 "2001-02-20T03:49:14Z")
Hey, **essvee** , I’m going to the Jeff Beck concert at the Warfield tomorrow night. Do you have any recommendations for some good Mexican food up in San Francisco? Flautas and Rellenos are at the top of the list for my pal and me. Your help is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-food-thread/54035/62 "2001-02-20T04:07:06Z")
chavas, at eighteenth between south van ness and folsom. real authentic, handmade tortillas, great refritos, and so forth. i dont eat flautas or rellenos much; i cant recommend a place for those, but taqueria cancun at 19th and mission, or el farolito at 24th and mission, should have what you need, or el toyanense at 24th and folsom. cancun is where i go for queso fundido con chorizo, also known as the heartstopper special. and im particularly fond of el pollo supremo, all they sell are awesomely marinated and charbroiled chickens. two locations, 16th betwenn mission and valencia, and 24th and folsom or thereabouts. have fun at jeff beck. ---
**Author:** ![E1skeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3da27b/32.png) [@E1skeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E1skeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-food-thread/54035/63 "2001-02-20T09:21:37Z")
I know it’s not fair, but I can get the REAL ingredients, and my mother can cook ALL these. Then again, I live in México. Don’t hate me. **Huevos Rancheros Huevos a la Mexicana Huevos a la Albañil Huevos Divorciados Mole Poblano Cochinita Pibil Sopa de Tortilla Huauzontles Chilorio Crema de Espinaca Caldo Tlalpeño Ceviche de Pescado, de Camarón, de Pulpo Pulpo al Mojo de Ajo Pulpos en su tinta con Arroz Blanco Tacos al Pastor Tacos de Chicharrón prensado Caramelos de Hermosillo Quesadillas Quesadillas de Sesos, de Flor de Calabaza, de Zempazúchitl Cecina de Yecapixtla Burritas Papadzules Panuchos Huevos Motuleños Empanadas de Marlin Tortas ahogadas Tacos de Canasta Chalupas Sopa de Frijol Chilaquiles Birria Pozole Coctel “Vuelve a la vida” Cabrito Arroz con huevo Sincronizadas Enchiladas Verdes, Rojas, Suizas Salpicón Elotes tiernos y esquites Totopos con Guacamole, salsa mexicana, salsa verde, roja, etc… Pollo o Cerdo en Mole Verde Pipián Carne a la Tampiqueña**…, and more. You guys translate. Saludos. ---
**Author:** ![Melpomene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@Melpomene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melpomene)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-food-thread/54035/64 "2001-02-20T15:42:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > **Melpomene** , please try some of the recipes I’ve posted here. Most are quite simple and very authentic. A search of the recipe thread will yield many more excellent suggestions as well. I am a _terrible_ cook, really, I’m not kidding. I kill sausages on the stovetop. I burn jello. But somehow, through all of this, I can make a mean cheesecake from scratch. Maybe that means there is hope for me? I will give the recipes a chance **zenster**!! Do I have your permission to e-mail you for a place to stay if I end up burning down my apartment building? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-food-thread/54035/65 "2001-02-20T21:06:11Z")
**Melpomene** , Please try the Carne de Res and the Mexican Style Bean recipes to begin with. They are super simple and hard to kill. Try putting these items on your tacos when you make them:[ul][li]Cooked beef[/li][li]Shredded lettuce[/li][li]Diced Tomato[/li][li]Chopped White Onion[/li][li]Grated Monterey Jack cheese[/li][li]Parmesan cheese (important)[/li][li]Chopped cilantro (optional)[/li] [li]Herdez Salsa Casera (small can from Mexico)[/ul][/li]Try to get some hard fried yellow corn tortilla shells, even if they’re store bought. The roasted corn flavor is superior. After you try these tacos, you will never be satisfied with the ones you get in a restaurant. If you cannot find yellow corn tortilla, use white corn tortillas instead. Read through the thread for instructions (in the Chicken Enchilada recipe) on how to heat tortillas for soft tacos and make yourself a mess of these critters. I’ll be able to hear you smile from miles away. Get with the program and post your results over in the Ultimate Recipe thread. I’m including my sig to make everything easy for you. Buen Gusto! ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2001, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-food-thread/54035/66 "2001-02-21T00:46:11Z")
Zenster, I soaked the pintos all night, drained the water, cooked 'em with a neck bone, a clove of garlic and a bit of manteca until they were good ‘n’ squishy, then mashed and fried them slowly in manteca until they crusted around the sides, adding more bean water as necessary and a tiny pinch of sugar to round out the flavor. Results: flat flavor, pale color, a slight graininess, and tiny bits of bean skin still in evidence. Restaurant beans are velvety smooth, full-flavored and a rich dark tan in color. Although the spices and additions sound good, I can already make a good batch of slightly chile-flavored beans like you describe, but I wanted to learn to make very plain standard refried pintos. Oh, well, it’s not like there aren’t half a dozen excellent Mexican restaurants in Morgan Hill. I just get a bug up my butt on occasion and can’t rest until I master a recipe. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2001, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-food-thread/54035/67 "2001-02-21T20:22:16Z")
