Tag Archives: mexican

Let’s Talk About Fat, While I Eat This Salad – Carnita’s Salad

A mexican salad made with Sous Vide Carnitas

I love bacon. I’ve had bacon on just about everything. I love it added to salads, I love it on Sundaes and dipped in peanut butter and then dipped in chocolate. I love it on its own or with a few eggs. I once saw a picture of bacon cooked into pancakes and thought how wonderful. I also admit that I used to feel bad about consuming generous amounts of bacon and other fatty meats as well. After all, doesn’t eating fatty cuts of meat, or even lean cuts of meat lead to increased risk of heart disease?

The answer is resoundingly NO! Recent studies have shown that there is no link between saturated fat and heart disease. There is however evidence that it raises your LDL (aka BAD) cholesterol which is a marker for eventual heart diseases. However, there is more to LDL than we commonly know. LDL is comprised of two particles, a small, dense particle, that is sticky and tends to stick to our artery walls causing a build up and eventually leading to clogged arteries which trigger heart attacks. There is also large, fluffy particles that are buoyant and pass through our bloodstream without causing any damage. The large particles are created by saturated fats, the small particles are not. They are caused by the pancakes, not the bacon inside of them. They are caused by the sugar in the sundae, not the greasy, chewy pieces of bacon on top. Starches have absolutely no place in our diet, but they too are so very tasty. These things, like all things that are bad for you, should be consumed in moderation – alcohol, sugar, bread, pasta, rice. More complex forms of carbohydrates, such as legumes(lentils & beans) are much more beneficial and also provide a less fatty alternative to meat (for those non-meat eaters out there). They are also incredibly fiber-rich, which makes it even better for your body. This is really only one part of the very complex debate over cholesterol, fat, carbs and heart disease. There is so much to it that to get into it here would probably bore you to death well before the heart disease gets you, so I’ll save it for later posts. Let’s talk about the dish above.

When I buy pork shoulder, it is packed with the fat still stuck to it. A few weeks ago I decided to Sous Vide this shoulder as carnitas. I wrapped it in a few strips of smoked bacon, lemon peel, chili powder, garlic and cumin. I sealed the bag and cooked at 160F for about 36 hours. When you open the bag, the meat literally falls off the bone. I then heat a little oil (or bacon grease) on high and drop the pieces in until I get a nice sear. The next plan is just to buy a blow torch and make the top crispy. The salad below is my version of a buritto-less burrito. Makes a great, filling lunch salad and is packed full of protein, but also a ton of non-artery clogging, good ole’ saturated fat.

You can of course, make your carnitas the old fashioned way, but I love the sous vide so those who are into it can try this recipe. Aside from the sous vide preparations, it is super simple. But even the Sous Vide prep and cooking is so simple.

Sous Vide Carnitas
1lb organic* pork shoulder, bone in, fat left on for cooking
2 Strips raw smoked bacon
1 Lemon Peel, grated
1 tsp cumin
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Set Sous Vide Machine or Immersion circulator to 160F
Combine all spices together with the lemon peel. Mix Well. Rub spice mixture all around the pork shoulder, Loosely wrap the bacon around the pork shoulder. Place into Sous Vide Bag, vacuum pack and seal. Place bag into Sous Vide Machine. The bag will puff up from moisture, so it’s important to make sure it stays immersed in the water by placing a rack or something overtop of the bag to hold it down. Let cook for 36 hours. Slightly before it finishes cooking, prepare an ice bath. Remove bag from water, and submerge it in the ice bath until completely cook. Open sealed back and remove the pork shoulder. It will probably be falling apart at this point. Remove bacon and discard. (I know, sad right? But the texture wasn’t right for this dish and we just were using the strips for its smokiness. If you feel bad about wasting perfectly good bacon, I suggest using liquid smoke instead, a tsp will do just fine) Use a fork to pull the strands of meat away from the bone. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet with about a tbsp of high smoke point oil on high until it just begins to smoke. Add meat and sear for a few seconds. Remove from heat and serve on top of salad (recipe below)

Carnitas Salad
Serving Size: 1
Protein: varies, but probably somewhere around 30 grams
Carbs: Very few – a couple from the tomatoes and beans, but mostly fiber
Fat: A lot, but again: who cares? (See above)
A handful of Sous Vide Carnitas
a large handful of arugula
1/2 tomato, diced
a few slices of red onion, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/2 cup of black beans
Olive Oil
The juice of half a lemon
Sea salt

Place the arugula in a large bowl. Add tomato, onion, avocado, black beans and carnitas. Pour a few tbsp of olive oil on top and squeeze half a lemon over the whole salad. Season with sea salt, and enjoy!

