Calabacitas or Summer Squash and Corn

 A lovely Mexican and Mexican American summer dish, made with summer squash and zucchini, cooked with green chiles, bacon and corn.   

4 cups diced yellow squash and zucchini squash, mixed together

about 2 cups fresh or frozen corn cut off the cob 

4 slices of bacon cooked until crisp, then set aside

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

3-? cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped (use as much as you like)

about 1/4 cup, seeded and chopped green chiles of whatever heat level you prefer, I like to use roasted Hatch green chiles when available.    you can use more chiles if you wish, I often use ½ to 1 cup if the chiles are milder in flavor

1 cup heavy cream 

3-4 tbsp. bacon fat left from cooking the bacon

 Cook the bacon until crisp and set aside.   Remove all but 3-4 tbsp of the bacon fat from the pan.   Cook the onion,  and squash until lightly browned, stirring often.  Add the garlic and green chiles, cooking until the garlic is fragrant.    Add the corn and cook until the squash and corn are both tender.   Add the heavy cream and reduce the heat, cooking until the mixture is nearly dry.   Salt and pepper to taste.   Serve as a side dish or even as a main dish for a Mexican/Southwest themed meal.   It is addictive. 

 If you wish to add a protein to it, add cooked diced or shredded chicken, whatever amount you have or wish.   Some people will top this with cheese, but I find that with the cream it is gilding the lily.    

Southwest Cheesy Chicken and Rice

I came up with this one evening when I needed something quick to take to a dinner at work some years back.  I made it with odds and ends in the fridge, along with things I had in my cupboard.  Turned out so good I started making it on purpose.  You can use leftovers or buy things especially for it.  It will always be good. 

1 jar queso, I like 505 Roasted Hatch Chile queso, slightly warmed  or a couple cups of melted Velveeta
4-5 cups cooked rice
4 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey or cooked ground beef or roast pork or beef roast, whatever you have or like
1 small jar chunky picante sauce, I like Pace the best
1 pkg. taco seasoning or 2 tbsp chili powder or your own Mexican spice mix

Mix all together and place in a greased baking dish, top with grated cheese if you wish and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and the cheese is browned.   You can also put in a crockpot, top with some grated cheese and then heat on low until bubbly.    This is also very good for filling burritos.  As always, enjoy!!!

Frijole Rancheros or Rancher's Beans

1 pound of dried beans, pinto or black
1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp and set aside
about 1/4 cup rendered bacon fat, with the crunchies in the bottom of the pan if possible
1 medium sized onion, peeled and partially quartered so the onion holds together
1 whole green chile pepper, whole
3-4 large cloves of garlic, peeled
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1-3 green chiles, seeded and chopped
3-4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
3-4 ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped or a small can of diced tomatoes

Cover beans in cold water and then bring to a boil, boil about 15 minutes, then remove from heat, cover and allow to sit an. hour.    After the hour, add the whole onion, whole chile and who garlic cloves and bring the beans to a boil again, then reduce heat so the beans just barely simmer.   Simmer until very tender, another 45 minutes to an hour, until they are very tender.   When tender remove from the heat and set aside.   Take the whole vegetables from the pot and mash or chop finely, then add back to the beans.  

Next, take the reserved bacon fat and heat in another pan.   Add the chopped onions and green chiles, saute until they are are starting to brown, then add the garlic.   Fry just a few minutes and then add tomatoes.   Simmer this until the mixture is almost dry, stirring often.    When mixture is cooked, add it and the bacon into the beans, bring them back to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes or so. 

Is good with any kind of Mexican food or by itself.     If you have leftover roast pork, you can add that to the beans as well.   Makes a good meal by itself.  

Green Chile Chicken Stew With Green Chile Dumplings

Green Chile Chicken Stew with Green Chile and Cheese Dumplings

Heat about ½ cup oil in a large, deep Dutch oven. Add one large onion, peeled and chopped. When the onions are lightly browned, add about 3 large cloves and garlic that have been peeled and chopped, use more if you wish. Immediately after adding the garlic, add ½ cup flour and stirring constantly, cook until the flour is lightly browned. Pour in 2 quarts of chicken broth and about 1 1/2-2 cups roasted peeled and chopped green chile. Stir constantly until the gravy is thickened. Add 3-4 cups cooked chopped chicken. Reduce heat to a low simmer and stir on occasion to keep from sticking.