Just for you **pug** : Give this method a try, I think that you need to focus more on the spices and cooking process. If you are not using salt during the cook-down there is no way to add enough later on. The final product will not have the desired character. Make sure to use onion and garlic powder too. Not enough to taste, but in sufficient quantity to round out the overall flavor. I have found that a dose of chili powder adds an extra bit of backbone as well. **Refritos** _Refried Beans_ Preparation time: 3-4 Hours Serves: 4-6 People **Ingredients** : 1 Cup Cranberry (small red) or pinto beans 3-4 Cups cold water (or half stock) 2-4 Tsp of rendered fat or _au jus_ ½-1 Tsp Salt **Spices** : ½-1 Tsp Onion powder ¼-½ Tsp Garlic powder ¼-½ Tbs Mixed spice red chile powder (desired) ¼ Tsp Ground white pepper ¼ Tsp Crystal™ hot sauce **Optional** : Chopped Jalapeño pepper Grated white onion (instead of powder) Finely minced garlic (instead of powder) **Preparation** : Do not soak your beans! Germination is triggered in a relatively short time. A process is started by which starches of the legume are converted to better nutrients for the sprout. This does nothing to serve the quality of the _frijoles_. I’ve found that small red cranberry beans cook a bit faster and have a more assertive flavor. They are recommended over pintos unless super-authenticity is demanded. Larger pinto beans will have a longer cooking time, so adjust accordingly. Beans keep well enough so that a batch made during the weekend will last for most of the week, especially if reheated occasionally. Start the beans in a pot with three times the water (or a little stock) and a good dose of salt. Bring to a full boil and reduce the heat. From now on, the less you overheat them the finer the flavor. Stir every so often and keep well covered. When they begin to lose their crunch remove the cover to allow the “gravy” to form. The liquid should reduce to about half the volume of the beans. **Do not** add tomato products at any time during the cooking process (if that is your preference). The acid content will inhibit the cooking process of the legumes and leave them underdone. I avoid using any tomato products with my beans. In a separate pan, render fat from the cubed pork skin. Unsmoked bacon or a belly cut may be used. Do not use salt pork, bacon, sausage or suet to constitute the fat content. Avoid scorching the fat as it renders. This will yield a finer product without the overtones of irrelevant appendages or hydrogenation. I strongly recommend using some of the concentrated broth from my Carne de Res recipe listed in the compendium on page one. It will bring a complex array of elements to the finished product. Once the beans are just soft enough to eat, add the powdered or minced spices plus any other seasonings. Stir frequently and watch the pot carefully. Taste for salt and adjust as desired. Keep at a very low simmer until the beans are cooked through. Transfer to a food processor with some extra water (or stock), or use a hand blender in the pot to puree completely. A potato masher will work too (given enough impetus). To correctly refry the beans, their temperature must be raised to a near caramelizing state, this is why the fat content is needed. As mentioned in an earlier post to this thread, nearly scorching the beans on a repeated basis is what will shift the raw starches of the legume towards a more refined consistency. The concept is similar to a Persian _chello_ of browned rice. Once the beans are blended completely, return them to a pot that has a large surface area on the bottom. Adjust their flavor to taste and cook over a medium-low heat. Add the rendered fat slowly, as needed. Stop when the beans attain the desired texture. Go slowly as there is no way to counter the addition of too much fat. Use a sharp edged spatula to scrape up the desiccated crust before it burns or sticks, and stir it in completely. Baby-sit the _refritos_ while preparing other foods to avoid any scorching or burning. If the beans thicken too much add liquid to compensate. Continue to incorporate the crust back into the body of the refritos. This process will take at least one hour to complete. **Note** : Please serve these beans (grated Monterey Jack on top) with the Spanish rice recipe mentioned above. Scooping up a Neapolitan of melted cheese, beans and rice onto a yellow corn tortilla chip is a slice of heaven. (Can you tell I’ve been eating Mexican food all week?) A thick smear of these buttery beans on a crisp fried yellow corn tortilla topped with grated cheese, guacamole, shredded lettuce and salsa makes for a fabulous tostada. Please contribute a recipe and come back soon! [sup]THE NEW ACTIVE RECIPE INDEX IS [HERE](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=52447).[sub] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-food-thread/54035.md?page=3)