Ingredients:

• 2 Garlic Cloves, coarsely diced
• 1/4 to 1/3 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 Cup Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce, chopped
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable or Olive Oil
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice, or 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1-1/2 Pounds Flank Steak
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• Cambray or Green Onions, halved, optional

Directions:

Place the first 8 ingredients in a blender.

Blend the ingredients until thoroughly combined into a smooth purée.

You might want to pour the marinade purée into a small bowl to make coating the steak in the next step easier.

Thoroughly coat the steak pieces with the marinade in a glass dish or Ziploc bag and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill (or, alternatively, you can use an indoor electric grill, the oven broiler, or even a George Foreman Grill). Brush the grill with some oil to prevent sticking. Place the steak on the hot grill.

When the juices start appearing on the surface, season the meat with salt and pepper. When the salt liquefies, flip the steak and repeat on the other side.

Total grill time should be anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes, depending on steak thickness and desired doneness. Remove steak from the grill and let stand about 5 minutes. If including cambray or green onions, grill or sauté them while waiting for the steak to rest.

For the meat lovers out there, we recommend serving chorizo along with the carne asada. Be sure to grill or cook the chorizo sausages in a skillet prior to grilling the steak, as they take a bit longer to cook.

For a delicious meal, serve the carne asada with the chorizo, black beans, onions, pico de gallo salsa, and warm corn tortillas.

Buen Provecho!

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

• 1 – 1 1/2 pounds Arrachera (Skirt Steak)
• Freshly Squeezed Juice from 3-4 Limes
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons Achiote Adobo Paste
• Ground Cumin, to taste (if the achiote paste doesn’t include cumin)
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• 1 Bottle of Beer (like Negra Modelo)
• 1 Medium White Onion, cut into wedges
• 2 Bunches Green Onions, coarsely chopped, with the white and green parts separated
• 2 Green Bell Peppers, julienned
• 3 – 4 Medium Potatoes, julienned
• 3 – 4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 10 Mushrooms, sliced
• Salt, to taste
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Cup Manchego or Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• Corn or Flour Tortillas

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry the steak.

Mix the lime juice and achiote paste until well combined. I prefer to use my hand to dissolve the smaller pieces of the paste completely.

Rub the steak thoroughly with the lime-achiote mixture, and then season to taste with cumin and black pepper.

To prevent the seasoning from washing off, you may want to roll the steak up before placing it in a shallow glass dish.

Pour the beer slowly over the meat. The beer should mostly cover the steak.

Cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook the discada, prepare the vegetables and remove the steak from the fridge.

In a disco de arado, paella pan, or wok, heat the oil until hot. Add the onion wedges and the white part of the green onions. Sauté for a few minutes and then add the green pepper.

Cook the onion and green pepper until tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add more oil to the pan, if needed, and the potatoes. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally so the potatoes will cook thoroughly.

While the potatoes are cooking, remove the steak from the marinade, unroll, and cut into smaller pieces. Reserve the beer marinade.

When the potatoes are tender, season with salt as desired and transfer to a bowl.

If necessary, add more oil to the pan and then the steak pieces.

Brown the steak on all sides and drain off excess juices.

Add the tomatoes.

Pour the beer marinade over the meat. Stir and simmer about 8 to 10 minutes.

Once the beer has almost cooked off, add the mushrooms and the green part of the green onions.

Cook about 2 minutes, stirring to combine.

Add the cooked onion, green pepper, and potatoes, combining well.

Season with salt as desired and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the steak-vegetable mixture.

Once the cheese melts, remove from heat.

Serve with warm corn or flour tortillas to make tacos. For a complete meal, serve with rice and beans, and spice it up with our salsa verde, avocado salsa, or pico de gallo.