Now mix up the dumpling dough. Take two cups flour in a large bowl, add 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp. baking soda. Stir until all are mixed well. Melt about 2/3 cup butter and stir into the flour mixture and mix together, then stir in 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese and ½ cup grated Parmesan. Beat together 1 egg, ½ cup roasted peeled and chopped green chiles and about a cup of buttermilk. Stir this into the flour mixture until well blended. If too dry, add more buttermilk, if to wet, more flour. Then spoon the mixture on top of the simmering stew, cover and cook about 20 minutes. At that time stick a toothpick in the center of one of the dumpling, if done it will come out clean. Top each serving with some more grated cheese if you wish.

If you wish, you could do this with a beef stew or even a pork stew.   Would also be a good way to use up leftover turkey at Thanksgiving.   

Be sure to use a high quality roasted green chile, preferably Hatch.   I use the jarred 505 green chile that you can order from 505 or sometimes can be found in local grocery stores, the Topeka WalMart carries it.      

Mario's Mexican Breakfast AKA Migas con Huevos

I have a very good friend in Wichita, by the name of Mario.  He is originallMy from Monterey, NL Mexico.  When I visit him, he sometimes makes this very simple and utterly delicious breakfast dish. I have made it many times and anyone who is a fan of Mexican food loves it too.  It is easy to fix for a crowd and a good way to use up stale corn tortillas.  This recipe is for one serving, just double, triple, etc for more people.

2 tbsp oil or lard

2-4 corn tortillas, torn into medium sized pieces

About ¼ cup chopped onion 

1-2 green chiles, seeded and chopped (optional for those who want some heat)

¼ cup cooked salsa, green or red

3-4 eggs, lightly beaten

In a medium sized skillet, nonstick if possible, heat the oil and then fry the tortilla pieces until the start to crisp a bit, stirring often.  Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Add the onion and green chile if using and cook until tender, add the tortilla pieces, the eggs and salsa, cooking until eggs are done, stirring as needed.  Dish up and eat!

You may add some chorizo or diced ham when frying the onion and chiles.  You can top with grated cheese if you like, but I really think that isn't needed.

Huevos motuleños

I first had this breakfast dish at a lovely restaurant in Santa Fe, NM called Cafe Pascuals.  It is lovely little place and at breakfast time packed from wall to wall, but well worth the trouble to get into.   The friends I went with recommended that I try this and I was so very happy that I did.  It is an incredible dish and so very easy to make.  It is also very flexible and quick to make as well.

It is originally from the southern part of Mexico, as you can see from the ingredients and is named from the town where it originated, Motul.  Here is my take on it.  Enjoy!

For each serving:

1 ripe, but firm banana, peeled halved lengthways, then each half halved again crossways.
1/2 cup cooked, drained and reheated beans, black are traditional but pintos work well too
1 cup green sauce, heated or a heated cooked smooth red sauce
2-3 eggs cooked as desired, fried is traditional
1/2 cup diced ham or cooked pork (optional)
3 heated corn tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or crumbled cotija cheese or some grated monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup cooked green peas (optional, I usually leave out but it is traditional)
1/2 cup pico de gallo
1 tbsp. butter

Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet until warm, but still flexible.  Place on serving plate and set aside in a warm place.   Heat the butter in the skillet and gently fry the banana slices until lightly browned on each side, a nonstick skillet is best for this as the sugar in the bananas can make them stick very easily in a regular skillet.   When the bananas are browned assemble your plate:  tortillas, then the heated salsa, scatter the cooked drained beans over the top, then the ham or pork if using, then the eggs, the peas, the pico de gallo, and finally the crumbled cheese, place the fried banana slices around the edges.   I usually don't use the peas, and in place of the pico de gallo, often just smother the whole thing with more green sauce, mainly because I love green sauce!   This is a delicious breakfast dish and easily made as you can have everything except the eggs and bananas prepared ahead of time, just heat, cook the eggs and bananas, assemble and eat.   I like it for lunch and a light supper too.  Pretty healthy as well!

