Best 5 Oaxacan Style Food Recipes

MOLE NEGRO OAXAQUENO: OAXACAN BLACK MOLE

Steps:

• In a 2 gallon stockpot, heat 5 quarts water and onions, celery, and carrots to a boil. Add chicken pieces and poach, covered, over low heat for about 35 to 45 minutes, until cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the meat from the stock. Strain and reserve the stock.
• Heat 2 quarts of water in a kettle. On a 10-inch dry comal, griddle, or in a cast-iron frying pan, toast the chiles over medium heat until blackened, but not burnt, about 10 minutes. Place the chiles in a large bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 1/2 hour. Remove the chiles from the soaking water with tongs, placing small batches in a blender with 1/4 cup of the chile soaking water to blend smooth. Put the chile puree through a strainer to remove the skins.
• In the same dry comal, griddle, or frying pan, grill the onion and garlic over medium heat for 10 minutes. Set aside. Toast the almonds, peanuts, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and cloves in a dry comal, griddle or cast-iron frying pan for about 5 minutes. Remove them from the pan.
• Over the same heat, toast the chile seeds, taking care to blacken but not burn them, about 20 minutes. Try to do this outside or in a well-ventilated place because the seeds will give off very strong fumes. When the seeds are completely black, light them with a match and let them burn themselves out. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Soak the blackened seeds in 1 cup of cold water for 10 minutes. Drain the seeds and grind them in a blender for about 2 minutes. Add the blended chile seeds to the blended chile mixture.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in an 8-inch cast-iron frying pan over medium heat until smoking. Add the raisins and fry them until they are plump, approximately 1 minute. Remove from the pan. Fry the bread slice in the same oil until browned, about 5 minutes, over medium heat. Remove from pan. Fry the plantain in the same oil until it is well browned, approximately 10 minutes, over medium heat. Set aside. Fry the sesame seeds, stirring constantly over low heat, adding more oil if needed. When the sesame seeds start to brown, about 5 minutes, add the pecans and brown for 2 minutes more. Remove all from the pan, let cool, and grind finely in a spice grinder. It takes a bit of time, but this is the only way to grind the seeds and nuts finely enough.
• Wipe out the frying pan and fry the tomatoes, tomatillos, thyme, and oregano over medium to high heat, allowing the juices to almost evaporate, about 15 minutes. Blend well, using 1/2 cup of reserved stock if needed to blend and set aside. Place the nuts, bread, plantains, raisins, onion, garlic and spices in the blender in small batches, and blend well, adding about 1 cup of stock to make it smooth.
• In a heavy 4-quart stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of lard or oil until smoking and fry the chile paste over medium to low heat, stirring constantly so it will not burn, approximately 20 minutes. When it is dry, add the tomato puree and fry until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the ground ingredients, including the sesame seed paste, to the pot. Stir constantly with a wooden soon until well-incorporated, about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken stock to the mole, stir well, and allow to cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Break up the chocolate and add to the pot, stirring until it is melted and incorporated into the mixture.
• Toast the avocado leaf briefly over the flame if you have a gas range or in a dry frying pan and then add it to the pot. Slowly add more stock to the mole, as it will keep thickening as it cooks. Add enough salt to bring out the flavor. Let simmer another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not stick, adding stock as needed. The mole should not be thick; just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Place the cooked chicken pieces in the leftover stock in a saucepan and heat through.
• To serve, place a piece of chicken in a shallow bowl and ladle 3/4 of a cup of mole sauce over to cover it completely. Serve immediately with lots of hot corn tortillas.
• You can use oil instead of lard to fry the mole, but the flavor will change dramatically. In our pueblo, people traditionally use turkey instead of chicken, and sometimes add pieces of pork and beef to enhance the flavor. You can use leftover mole and chicken meat to make Enmoladas or Tamales Oazaquenos made with banana leaves.
• Inspired by Maria Taboada and Paula Martinez

OAXACAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Sprinkle the brisket with the salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin and rub the spices into the slices of meat. Dredge the strips in the flour and shake off the excess. In a large ovenproof casserole, heat the oil over high heat. Sear the meat until browned on all sides, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bones, onion, and garlic and cook for about 8 minutes, until golden. Strain the chick peas and add their soaking water to the pot. Tie the chickpeas inside a large square of doubled cheesecloth and add them to the pot, then add enough additional water so that the ingredients are covered by 4 inches. Add the salt, mint, and cilantro sprigs, cover the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 45 minutes, then add the strips of brisket and simmer for about 1 hour more, until the meat is tender. Strain, reserving the broth. Discard the bones and aromatic vegetables (if desired, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into the broth). Unwrap the chickpeas and empty them into the broth. Place the meat strips on a platter and sprinkle with the oregano. Cover loosely and keep warm in a low oven. In a small skillet heat the butter over medium heat and saute the plantains for about 15 minutes. While they are cooking, place 1 large and 1 medium heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 5 tablespoons of oil to the large skillet, and 1 tablespoon to the medium skillet. In the large skillet, saute the carrots, chayote, and potatoes for about 20 minutes, until golden, stirring occasionally. In the other saute the zucchini for about 10 minutes. In all pans, regulate the heat so that the vegetables sizzle and brown but do not burn. Keep the finished vegetables warm on a platter covered with foil. Bring the broth back to a simmer and add the cabbage and green beans. Cook for 8 minutes, until the vegetables are almost tender. Add the meat to the broth and heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve in large shallow bowls with plenty of broth and pass the warm vegetables and Salsa Fresca (recipe follows).
• In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Stir and toss well. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator no more than 1 day.

LENTEN LENTILS, OAXACAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Bring lentils and water to a boil, with 2 halved garlic cloves and 1/2 white onion.
• Reduce heat, then cover and simmer over low heat about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy.
• Drain and reserve lentil cooking liquid.
• At this point, I like to fish out the garlic halves but leave the onion, which breaks down in the lentils.
• Season with salt.
• Heat oil in large saucepan and saute chopped white onion and the 2 minced garlic cloves until onion is soft.
• Add plantain, pineapple and tomatoes; cook until plantain is soft, anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes.
• Add lentils and some reserved lentil cooking liquid.
• Continue cooking until mixture thickens a little; add more cooking liquid or even some vegetable or chicken broth if necessary so lentils aren't dry.
• Serve garnished with fried plantain slices.

OAXACAN-STYLE PORK RIBS

Steps:

• Remove the papery skin from the back of each rack of ribs; place the ribs in a roasting pan.
• Combine the garlic, thyme, oregano, marjoram, salt, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, cloves, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons water in a blender or spice mill; process to a smooth paste, adding more water, if needed.
• Rub this paste over the ribs on both sides, cover, and let marinate, in the refrigerator, at least overnight and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat grill to medium; when ready to cook, season the ribs with salt; oil the grill grate, then arrange the ribs on the hot grate, meaty side down.
• Grill the ribs until nicely browned and cooked through, 30-40 minutes in all, turning once or twice with tongs.
• Cut the racks into sections of 2 or 4 ribs for serving; serve with Salsa Mexicana.
• To make the salsa--cut tomatoes, onion, and chiles into 1/4-inch dice (you can soften the bite of the chiles by scraping out the veins and seeds); combine in a serving bowl.
• Add in cilantro, lime juice, and salt; toss to mix; adjust seasoning to taste by adding more lime juice or salt.

POLLO OAXACA

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, and season with oregano, minced garlic, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the chicken is lightly browned. Stir in the onion, then cover and reduce heat to low.
• Place tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, whole garlic, lime juice, and salt in a blender. Pulse to a chunky consistency. Pour half of the tomatillo mixture over the chicken. Continue simmering until chicken is tender, 35 to 40 minutes more. Serve with remaining sauce and top with Monterey Jack cheese.