Red Chile Con Carne
An authentic Mexican recipe by Aida Gabilondo from Mexican Family Cooking
- 2 lbs. lean beef or pork or half of each, cut into medium sized pieces
- 7 Ancho chiles
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 cup lard
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1-1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
Boil the meat in well-seasoned water to cover until tender. Drain the meat, saving all the broth, and cube it. Set aside some of the broth.
Remove tops and seeds from the red chiles and boil in salted water for 15 min. Cool and puree in blender with 1 or 2 cups reserved meat broth and 4 garlic buds. Strain. You should have 4 cups.
Pan-fry the meat in 1/4 cup lard, and set aside. In remainder of lard, brown the flour until golden and add the strained chile puree. Cook until sauce thickens, season with salt to taste, add oregano and boil 10 more minutes until thick.
Add sauce to meat just to barely cover, and cook a few minutes stirring constantly. (If you have any red chile sauce left, save to make enchiladas.) If Chile con Carne is too dry, add a little of the reserved broth until right consistency is reached.
Serve with fresh flour tortillas and a bowl of any crisp salad on the side. Beans in any shape or form are a must.
Pollo En Nogada
(Chicken in Nut Sauce)
by Diana Kennedy
- 3 Ancho chiles, toasted and soaked as for Chuletas de Puerco Adobados
- 2 Tbsp. oil
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 (3-1/2 lb.) chicken, cut into serving pieces
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/8 tsp. each cinnamon and cloves
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 cup each peanuts and pecans
- 1 slice white bread, broken up
Heat oil and butter in skillet and saute chicken until golden. Remove to flameproof casserole which has a lid, and season with salt and pepper. Save fat in pan. Add stock; cover and simmer gently until tender, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, combine prepared chiles, onion, garlic, spices, nuts, bread and a little stock in the blender and blend to a coarse puree, blending in 2 batches.
Heat oil and butter remaining in skillet, adding enough to make 2 Tbsp. if necessary. Cook the puree for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the stock off the chicken; add to the sauce; and cook, over low heat, until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Pour over the chicken in the casserole, and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until heated through. Serves 6.