Ingredients:

• Mexican Salsa Verde (see recipe)
• Mexican Salsa Roja (see recipe)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 to 1-1/2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup White Onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 12-15 Small Mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 2 Small Zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano, crushed
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 2 Cups Bayo Beans plus 1/2 Cup Liquid from Bayo Beans or water (see recipe)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter or Olive Oil
• 12-24 Fresh Corn Tortillas (depending on tortilla size)
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 3-4 Cups Shredded Manchego Cheese (Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, and/or Cheddar can also be used)
• Sour Cream, optional
• Avocado, optional

Directions:

Prepare the salsa verde and salsa roja (see recipes) and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Break up the ground beef in the skillet and season with the cumin, cayenne, black pepper, and salt.

Thoroughly brown the meat, then transfer to a plate.

Discard the remaining liquid and add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent.

Add the garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, and oregano, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the cilantro and cook another minute or two. Set aside.

In a skillet set over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil. Add the bayo beans and mash them gently with a potato masher.

Add the 1/2 cup of liquid from the beans (or water) so the mashed beans will be easier to spread. Remove from heat and set aside.

In small skillet set over medium-high heat, add about 1/4 cup vegetable oil. When hot, add a tortilla and cook about 5-10 seconds on one side, then flip and cook another 5-10 seconds. The tortilla should be softened and slightly crisp on the edges, but not too crisp.

Place it on a plate lined with paper towels, and repeat the process with all the tortillas.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish.

Arrange the ingredients so it will be easy to put the lasagna together: tortillas, salsa roja, beans, meat, mushroom-zucchini mixture, salsa verde, and cheese.

Place 4 to 6 tortillas in one layer on the bottom of the greased baking dish (they’ll overlap slightly).

Spread about half of the salsa roja over the tortilla layer.

Then spread half of the beans.

Follow with half of the meat.

Now add all of the mushroom-zucchini mixture.

Next spread half of the salsa verde.

Spread between a third to a half of the shredded cheese over the salsa.

Layer 4 to 6 tortillas over the cheese.

Follow with the rest of the salsa roja.

Next, add the rest of the beans.

Add the remainder of the meat. (And throw on some more cheese as desired.)

Layer 4 to 6 more tortillas on top.

Spread most, or the remainder, of the salsa verde on the tortillas.

Finally, add the rest of the cheese.

Bake the lasagna for 30-35 minutes until heated through and bubbling.

Remove from oven and let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, sliced avocado, and additional fresh cilantro, if desired.

Bon appetit!

Recipe posted by Lindsay

Machaca Recipe (CC photo by Cook Sister!)

Marinade Ingredients:

• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T. chipotle chilli (in Adobo), finely chopped
• 2 Limes, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 Cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1/2 Tsp. Freshly ground Black Pepper

Machaca Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs Boneless beef chuck roast
• 1 Large onion, diced
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 1 Poblano chile pepper, finely chopped
• 1 T. Ground cumin
• 1 T. Oregano
• 2 Tsp. Dry mustard
• 1 Can Diced tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 Cup Beef Broth
• 2 Chipotle chile peppers (in Adobo), finely chopped
• 2 Tsp. Adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chiles)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil, about 1/4 cup

Marinade Directions:

Combine the ingredients for the marinade.

Cut the beef into 1/4 pound pieces and place in a Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the beef, making sure all sides are coated. Refrigerate overnight.

Before preparing, drain the meat and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Machaca Directions:

Add vegetable oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the pieces of meat on all sides, browning them in batches if necessary. Remove beef and set aside.

If necessary, add a little oil to the pot. Add onion, garlic, poblano chile, cumin, oregano, and dry mustard. Cook until the onions and poblano chile are tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, beef broth, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, pepper, and salt. Add the browned beef to the liquid and bring to boil. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula to remove the browned bits.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 2 hours, checking occasionally to see if you need to add any additional beef broth. The meat should be at the point where it will fall apart easily. Remove the meat and shred it.

Return the shredded beef to the liquid and simmer until the liquid is reduced and the meat is almost dry. Season with additional salt, pepper and/or adobo sauce as desired.