Breakfast Burritos

I am a big fan of burritos, which basically are anything wrapped in a flour tortilla.   Usually I just wrap up my cooked and hot filling with some cheese, but sometimes after rolling it up, I'll grill it in my panini press.   Either way they are always delicious.    One of my all time favorites is a breakfast burrito.   There are innumerable combinations of fillings, here are a couple of my favorites.

This afternoon I made one that I especially love, it is probably my favorite.   This recipe will make enough filling for about 4-6 burritos, depending on how big you want them.   I heat about 2 tbsp. bacon fat or oil in a large non-stick skillet.   I then add 1 peeled and thinly sliced onion and about 1/2 cup cubed ham.    Then I add 1/2 bag of shredded hash browns, (I like the Simply Potatoes brand).   I fry this all together until nicely browned, just a few minutes.   Then I beat two eggs and pour over the potato, ham and onion mixture and scramble until done.   Meanwhile, I heat my large flour tortillas, taking a hot tortilla and add some shredded cheddar cheese and the amount of potato-egg mixture that I want, and roll it up.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and potato-egg mixture.   Place on plate and cover with some good picante sauce, I prefer Pace Chunky Picante Sauce.   Eat.

Another good burrito filling uses chorizo, the famous Mexican fresh sausage.    You can either use store  bought chorizo or make your own using my recipe here.    For 4-6 burritos, I use about 12 ounces of chorizo.   Heat a large non-stick skillet and add 1-2 tbsp. of oil.     Gently fry the chorizo, taking care not to let it burn.   When it begins to render some fat, add a peeled and thinly sliced onion, a seeded and finely chopped jalapeno chile and two chopped Roma tomatoes.   Continue to fry until the meat is lightly browned and the vegetables are very tender.   Beat 3-4 eggs and add to the fried chorizo mixture and scramble until the eggs are done.   Heat your tortillas and fill with the chorizo-egg mixture.   Cheese is probably not needed, as the chorizo is rich enough on its own.   Cover with your favorite picante sauce and enjoy.

Kevin's Guacamole

My friend Kevin in Kansas City makes the absolute best guacamole you ever tasted.   This morning he sent me the recipe and I want to share with it everyone. 

Avocados are one of the healthiest things you can eat.   And this guacamole contains not only avocados, but other things that are very good for you, so you can feel good about eating something that is not only delicious, but also good for you.    Here is a site that tells you some of the wonderful things about avocados.   I like to eat this guacamole smeared on a piece of toasted bread or a bagel for a snack or light meal.    So enjoy!

Kevin's Guacamole

4 avocados, smashed but with some chunks
the juice of 2 large limes
2 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
sea or kosher salt to taste

Pour the lime juice over the avocados, then fold in the remaining ingredients.   To keep the dip from turning brown, add 3 of the avocado pits to the dip.   I don't know why that works, but it does.

Chile Verde or Pork with Green Chiles

3 pounds of pork shoulder or boneless country style ribs
(cut meat into cubes, trimming as much fat as possible)
flour to dust the meat cubes with
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups diced mild green chiles, like Anaheim,
seeds, stems and membranes removed
2 cups/1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup water or chicken broth
2 tbsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt or to taste
2 tbsp. oil, enough to lightly grease a large skillet or dutch oven

Heat the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven.   Lightly flour the pork cubes and brown in the heated skillet, about 1 pound at a time.    When all the pork cubes are browned, add the onion and cook until wilted.    Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the pork is fall apart tender, 2-3 hours.   Stir on occasion to prevent sticking.   You may need to add more water or chicken broth to keep from cooking dry or sticking.     Eat as a stew with hot tortillas or add more chicken broth to make it more soup like.   If you like the taste of garlic, you can add 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic with the onion.

Enchiladas Suiza

This is another of my favorite recipes and one that many friends and family beg me to make.   The sauce is came up with, using ideas from a friend in Mexico and somethings I came up with on my own.   These are delicious as part of a Mexican meal.

