I recently made poblanos nogadas, which are stuffed (somewhat) mild chiles. It probably wasn’t all that terribly authentic since I stuffed them with a mixture of spiced ground chicken, walnuts, raisins and pepitas, but hey…that’s why I asked. I’m looking for ideas.
Oooh - I also made a pretty good poblano mole (had extra peppers). Took forever, too, but definitely worth it.
So what are your favorite authentic (or close to authentic) Mexican foods?
Hmmmm, I usually get the house platter when I eat at a Mexican restaurant, and it’s more TexMex than not. The restaurant that I usually go to has a cheese enchilada and a choice of tacos or chalupas on the regular platter, and for the deluxe platter, has two tamales as well. It also has rice, beans, and guacamole.
I generally get a hard beef taco, and I’d be hard pressed to choose between it and a cheese enchilada.
You kind of stole my thunder by mentioning mole. Mole negro on chicken is probably my favorite, but is a major pain in the ass to make. I’ll make it maybe once a year, at least it freezes fairly well. I remember my trip to the Oaxaca region well and sampling the many varieties of mole they had available. Very different flavors but all very good.
Chimichurri, the kind with cilantro in it. (Yes, I hear the screams from the anti-cilantro faction already.) Chimichurri just tastes…alive. And green. And nom nom nom nom.
My favorite vehicle for the chimichurri is grilled chicken and red/yellow bell pepper strips. Simple and quick and actually quite healthy!
(I see wikipedia mentions it came from Argentina, but is found as far north as Mexico, so I’ll still claim it as “Mexican” food. I first had it in Peurto Vallarta, so it’s Mexican in my mind.)
You just made me drool. I miss Chilean empanadas. Little pockets of deliciousness. Humitas were awesome, too - much like a sweet (or salty, if you prefer) tamale with no filling.
Maybe I should’ve asked instead what everyone’s favorite Latino cooking was. That’s pretty freaking broad, but still…
Already, the thread seems to have drifted away from “Authentic Mexican Food.” To Hell with Borders, anyway. Robb Walsh discusses The Myth of Authenticity here. It’s part of a series later expanded and published asthe Tex Mex Cook Book. Soon, he & Bryan Caswell (recently robbed of being Next Iron Chef) will open a new Tex Mex place in my town. (Comments from a few bitter snarkers are far outweighed by the eagerness of most Houstonians to try their new versions of old dishes.)
But Houston also offers Pico’s Mex-Mex. Proudly featuring Chiles en Nogada, along with other specialties from Way Down South. Well prepared, they are wonderful. I may prefer their Enchiladas de Acociles; crawfish enchiladas in a very spicy chipotle sauce. All washed down by their Top Shelf margaritas–served in little shakers, as malts used to be, so you can pour a bit more!
I was also knocked out by some of the local shrimp dishes served to me in Mazatlan while I was there, from the ceviche to something astounding they did with breading and a dipping sauce made from local chiles and tomatillos.
Once in Mazatlan I was treated to a breakfast of the most heavenly tamales I’ve ever eaten. My husband had been out early and encountered a little abuelita delivering daily lunch for the local shopowners. She was carrying them in a basket and when he inquired was offered such a good price that he decided to bring some back to the room for me. He figured that if the locals were buying from her they must be authentic and safe to eat. Well, at least as safe as any Mexican food is for us Nortenos who don’t have much opportunity to build resistance to the local bugs.
They were chock full of fresh peppers and onions, dripping with (the good kind of) grease and the pork was succulent and spicy. Although we have several authentic Mexican restaurants here I’ve never encountered any tamales as good as those were.
My choice when I eat out is chiles rellenos stuffed with Chihuahua cheese.
And I make a mean chicken enchilada with sopapaillas, black beans and rice.
Hmmm, my Mexican travels are limited to Baja so far, but fish tacos and ceviche in La Paz, and the garlic shrimp and lobster we had on the Pacific side sooo did not suck.
Puerco en Pipian from a restaurant near Mt. Kisco, NY. Tender chunks of pork in a spicy pumpkin seed sauce. This dish has different names, and varies in the seasonings used in the sauce. I haven’t been to that restaurant in many years, I can’t recall the name of it, but the memory of that dish will never leave me.