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Shecky_Johnson's avatar

Would anybody like to share their favorite mexican dish?

Asked by Shecky_Johnson (720points) June 25th, 2009

Every year for Christmas Eve, my extended family will get together for a covered dish type dinner. Each year there is a theme. This year it’s Mexican food. I know I could google this, but I like the small touches that people add to the dish.

I would really like to be as authintic as possible, but it’s not a deal breaker. This can also be any meal. Desserts would be a nice touch, too.

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40 Answers

pats04fan's avatar

I love dirty rice. Its amazing

DarkScribe's avatar

No, you might have swine flu. I couldn’t risk it.

The only Mexican foods here are usually just the Taco/Enchilada type of thing, little truly representative of Mexico. For some reason Mexican food is one trend that has never really gained a footing in Australia, not many Mexican places that are much more than greasy spoons.

willbrawn's avatar

Tamales & Guac FTW!

AstroChuck's avatar

I have a yellow porcelain one with red trim and different colored chiles painted in the middle. That one is my favorite but I don’t plan on sharing it.

lefteh's avatar

Chilaquiles!!

syz's avatar

I have no idea what the recipe is, but I had a chocolate cake in Isla Mujeres that was fantastic. It had hot peppers in the chocolate, and as unlikely as it sounds, it tasted really good.

chyna's avatar

@syz I have been there! Loved the Island.

Darwin's avatar

If you have a slow cooker or crock pot do this:

Barbacoa

* 3 pound chuck or rump roast
* Water to cover
* Salt

Directions:

Put meat in the crock pot. Pour in water just until it covers the meat. Cook for minimum of 6 hours (or overnight), or until meat falls apart. Finely shred the meat using two forks. Add salt to taste.

Serve with flour tortillas and pico de gallo and roll them up like burritos or tacos.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients
* 6 medium Tomatoes diced
* 1 medium Onion diced
* 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro chopped.
* 2 to 4 Fresh serrano or jalapeƱo seeded and minced
* Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Let set a few minutes.

This is quite authentic (except the original was made with a cow’s head cooked on the fire overnight) and very tasty with a good meat flavor.

Darwin's avatar

@pats04fanDirty rice is from Louisiana, not Mexico, but it is very, very good. Perhaps you mean Spanish Rice?

basp's avatar

Mole!
My husband and son have mole cook offs because they both think they have the best recipie. Because they make so much at a time , we assemble “mole casserroles”. Cassererole dish, layer with torrtilla, mole sauce, sour cream, grated cheese. Fill the casseroe dish. They freeze great!

Darwin's avatar

@basp – I love a good mole, but boy, is that hard work, even with a blender! Imagine doing it the old fashioned way with a molcajete and tejolote.

I used to make mole in large quantities for my Dad so he could freeze it. It generally took at least two days to get it done.

irocktheworld's avatar

Nachoes AND TACOS!!!!

hungryhungryhortence's avatar

I don’t know how authentic Mexican they are but I love enchiladas made this way:

corn tortillas dipped in hot oil to soften them toast them slighty (changes the flavor)
filling of shredded longhorn colby/jack cheese and minced white onion
sauce of New Mexico chili powder, toasted flour, water and a little chicken broth
roll them up and bake for about a half hour then serve

I put a few of them on a plate and then build a salad on top of shredded lettuce, diced tomato, cilantro, avocado slices, sour cream and black olives

avalmez's avatar

tamales… labor of love and takes some practice, but few foods mexican beat tamales as far as i am concerned. also, barbacoa as recipe’d above is a compromise for non-mexican palletes i would say. original barbacoa is beef head…cooked in a hole in the ground…and yummy beyond belief…does taste a lot like roast, hence i think the recipe given above. finallly, cabrito…baby goat roasted for a time then finished on an open pit grilll…you gotta try it!

Darwin's avatar

@avalmez – My recipe for Barbacoa was given to me by a Mexican friend, hence its authenticity. It pretty much tastes the same as the one made with the real head cooked out on the ranch but without the eyes and tongue that seem to turn some people off.

avalmez's avatar

…and how could i forget, but menudo…like tamales, a mexican favorite around the holidays,...key ingredient is beef tripe (washed very thoroughly before cooking)

@darwin the recipe sounds really good and certainly easier to cook than genuine barbacoa which i could never attempt..i will try the receipe you gave above so thanks for it!