When preparing the ingredients for the sauce you can either roast them on the grill like I do, or you can roast them in a hot oven or even just boil them on top of the stove for a few minutes.

Salsa:

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked but left whole
1 small white onion, peeled and cut into quarters
2-? serrano or jalepeno chiles with the stem end cut out (vary the amount according to how picante you like the sauce, 3-4 are about what I use)
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

I spray everything with some cooking spray, then put in a grill pan and grill on my gas grill set on high, turning every few minutes until everything is blistered and has black patches here and there. If roasting in the oven, again spray with cooking spray and put on a cookie sheet or 9x13 inch cake pan and roast at 450 until everything is well browned. If boiling, place in a sauce pan, just barely cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer about 10-15 minutes. Drain before proceeding with recipe. When they are done, place everything into a blender, add half of a bunch of cilantro and a teaspoon of salt. Blend until fairly smooth. When blended, heat 2 tbsp. oil in heavy saucepan, when hot pour in the blended sauce and stir. Allow to simmer about 10-15 minutes until it begins to thicken a bit. Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and continue to simmer another 15 minutes or so. Remove from the heat.

Chicken: (can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or just use any leftover boiled, roasted or grilled chicken)

2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs
Sprinkle heavily with about 1/2 tsp. of each of the following: garlic powder, crushed red pepper, oregano, thyme, cumin. (or just use any other spices you like best)

Roast at about 450 for 30-40 minutes or until falling apart tender. Cool, then cut into small cubes or shred.

Spoon a small amount of the warm sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish. Heat about 2 dozen corn tortillas just enough to make them pliable. Brush sauce on one side of the tortilla, add a couple spoonfuls of diced/shredded chicken, about the same amount of shredded cheese (I like the Mexican blend, but my priest friend in Monterrey says to use mozzarella, monterey jack is good and cheddar works too, it just needs to be a good melting cheese), then roll up as tightly as you can. Place in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat until the pan is full. Top with remaining sauce and then sprinkle the top heavily with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Enjoy!

Breakfast: Chorizo and eggs, and biscuits with sausage gravy

I love breakfast foods, but rarely eat them at breakfast time.   About the only times I eat in the mornings, is on the weekends or if I am off for some reason and even then it isn't a usual thing.   Take today, for example, I slept in and got up about 9:30 am.   I piddled around the apartment, but it wasn't until noon that I decided to eat something.   I've been craving chorizo and eggs, and just happened to make a double batch of chorizo last night, so had it in the fridge.   I sliced a small onion, cooked it in a bit of oil, then added about 2 ounces of chorizo.   I stirred it until the chorizo was done and the onions limp and lightly browned.   Next I beat 3 eggs with a splash of milk, then poured it over the chorizo and onions.   I stirred it  until set and the eggs were well mixed with the chorizo and onions.   Next I heated two flour tortillas, sprinkled a tablespoon or so of cheese in them and then filled with the eggs and chorizo, rolling them up into a delicious breakfast burrito.   With a glass of cranberry juice, that was my lunch/breakfast and it was fantastic!

Sometimes Aaron will request I make sausage gravy and biscuits.      First I make the biscuits:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. solid shortening (lard is best, followed by butter and then vegetable shortening)
1 cup butter milk

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.    Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it is well blended, if there are a few small clumps of shortening, that is ok.   Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.   Quickly stir together using a fork until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.   Dump out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly knead a dozen times, then roll out about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Cut into rounds and place in an ungreased pan (a heated cast iron skillet is the best baking dish!).   Gather the scraps together, roll out again and cut more biscuits.   Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees about 10-15 minutes or until well risen and brown on top.   Goes good with butter and honey or butter and sorghum, with jelly or jam, or covered with sausage gravy.

