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Mexicans are unabashed meat-eaters and prepare meats in creative and enticing ways, including marinated steaks, sizzling fajitas, flavor-packed burritos, and tacos stuffed with meats cooked over mesquite coals. There are paper-thin slices of pork, beef, and lamb marinated in adobo (red chile marinade), rich meaty stews, succulent ribs and roasts, spicy sausages, meats wrapped and cooked in banana leaves, and many more ways to experience the variety of meats cooked Mexican style.
The method of cutting meat is different in Mexico than in the United States. Most of the meats are cut with the grain and are much thinner; consequently the meat cooks in less time. Meats are also often coated with traditional regional seasoning pastes for extra flavor. Cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats were introduced to Mexico from Spain in the 1500s, and the meat from these domesticated animals broadened the Mexican diet considerably.
Cattle ranching flourished in the north, where range lands of native grasses provided a suitable environment for raising stock. Wheat also became an important crop in Mexico to feed the stock. Northern Mexico is known for its superior, better-tasting beef. Beef from other areas of Mexico is generally tough and stringy since most of the cattle is not finished in feed lots or fed corn or grain. Tougher cuts of beef are well suited for thinly sliced steaks used in fajitas, for Mexico's popular charcoal-grilled steak dishes, and for meat used for slow-cooked stews with spicy sauces.
In Mexico, pork rivals chicken as the most-popular meat. It is excellent for roasts and stews, and for the versatile chorizo sausage, which is used with eggs at breakfast, and to flavor sandwiches, soups, sopes (masa dough cups) toppings, and tortilla fillings. Lard, a byproduct of pork, is still widely used for traditional tamales and a number of other dishes, because there's no substitute for the flavor and texture it brings to a dish. Chicarrónes, or fried pork rinds, are a popular snack and ingredient in many traditional dishes. Even in nueva cocina--the new style of modern creative cooking in Mexico--they are not left behind, for they are sometimes used as a topping in soups or in salads instead of croutons.
Barbecued lamb and goat are favorites for fiestas and other special occasions. Lamb stews are also an important part of meat cookery in many regions.
Although organ meats are not commonly eaten in the United States, they are cooked all over Mexico, so I've included a few recipes for you to try.
Many of the dishes in this chapter are easy and fast to make, and others that need a longer time to cook can often be made ahead and require little attention from the cook while they simmer or roast. You'll find plenty of reasons to include Mexican meat dishes in everyday meals or on special-occasion menus.
Beef
Basic Shredded Beef
Shredded Beef with Onion and Tomatoes
Mexican Dried Beef
Tequila-Lime Flank Steak with Pickled Red Onions
Flank Steak with Mushrooms and Green Chile Strips
Flank Steak with Tomatillo and Sweet Pepper Salsa
Skirt Steak, Guadalajara Style
Chuck Steak with Chihuahua Chile Salsa
Pan-Broiled Steak with Onions and Chipotle
Beef Tenderloin Steaks, Yucatán Style
Beef Fillet Strips in Onion Sauce
Beef Fillet Strips with Tomatoes, Peppers, and Onions
Beef and Cheese Volcano
Grilled Beef, Sonoran Style, with Onions and Chile Strips
Beef Steaks with Red Chile and Wine Sauce
Steak with Avocado Butter and Mango Salsa
Steak with Tomato and Chili Sauce
Steak with Cascabel Chile and Lime
Rib Steaks with Ancho Chile-Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Steak with Red Chiles
Steak, Yucatán Style, with Green Seasoning Paste
Beef Tenderloin, Huasteca Style
Oven-Barbecued Beef
Beef Short Ribs
Boiled Rump Roast
Beef, Vegetable, and Red Chile Stew
Durango Beef Stew
Mexican Meatloaf with Ranchera Sauce
Pork
Basic Shredded Pork
Crisp Shredded Pork
Minced Spicy Pork
Ground Pork Patties