Darwin's avatar

@avalmez – While very authentic and tasty, Menudo is another one of those dishes that a lot of Americans have a hard time eating, especially once they find out what Menudo is made from.

hungryhungryhortence's avatar

Here’s my cheater version of Spanish Rice:

1 can of Rotel Original diced tomatoes, put in the blender first
use the empty can to measure 1 of long grain rice you toast in oil first so it cooks up fluffy rather than sticky
after the rice is toasted, add the Rotel, one empty Rotel can of water and another of chicken broth
cover the pot and put on low simmer for 40 minutes

avalmez's avatar

@Darwin you betcha. i used to eat menudo as a kid but haven’t since i learned what it’s made of. i wanted to point that out by mentioning the key ingredient. but, i do recall how good menudo tastes.

@hungryhungryhortence spanish rice is another dish that’s difficult to get right. i’ll have to give your cheater version a try. but when you say roasted in oil, do you mean until brown?

hungryhungryhortence's avatar

@avalmez; yup. I like to see the rice turn really brown, gives it a nutty flavor when cooked up. Rice is tricky but using the empty Rotel can as my measure works really well. One thing I did learn though is simmer on low flame or #2 setting on electric stoves and don’t lift the lid to peek and let the steam come out or it’ll get sticky

avalmez's avatar

@hungryhungryhortence thanks for the clarification ad additional instruction

evelyns_pet_zebra's avatar

I could share my Killer Enchilada Recipe with you, but then, I’d have to kill you.

BBSDTfamily's avatar

Chicken enchiladas and King Ranch Chicken (ok, maybe that’s more tex-mex)

2late2be's avatar

This question made me more hungry than I was….. Now I want tacos, enchiladas, chilaquiles, menudo, tamales.. Oh God! I miss so much y REAL Mexican food. By the way, my favorite Mexican food are tacos! But what I do best are enchiladas and chilaquiles for breakfast.

fallingtoofast's avatar

quesadilla con pollo asado. with rice and beans. guacamole is always good.

cak's avatar

This is the recipe I’ve used 4 times, for dinner parties. I love it, but it is a very time consuming process.

Chicken in Mole

I can only say it is as authentic as epicurious.com says it is…in other words, it could be a completely Americanized version of the recipe.

irocktheworld's avatar

BECAUSE

they are a nice person

and if they didnt they would be mean

basp's avatar

Darwin
You are right, good mole takes time. They make theirs from scratch. But, it is well worth the time!

Darwin's avatar

@basp – As far as I am concerned, that’s the only way to make mole. I generally start by cooking a turkey so I can make broth and go from there.

That stuff in the cans is an abomination.

Darwin's avatar

@cak – Fonda San Miguel is one of my favorite restaurants and is quite authentic. In fact, they began by basing all of their recipes on the work done by Diana Kennedy.

If you ever find yourself in Austin, Texas, you need to go there. In fact, call me, and I’ll meet you there.

cak's avatar

@Darwin – I’ll take you up on that! (foot needs to heal, first!) :)

cak's avatar

@irocktheworld Do you like tacos? Just curious. ;~)

sanbuu's avatar

You can’t go wrong with Mole. That is my favorite dish of all time. You can find really good recipes on allrecipes.com

tavj930's avatar

A dish named Enchiladas swisas, not sure of the correct spelling. I ate this dish at a restaurant in Mexico, I fell in love with the flavor and learned how to make. Basically, a chicken enchilada that is enveloped in a green sauce with cheese and sourcream. The sauce is made of green tomatillos, fresh jalapenos, cilantro, onion, garlic. You can get creative with the cheese filling, just jack cheese or Mexican cheeses like Fresco, and Cotija, which I like to combine with the jack. The combination of the 3 cheeses and the tartness of the tomatillo create a very unique and memorable flavor that people will crave after they eat. After assembling enchilladas, put in a baking pan, pour sauce, sour cream and more cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

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