Serve the machaca taco style, or add some to scrambled eggs and serve with warm corn tortillas and salsa.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

]]> http://mexicofoodandmore.com/meat/beef/machaca-recipe.html/feed 1 http://mexicofoodandmore.com/meat/beef/caldo-de-res-beef-soup.html http://mexicofoodandmore.com/meat/beef/caldo-de-res-beef-soup.html#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:17:42 +0000 admin http://mexicofoodandmore.com/?p=937

Caldo de Res (Beef Soup) by Computopia Flickr

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 Kg Beef Shank with bones, meat cut off the bones into stew-size pieces
• Salt to Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
• 1 Onion coarsely chopped
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Large Tomato, chopped, or 1- 14.5 oz Can diced tomatos
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 3 Cups Beef stock
• 4 Cup Water
• 3 Potatoes, coarsely chopped
• 3 Carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 Cup Green Beans, halved
• 2 Chayote, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 Ears Corn, shucked and cut into thirds, or about 1 cup canned corn
• 1 Cup Cilantro, Chopped
• 2 Zucchinis, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 Head Cabbage, Chopped
• 3 Limes, quartered
• 4 Radishes, quartered
• 1-2 Habanero, Jalapeño, or Serrano Chile Peppers, minced, optional

Directions:

Set a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, meat, bones, and salt and pepper to taste.

When the meat is browned, add the onion, garlic, tomato, and cumin and cook about 5 minutes until tender.

Add the beef stock and enough water to cover the meat and bones by about 2 inches. Reduce heat to low, Cover, and simmer about 1 hour, or  until meat is tender.

Add any remaining water, the potatoes, carrots, green beans, chayote, corn, and about 1/4 cup cilantro. Simmer until vegetables are tender.

Add the zucchini and cabbage and simmer another 10 minutes or until tender.

Serve soup hot, garnishing with freshly squeezed lime juice, radishes, and peppers to taste.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Makes about 16 meatballs

Meatball Ingredients:

• 4 Hard-boiled Eggs
• 1 lb. Lean ground beef
• 2 Egss, beaten
• 1/2 Medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tablespoons bread crumbs
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin, or to taste
• 1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 Tablespoon crushed dried parsley or finely chopped fresh parsley
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 Cup flour
• 1/4 Cup bread crumbs
• Olive oil, for frying

Sauce Ingredients:

• 4 Roma tomatoes
• 1/2 Medium white onion, quartered
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 Habanero chile peppers
• 350g Tomato puree
• 1 Cup chicken broth or buillon
• 8 Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon crushed dried parsley or finely chopped fresh parsley
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Meatball Directions:

Hard-boil the 4 egss ahead of time and cool. Peel off shells and cut eggs in half.  Mixing by hand, combine the ground beef, 2 beaten eggs, onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, cumin, cayenne, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste

Mix the flour and 1/4 cup bread crumbs together and set aside.

Completely cover each half of a hard-boiled egg with some of the meatball mixture, making 8 large meatballs. there should be enough meatball mixture remaining to make 8 regular medium-sized meatballs.

Roll each meatball in the flour and bread crumb mixture until thoroughly covered.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs in two batches until cooked through and browned. Remove the meatballs from the skillet.

Sauce Directions:

In a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, and tomato puree and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into a medium heavy-bottomed pot set over medium high heat.

Add the chicken broth/buillon and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Add the mushrooms, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until mushrooms are tender.

Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes.

Serve hot with red rice, beans, and warm corn tortillas.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Ingredients:

• 3 Cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to tatse
• 2 Teaspoons paprika
• 2 Teaspoons cumin
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 Cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 Cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 Pounds boneless beef sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 6-8 Slices bacon, cut into about 2 inches pieces
• 1 Onion, halved and cut into 6 wedges
• 2 Medium tomatoes cut into 1 inch pieces, or 10-15 cherry tomatoes
• 1 Red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 15-20 Small mushrooms
• 10-15 Wood or metal skewers

Directions:

In a blender, combine garlic, cayenne, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar, blending until smooth. With the blender running on low, add the olive oil slowly to emulsify the mixture.