*Why Organic Meat? Well, the fat quality is most definitely effected by what that animal ate while being raised. Animals fed grains and other things that are not part of its natural diet make it an unhealthy animal, making the fat equally unhealthy. It’s the same for them as it is for us. Of course, we also have little evidence that even this is true and a recent study I’ve read claims that there is no nutritional difference between organic and non-organic vegetables. However, I still want to make sure that, if I eat meat, it’s produced in a healthy and sustainable environment.

For more information on why fat is good and carbs are bad. I highly recommend reading Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes. The book will change the way you think about what we eat.

Guelaguetza – Oaxacan Food in Los Angeles, Ca

Mostly when you think of Mexican food, your mind jumps to tacos, burritos, guacamole, and quesadillas. But there is a whole cuisine completely separate from this style of food. Well mostly. Oaxacan (pronounced Wa-Hawk-an) cuisine is where the mole comes from, if you’ve ever had chicken mole, or Mole Poblano, you’ve had, at the very least, Oaxacan inspired dishes. Another big thing, is the Mexican style pizza, Tlayudas. The sauce is often made from ground up spices and, sometimes, bugs. Yes bugs. Sorry there is no photo of the Tlayudas – I had to make some choices based on budget so I went with a more traditional cactus dish and the fried grasshoppers appetizer. I liked the grasshopper dish served with oaxacan string cheese but the cactus dish was a little less than to be desired. I found the grasshopper dish colorful and pretty. The most amazing thing is the tortilla chips served with mole. Amazing!

Guelaguetza
3014 West Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 427-0608

Tortilla Chips with Mole

Fried Grasshoppers with Tomato, onion, avocado and Oaxacan string cheese

Grilled cactus topped with grilled beef sautéed with onions, tomato, bell peppers, and covered with melted Oaxacan string cheese.

Black Beans

El Pique Taco Truck – Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA

We love food trucks in NYC. They are an added treat that has been booming for a few years here. In La, they are simply a way of life. Everyone is different, but they all feature the same kind of food – cheap mexican food. Down and dirty and on the go. El Pique was recommended to me by a friend who frequents the truck. I made a stop there on my up to Pasadena. The cost of a single taco – $1.25 – unreal! Here is what I found and how you can find it.

El Pique Taco Truck
York and Ave 53 (in a parking lot of a car wash)
Highland Park, CA 90042

Al Pastor taco

Chicken Taco

Al Pastor taco

La Lengua Taco (Cow Tongue)

Mexican Coke

Guisados – Los Angeles, California

Tacos are a Los Angeles staple food and, with the large percentage of Hispanics, they are a dime a dozen. Finding “The Best” is a futile effort so it’s better to focus on the recommendations of friends and/or, in large part, Mexicans—even that can be difficult. When I said to a couple of Mexicans I met while running around LA over the weekend, “I want to eat where the Mexicans eat”, they said, “We go to Olive Garden.” I laughed hysterically. They then graciously offered up a few of their neighborhood favorites, one of which being Guisado—just east of downtown.

I arrive and meet Armando, the owner, who insists that he wants to impress me after the first round of tacos didn’t seem to faze me much. But they had. I was just so focused on the photos that I didn’t really take a moment to reflect on how amazing they all tasted. I was stunned purely by the color and texture. They were absolutely outstanding. I just didn’t vocalize this. So he brought me another round of four. My favorite was Chicken Tinga—delightfully spicy and tender. After photographing all of the tacos he says he wants to take me next door, to his brother’s place, where they make the tortillas. I was astonished at the vat of corn soaking in water and lime juice that would soon be turned into masa for the corn tortilla. I was so glad that he took me over there and incredibly impressed that corn tortillas are simply made from ground corn, nothing else.

Guisados
Los Angeles, CA. 90033
323.264.7201

Armando De La Torre, owner of Guisados

The corn to be used for masa

Taco’s with Spicy Lentil “Meat”

One of my increasingly favorite food blogs to read these days is The Chubby Vegetarian. While yes, some of his recipes seem very unhealthy, I find that a lot of them are quite healthy. My girlfriend pinned this recipe recently so I put it on the schedule. Taco nights are the best. We should have them every week! This taco packs a little bit of spicy and a fulfilling smokey flavor (add more chipotle’s for extra spicy and smokey) Recipe below the photo’s:

A mix of the onion, chili powder and cumin

Adding the lentils, water, sun-dried tomatoes and other ingredients

The finished mixture

Prepared veggies for toppings

The finished taco

My adaption of The Chubby Vegetarian’s recipe:

1 onion (diced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
2 Chipotle’s in Adobo, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup dry brown lentils
2 cups water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (finely chopped)
6 Flour or Corn Tortilla
Tomato, finely chopped
Green Onion, finely chopped
Avocado, diced
Sour Cream
Cabbage, finely shredded

In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil. Once the onion is translucent, add cumin, salt, chili powder and chipotle and allow to cook for about a minute more. Add the remaining ingredients and bring it all up to a boil. Reduce mixture to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 35 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. (You want the lentils to be tender, but not falling apart.)