Sausage gravy is something my family and Aaron both love.   Where we split is in how it is put together.   My family always fried the sausage in patties and served it along with the biscuits and gravy, but Aaron prefers the sausage fried loose and crumbly and served in the gravy itself.     Being the kind person I am, I usually cook it that way for him.   Gravy is something I usually don't measure carefully, but cook for with my eye.   Here's how I do it:

I crumble the sausage into a hot skillet and if the meat looks very lean, I'll add a bit of oil or bacon drippings.   Fry the sausage until it gets good and brown, but being careful not to burn it.    Remove the brown sausage crumbles to a bowl and set aside.   Eye the grease in the pan and you should have about 4 tbsp.   if more remove some and if less add more oil or bacon drippings.    Add three  tablespoons of flour and stir into the drippings until smooth.   Continue cooking and stirring until the flour/fat mixture begins to brown.  Whisk in 2 cups milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens.   If it looks too thick, add up to another cup of milk.   Boil for 1 minute, stirring all the while.   Add the cooked sausage back to the skillet and taste for salt and pepper.   If too thick you can add a bit more milk to thin it down, gravy will thicken as it cools.   Pour over hot biscuits and enjoy!

If you prefer your sausage on the side, make the loose sausage meat into small patties and fry in the heated skillet, adding some oil or bacon drippings as above.   Turn the patties often and watch for burning.   When well browned and done in the center, remove from skillet and drain on paper towel.   Make gravy as above, but disregard the part of returning the cooked sausage to the gravy.   This is some good eating!

Roasted garlic, tomatillo and chicken soup

This is a really good soup that I love to make.    I often cook the vegetables and chicken on the grill instead of roasting in the oven or browning on top of the stove.   The fire grilling gives it a really deep and smoky flavor.

Roasted Garlic and Tomatillo Soup

1 large whole head of garlic
2 tsp. olive oil
1 pound raw tomatillos
1 small white onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1-2 green chiles, halved and seeded (or more if you like it hot)
1 quart chicken broth
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 large tomatoes, cored and chopped or 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded melting cheese (monterey jack, mild cheddar, etc)
1 pound boneless chicken thighs (or precooked diced or shredded chicken)
chopped fresh cilanto
sliced avocado (optional)

1. Peel away outer skin from the head of garlic and cut off the pointed top portion, leaving the bulbs intact. Place in a custard cup and drizzle with the olive oil. Cover tightly with foil.

2. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and cut in half. Place cut side down on a baking sheet with the green chiles and onion quarters. Bake in vegetables and garlic in a 425 degree oven about 30 minutes, then remove and cool slightly.

3. Using your fingers, press the garlic cloves to remove from the skins and put in a blender with the onion, chiles and half of the tomatillos. Add one cup of the broth and blend until smooth. Dice or chop the remaining tomatillos by hand.

4. Transfer the blended mixture into a large pot, add remaining broth, black pepper, diced tomatoes and diced tomatillos. Mix together and then heat thoroughly.

5.   Saute the chicken pieces in a bit of oil until nicely browned.   Then cut into bite sized pieces.   Add to the soup.   (if using precooked chicken, add it now)

6. To serve, place in bowl, top with shredded or diced cheese and some cilantro. If using the avocado, slice or dice on top of that.

Makes enough for 2-3 people as a main course. I like to serve it with some cheese quesadillas.    Enjoy!

You can make it vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth and omitting the chicken.

For an easier and quicker version, chop and sautee a small onion and a couple of chopped cloves fresh garlic in a couple tablespoons of oil until tender.   Add a jar or two of good quality green sauce (Herdez is my favorite), with the chicken broth, diced tomatoes and the precooked chicken.   Simmer 15-20 minutes.  Serve as above.  Almost as good as the freshly cooked salsa and a lot faster.  I love this with a cheese quesadilla on the side.  

Pico de gallo

As mentioned before, I love good Mexican food. One of my favorite and simplest side dishes is pico de gallo. A relish/sauce that is eaten with tacos or chips or as a bit of something on the side with other foods. I have also found that pico de gallo is also good served with Indian or Thai food as well.

Basic Pico de Gallo:

2-3 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small red or white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-3 hot green chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
the juice of a lime
sprinkle of salt

Mix all together and allow to sit a few minutes before serving.

Pineapple Pico de Gallo

about 1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple with juice
1 small red or white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1-3 hot green chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
if the pineapple is very sweet, the juice of a lime (optional)

Mix together and allow to sit a few minutes before serving.

