Serves four

FOR THE CHOPS:
4 pork chops – about ½ inch thick
1 ½ tsp. curry
1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
¾ tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 TBS olive oil + 2 TBS for frying

Place the curry, cumin, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix. Add 1 TBS olive oil and form a paste. Rub the pork chops on both sides and let them sit a room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Heat a large skillet. Add the remaining 2 TBS of oil. Place the pork chops in the skillet and cook them until the bottom has formed a brown crust – about 5 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your pan, work on medium-high to medium heat. Flip the chops. Once that side has developed a crust – about another 5 minutes – flip them again. Do this for a couple of times.

To test if your pork chops are done, insert a meat thermometer close to the bone. It should register 160 degrees. Or, cut close to the bone. You should have clear juices running. Serve with the mango salsa. Enjoy!

CALORIES 266.07.; FAT 13.7 grs (sat 3.3; mono 7.86; poly 1.55); PROTEIN 34.23 grs ; FIBER 0.88 grs; CARBS 2.01 grs; CHOLESTEROL 75.84 mg; IRON 1.5 mg; SODIUM 941.78 mg; CALCIUM 27.56 mg

FOR THE SALSA:
1 small mango – peeled and cubed
½ red onion – finely chopped
2 radishes – finely sliced
1 TBS chopped cilantro
½ lime – juiced
½ tsp. salt

Place first four ingredients in a bowl. Mix. Add lime juice and salt. Mix well and set aside.

CALORIES 48.88.; FAT 0.33 grs (sat 0.05; mono 0.07; poly 0.04); PROTEIN 1.23 grs ; FIBER 1.08 grs; CARBS 11.27 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 0.69 mg; SODIUM 299.58 mg; CALCIUM 37.12 mg

Print the Curry Pork Chops with Mango Salsa Recipe Here

This recipe is a perfect fusion of Latin chiles with American BBQ sauce. It delivers a variety of flavors and is absolutely a pleasure to eat! Beef ribs are a lot meatier than pork ones but can also be a lot tougher. You have to cook them very slowly and for a long time. Here is what you need for these:

2 beefy racks of ribs
2 pasilla chilies
2 California chilies
4 arbol chilies
3 TBS salt + 1 tsp. for the chilies
2 TBS cumin
1 TBS black pepper
4 garlic cloves
BBQ sauce of your choice

Place the dry chilies in a skillet and turn on the heat. Press the chilies on the hot skillet and allow them to char and blister a bit. Move them to a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Weigh them down with a small plate and allow the to re-hydrate for about 20 to 30 minutes. Once hydrated, stem and seed the chilies. Place them in a blender with 4 garlic cloves and 1 tsp. salt. Blend until you have a smooth paste, adding a little of the soaking water if necessary.

Remove the fascia from the back of your ribs by sliding a small knife under it to separate it from the bone and pulling on it to tear it away. Rinse the ribs and place them in a pan.

Mix together the remaining salt, pepper and cumin. Sprinkle the rub on both sides of the racks and rub it in with your fingers. Smear the ribs with your chili paste.

Heat your grill. If you have a gas grill, turn off half of the burners once it is hot. If you have a charcoal grill, pile the hot coals to one side – using a metal tool. Place the ribs, bone side down on the lit side and sear them. Once seared, move them to the unlit part of the grill. Cover the grill and cook the ribs in indirect heat for a good 2 hours.

Slather the ribs with BBQ sauce and allow them to cook for another 30 to 45 minutes. The longer they cook the more tender they will be. Remove the ribs from the grill and serve. Enjoy!

Print the Grill Beef Ribs Recipe Here

Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up pretty soon here and I wanted to corn some beef at home. The video at the bottom is only Part One. I will include Part Two as soon as the beef has been completely cured. This is an easy process but it does take some time. Here is what you need to do for this:

1- 4 to 5 pound brisket
4 cups water
1 cup coarse salt
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup pickling spice – mustard seeds, coriander seeds, juniper berries and bay leaves
3 tsp. curing powder *
1 TBS black peppercorns

Trim the brisket off any nerves. Leave some fat on it. Rinse it and place it in a covered container that is large enough to hold it and the brine.
Place the rest of the ingredients in a small pan. Bring water to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat and cool down completely.
Pour brine over meat and refrigerate between 10 to 14 days. Turn meat around in container every day.

* Curing powder can be found online. It is not expensive and will last you a long time. It will prevent the meat from turning gray as it has nitrates. Go ahead and google it to see where you can find it. I got mine at www.sausagemaker.com.