Arrange a shell on a plate, top with cabbage, cheese, tomato, onion and avocado. Finish with sour cream. Serves 6 (or 3 very hungry people)

Chili Verde & Cornbread with Chili-Lime Butter

Getting back into the swing of things. Dining room is broken down, studio is back up. Did a little grocery shopping today. Decided that is finally chili season and wanted to start off light with a little more tang than usual. So here is Chili Verde, Cornbread and a Homemade Chili-Lime butter.

recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

Chili Verde – potatoes, yams, onion, hominy, tomatillo / Cornbread and Chili-Lime Butter

Chili Verde – potatoes, yams, onion, hominy, tomatillo

Cornbread and chili-lime butter

Chili-Lime Butter, Sriracha, Lime Zest and Butter

Modernized Mexican – Nada – Cincinnati, OH

The influence of mexican cuisine can be seen all over the midwest. My grandparents were migrant workers who worked their way up north, following the seasons, picking tomatoes in Ohio. Eventually my grandfather got a job at a factory and planted his 10 children in a small town in North-Western, Ohio. Mexican food was never missing in our family.

Not all mexican restaurants are good, though. A lot dumb down the menu and americanize a lot of the items: burritos, enchiladas, fajitas. Nada in Cincinnati, doesn’t americanize so much as they modernize. They play with the traditional ingredients of a tamale and the up the ante with a fried egg on top. This makes the dish. The taco selections are amazing too and its refreshing to see that they serve sopes, considering you never see them at mexican restaurants anymore.

Nada
600 Walnut St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 721-6232

Ceviche

Sopes

Pork Belly Tacos

Tamale – kind of like a croque madame (b/c it has a hat!!!)

Banana french toast dessert kinda thingy

Red Hook Ballfields, Pt. 2: Red Hook, Brooklyn

This is a continuation of the Red Hook Ballfields post that I posted a few weeks ago. In this entry I focus more on the Huarache (spanish for shoe) is an oblong corn masa fried with refried beans. Many might say that it is close to a huge taco, but it is more along the consistency of a sope. They originated in Mexico city in the 1930′s and now are one of the more popular dishes at the Red Hook Ballfields. Country Boy’s won the NYC Vendy awards for 2009. for their amazing mexican fare. I high recommend that if you are planning your first trip to the Ballfields, you should start with one of the huaraches.

Country Boy’s Taco Truck – the maker of the Huarache

Huarache and Tacos at Country Boy’s Taco Truck

Spicy Pork Huarache

Empanada’s from Roja Ceviche

Elote with Mayonaise, cheese and Chili powder

Hibiscus Juice

(Honest To Goodness) Salsa Cafe, Wheeling, WV

As we made our trek from NYC to Ohio, we stopped in Wheeling, WV, a small big city located on the Ohio River, between Pennsylvania and Ohio. The rave reviews in Wheeling went to a place called Ye Olde Alpha Club, which had all the allure of a Moose Lodge and absolutely no light.

Next door we saw a place, also highly raved about called The Honest To Goodness Salsa Cafe. A cute place with a cozy interior, they specialize in salsa’s, wraps and burritos. From what I’ve read of this place, based on numerous press clippings on the restaurants own website (located at what has got to be the longest URL I’ve ever seen: http://www.honesttogoodnesssalsacafe.com/) the owner is a lawyer turned restauranteur who started out making vegetarian burritos out of a food cart. Its a pretty interesting story. The food here is loaded with flavor and full of spice. Worth the detour off of the highway to visit this very easy to find place!

Honest to Goodness Salsa Cafe
56 Carmel Road
Wheeling, WV 26003

The Ohio River at the Ohio, West Virginia border

Chips & Guacamole

Burrito Bowl

Zen Burrito

Wrapping of a Zen Burrito

Some of their speciality salsas include, pineapple, chipotle, mango, tomatillo, and cranberry

Red Hook Ballfields, Part 1: Red Hook, Brooklyn

I’ve been raving about this place for years and I’ve taken a million photos of it also. finding all those photos hasn’t been an easy task. Instead I am shooting some new photos for this blog entry and I plan on doing some future blog posts about Red Hook ball fields soon. So keep a look out for it.

The food vendors started about 1 million years ago in Red Hook at the ball fields on Bay between Clinton and Court St. The original intent was to feed the soccer players and their families, but then something happened – someone from within the grid of NYC had a huarache and then the damn thing just exploded, putting the ball fields on the map. Today it is frequented by hispanic’s and hipsters alike. Recently I put up a post about Red Hook Mercado, a smaller less crowded version of the Ball Fields with El Olomega Pupusas, Grindhaus and Robicelli’s Cupcakes.