Pork in green sauce

I love meat cooked in sauces and pork is especially good at absorbing bold flavors. This is one of my favorite dishes to fix when I'm cooking a Mexican meal. And most who try it fall in love with it. It can also be a good dish to fix in a slow cooker. Beef can be substituted for the pork if you prefer that.

3 pounds boneless country style ribs or shoulder cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste (or 1 tbsp. of the chorizo spice mix from yesterday's post)
1/4 cider vinegar

Place the pork cubes in a large roaster or other baking dish, sprinkle with the salt and pepper (or optional spices), then sprinkle the vinegar over the meat as well and bake uncovered at 400 degrees about an hour or until the meat is beginning to brown. Meanwhile, prepare the green sauce.

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, dehusked
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
1-3 hot green chiles, halved and seeded
1 bunch cilantro

Place everything except the cilantro into a baking dish and either dribble some vegetable oil over them or spray with cooking spray. Place in the oven and allow to roast until everything is browned, about 20 minutes or so. Remove from oven, spoon into a blender and add the cilantro. Blend until well chopped, but not quite smooth.

Pour the green sauce over the browned pork cubes, stir well and continue to cook another hour or hour and a half or until the pork is falling apart tender and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a bit of water every so often to keep it from getting too dry.

Serve with tortillas, beans and rice. This makes delicious burritos.

If you want to cook it in a slow cooker, flour the meat and brown in oil, place in slow cooker and then add the prepared green sauce. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

Homemade Mexican-style Chorizo

I love good Mexican food and have either learned or developed a few good recipes of my own. One of these recipes is for chorizo. Mexican-style chorizo is a very spicy fresh sausage and can be made from different kinds of meats. Usually it is made from pork, but beef, turkey, venison or a mixture of any of these is also good. Chorizo, unlike most other sausages, is traditionally made with lean meat, making it a healthier choice for eating. The spice mix I have here is one I came up with after lengthy study and experimentation. I have also discovered that this mix makes a killer spice rub for grilling meats, as well as spices for cooking meat for other dishes.

Dry Spice Mix:

7 tsp. of salt
6 tbsp. ground ancho chiles
6 tbsp. ground chipotle chiles
4 tbsp. paprika
6-10 tsp. crushed red pepper (depending on how hot you like it!)
4 tbsp, crushed oregano
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. each ginger and cloves
4 tsp. brown sugar

Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

Mexican-style Chorizo

2 pounds ground meat
1/2 recipe of the dry spice mix
5-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup hot water

Mix the dry spice mix with the garlic, vinegar and hot water. Set aside to soak about 10 minutes or so. It should make a slightly thin paste, add more hot water if needed. Stir the paste into the ground meat and mix well. Usually you can do it with a very stout spoon, but sometimes you may need to use your hands. Divide the meat up into 4-5 small containers and allow to set overnight in the refrigerator. After that it can be frozen and taken out as needed.

When I use chorizo I often start out cooking it the same way. I add a small amount of vegetable oil to a skillet, then the chorizo and fry gently for a few minutes, breaking up the chorizo as it fries. Then I add about 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, a finely chopped green chile or two and about a cup of chopped tomato. I continue frying until the mixture is almost dry. This by itself makes a great filling for tacos. If I am cooking this at breakfast time, I'll beat 5-6 eggs and add to the skillet, cooking as for scrambled eggs. Taking care not to cook the eggs too dry. This with beans and tortillas makes a good breakfast for 3-4 people.

The next recipe I have using chorizo is one given me by my good friend Padre Javier who lives in Monterrey, Mexico. I have friends who hate beans, but who beg me to make these.

Padre Javier's refried beans

Heat a couple tablespoons of oil it a deep skillet. Fry the chorizo, along with a finely chopped peeled onion and 1-2 chopped jalapeno peppers and 2-3 finely chopped tomatoes. When mixture begins to get a bit dry, puree 2-3 cups cooked black or pinto beans with ½ cup milk or half and half. Add to the skillet and simmer, stirring frequently, until the beans are fairly thick. Spoon into a serving dish and top with grated monterey jack cheese. Eat as a side dish with Mexican food or leave a bit soupy and use as a dip for chips. Guaranteed to please!