Mexican Pork Sausage
Pork Chops with Lime Butter
Pork Chops with Poblano Chile Sauce
Yucatán Grilled Pork Steak
Barbecued Pork Steak Marinated in Red Chile Paste
Baby Back Ribs with Tamarind
Crisp Pork Tidbits
Grilled or Spit-Roasted Pork
Pork in Guajillo Chile Sauce with Avocado
Pork Loin Roast with Red Onion Sauce
Pork Roast with Plantains and Tangerines
Pork Roast with Peanut Mole
Pork Shank, Yucatán Style
Pork Tenderloin with Red Sesame Seed Sauce
Pork Tenderloin with Serrano Chile Cream Sauce
Pork Stew from Puebla
Pork and Vegetables in Yellow Mole with Masa Dumplings
Pork and Green Chiles
Pork in Tomatillo Sauce
Pork Stew with Poblano Chiles and Corn
Pork "Tablecloth Stainer"
Pork, Vegetable, and Chile Stew
Pork with Black Beans and Chipotle Chiles
Pork Stew with Pineapple
Wedding Pork in Red Chile Sauce
Pork in Tomato Sauce with Diced Zucchini
Purslane with Pork
Lamb
Lamb Steaks with Chili Rub
Lamb Stew, Yucatán Style
Leg of Lamb in Chile Sauce
Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Fiery Cilantro-Mint Sauce
Oven-Roasted Lamb, Monterrey Style
Lamb Shanks in Ancho Chile and Red Wine Sauce
Lamb in Chile Broth
Lamb in Red Chile Stew
Lamb in Red Chile with Potatoes and Zucchini
Veal
Breaded Veal Cutlet
Veal in Sweet Red Pepper Sauce
Veal Stew in Red Pumpkin Seed Sauce
Organ Meats
Liver with Onions, Raisins, and Jalapeños
Beef or Veal Tongue in Vinaigrette
Beef or Veal Tongue with Almond Sauce
From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Basic Shredded Beef Shredded Beef with Onion and Tomatoes Mexican Dried Beef Tequila-Lime Flank Steak with Pickled Red Onions Flank Steak with Mushrooms and Green Chile Strips Flank Steak with Tomatillo and Sweet Pepper Salsa Skirt Steak, Guadalajara Style Chuck Steak with Chihuahua Chile Salsa Pan-Broiled Steak with Onions and Chipotle Beef Tenderloin Steaks, Yucatán Style Beef Fillet Strips in Onion Sauce Beef Fillet Strips with Tomatoes, Peppers, and Onions Beef and Cheese Volcano Grilled Beef, Sonoran Style, with Onions and Chile Strips Beef Steaks with Red Chile and Wine Sauce Steak with Avocado Butter and Mango Salsa Steak with Tomato and Chili Sauce Steak with Cascabel Chile and Lime Rib Steaks with Ancho Chile-Red Pepper Cream Sauce Steak with Red Chiles Steak, Yucatán Style, with Green Seasoning Paste Beef Tenderloin, Huasteca Style Oven-Barbecued Beef Beef Short Ribs Boiled Rump Roast Beef, Vegetable, and Red Chile Stew Durango Beef Stew Mexican Meatloaf with Ranchera Sauce Basic Shredded Pork Crisp Shredded Pork Minced Spicy Pork Ground Pork Patties Mexican Pork Sausage Pork Chops with Lime Butter Pork Chops with Poblano Chile Sauce Yucatán Grilled Pork Steak Barbecued Pork Steak Marinated in Red Chile Paste Baby Back Ribs with Tamarind Crisp Pork Tidbits Grilled or Spit-Roasted Pork Pork in Guajillo Chile Sauce with Avocado Pork Loin Roast with Red Onion Sauce Pork Roast with Plantains and Tangerines Pork Roast with Peanut Mole Pork Shank, Yucatán Style Pork Tenderloin with Red Sesame Seed Sauce Pork Tenderloin with Serrano Chile Cream Sauce Pork Stew from Puebla Pork and Vegetables in Yellow Mole with Masa Dumplings Pork and Green Chiles Pork in Tomatillo Sauce Pork Stew with Poblano Chiles and Corn Pork "Tablecloth Stainer" Pork, Vegetable, and Chile Stew Pork with Black Beans and Chipotle Chiles Pork Stew with Pineapple Wedding Pork in Red Chile Sauce Pork in Tomato Sauce with Diced Zucchini Purslane with Pork Lamb Steaks with Chili Rub Lamb Stew, Yucatán Style Leg of Lamb in Chile Sauce Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Fiery Cilantro-Mint Sauce Oven-Roasted Lamb, Monterrey Style Lamb Shanks in Ancho Chile and Red Wine Sauce Lamb in Chile Broth Lamb in Red Chile Stew Lamb in Red Chile with Potatoes and Zucchini Breaded Veal Cutlet Veal in Sweet Red Pepper Sauce Veal Stew in Red Pumpkin Seed Sauce Liver with Onions, Raisins, and Jalapeños Beef or Veal Tongue in Vinaigrette Beef or Veal Tongue with Almond Sauce * Meats
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