Place the beef in a bowl and add the marinade. Toss to coat the beef well with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.

Prepare the grill, preheating to medium-high heat.

Thread the meat, bacon, onion, tomato, bell pepper, and mushroom onto the skewers, alternating as desired. For best results, place a bacon piece next to each beef cube. Be sure to leave a little space between each item on the skewer.

Place kabobs on the grill and cook about 2-3 minutes per side, or 8-12 minutes in all.

Wrap in aluminum foil and let stand a few minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6

Posted by Lindsay

Carne Asada (Grilled Steak) is most commonly a marinated and grilled flank or skirt steak which can be used in a wide variety of ways. Of course, you can eat it alone. However, slicing it for tacos and adding some grilled cambray onions (like green onions, but with a larger bulb), grilled nopales (from the prickly pear cactus), guacamole, pico de gallo, and freshly squeezed lime juice makes it absolutely mouth-watering. Remember, genuine Mexican tacos feature small, soft tortillas, stacking two at a time for each taco. Carne Asada is also featured in tortas, delicious Mexican sandwiches using big telera bread rolls.

For tender Carne Asada, marinating the flank or skirt steak anywhere from 1-8 hours does the trick. Traditionally, the marinade includes freshly squeezed lime juice, garlic, onion, cilantro and black pepper, but you can experiment with other fruit juices, such as orange and papaya. I like to add some hot peppers and a little beer to it as well. And remember, for best results grill the meat over a nice, hot fire.

In many places, you can buy Carne Asada already marinated, which makes preparation easier, but that takes all the fun and experimentation out of it, doesn’t it? Not to fear, a lip-smacking recipe follows.

Here in Mexico, if you’re invited to get together with friends and have Carne Asada, it’s basically equivalent to hanging out with family and friends for a barbecue in the U.S. So, try this recipe out at the next family barbecue and everyone will be dazzled!.

Marinade:

4 Cloves garlic, minced

1/2 Cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, chopped finely

1 Jalapeño, serrano or habanero pepper, minced (optional, if you don’t like it spicy)

2 Freshly squeezed limes

1 Freshly squeezed orange

1/2 Cup olive oil

1 Teaspoon cumin

Freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt (but go easy on it because you’ll salt the steak again just before putting it on the grill)

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Beer (like negra modelo, corona or dos equis), optional, to taste

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic, hot pepper, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper into a paste. Gradually add the lime juice, orange juice, oil, vinegar and beer, stirring to mix well.

Yields about 1 1/2 Cups

Other ingredients:

2 Lbs flank or skirt steaks

1 Onion, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for the grill

Corn or flour tortillas

Additional limes, wedged

Pico de gallo salsa, optional

Cambray onions, whole, optional

Nopales, optional.

Preparation:

Place the steak in a large pan or baking dish and add the chopped onion. Pour the marinade over it. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate from 1-8 hours.

Preheat an outdoor grill (for best results), or you can use an indoor grill or even the broiler option of your oven. Brush the grill with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Take the steak out of the marinade and place it on the grill or under the broiler. When the juices begin to rise on the surface, season with salt and pepper. As soon as the salt liquefies on the surface, flip the meat to the other side and repeat. Grilling time is anywhere from a few minutes to 10 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of the meat and your preference for doneness. Remove the steak and let it rest for about 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle. Thinly cut the steak across the grain for tacos. Keep the Carne Asada warm in a covered dish. (If you’re grilling cambray onions and nopales, it’s best to do this before or concurrently with the meat, and set aside, keeping it warm.) You can also saute the onions used in the marinade in a skillet to add to the tacos.

Warm the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side in a skillet or on the grill. Stack the tortillas to keep them warm. To each tortilla, add some steak, the optional cambray onion and nopales, pico de gallo, and some juice squeezed from a lime wedge.

Serves 4-6

Posted by Lindsay