After 10 to 14 days, remove the corned beef from the brine. Place it in a pot with water and add:

1 large onion – quartered
8 peeled and smashed garlic cloves
1 TBS black peppercorns
1 TBS pickling spices or 1/2 TBS mustard seeds, 1/2 TBS coriander seeds and 6 bay leaves
1/2 TBS dill seeds

Bring the pot to a simmer and cook the meat for about 4 hours. If you want to make a boiled dinner, go ahead and add cabbage, carrots and potatoes to the pot about 20 minutes before it is finished or add it to the broth after you have finished cooking the beef.

Remove the corned beef from the broth and allow it to cool completely. Wrap it in foil and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks.

CALORIES 379.50; FAT 28.69 grs (sat 9.58; mono 13.94; poly 1.01); PROTEIN 27.47 grs ; FIBER 0.00 grs; CARBS 0.71 grs; CHOLESTEROL 148.17 mg; IRON 2.81 mg; SODIUM 1714.58 mg; CALCIUM 12.09 mg

Print the Corned Beef Recipe Here

Print the Boiled Corned Beef Recipe Here

Perhaps the thought of eating beef tongue just makes your head spin. However, when cooked properly, beef tongue is tender and very mild in flavor. This spicy stew is well worth the try! In case you are willing to give it a chance, here is what you are going to need for this:

Serves six

1 beef tongue – trimmed
1 celery stalk
1 small carrot – halved
2 garlic cloves – peeled and smashed + 1 for the chilies
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 small white onion – peeled and halved + ½ for the chilies
1 chili pepper – halved
6 red chilies (aji Colorado or aji Panka) or 3 Guajillos, 3 Ancho and 3 chile Arbol
1 TBS cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/8 cup canola oil
¼ cup peas (can be thawed frozen ones or fresh)
1 large carrot – peeled and cut into sticks
Salt & Pepper

Rinse the trimmed beef tongue and place it in a pressure cooker. Add the celery, onion, carrot, garlic cloves, thyme and chili pepper. Cook for about 1 hour – after the pressure cooker starts making noise.
While the tongue is cooking – stem the dry chili pods. Cut them in the middle and seed them. Char them by placing them directly on an open flame. If you do not have a gas stove, go ahead and press them down on a dry, hot skillet until they blister.
Place the charred chilies in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for about 25 to 30 minutes. Once soaked, place them in a blender with the remaining onion, garlic and cumin. Add about 1 cup of the soaking liquid and blend until you have a smooth paste with no chili chunks.
Once the tongue is cooked – cool down the pressure cooker completely and remove them. Do not discard the cooking liquid. Cool them down and peel them by pulling on the skin and membrane on the meat. If the meat is not completely tender put them back in the pressure cooker and cook them a little longer. Once peeled, slice them thinly on the bias.
Add the canola oil into a large skillet or pan. Heat it well and add the blended chilies. Mix the oil and chilies until they are uniformly blended into each other. Wash out the remaining chilies in the blender with some water and add them to the pan. Cook the chilies for about 10 minutes.
Add the peas and carrots to the chilies and mix well. Cook for about 5 to 6 more minutes. Return the sliced tongue to the pan and mix to coat all the pieces.
Strain about 1 ½ cups of the tongue cooking liquid and add it to the pan. Mix well, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 20 more minutes. Serve with rice, boiled potato and chuño * and enjoy!

* Chuño is a black, dehydrated potato from the Andes. It is re-hydrated and cooked with egg and cheese.

Tongue stew, no sides – CALORIES 438.32; FAT 30.43 grs (sat 11.06; mono 13.99; poly 2.79); PROTEIN 25.38 grs ; FIBER 2.39 grs; CARBS 15.08 grs; CHOLESTEROL 131.53 mg; IRON 5.73 mg; SODIUM 571.89 mg; CALCIUM 55.53 mg

Print the Spicy Beef Tongue Stew Recipe Here

Chicken wings are the ultimate appetizer! You will find a few different recipes for these on this site. These particular ones are first beer brined, then rubbed in spices and deep fried. They are very, very good! You can use store bought blue cheese dressing for this. However, home made dressing makes a great difference. Here is what you are going to need for these:

2 pounds chicken wings
1 – 12 oz. bottle beer
1 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS coarse salt
½ TBS paprika
½ TBS garlic powder
½ TBS onion powder
½ tsp. black pepper
4 TBS butter
¼ cup red hot sauce
Oil for frying

• Cut the end tips of the wings and save them for chicken stock. Separate the drumette from the flat part of the wing. Rinse and place in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the beer, salt and brown sugar. Pour over the wings and brine for about 30 minutes.
• Mix the paprika, garlic power, onion powder and black pepper.
• Drain the wings and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Add the paprika mix and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the hot sauce. Bring to a simmer, turn off heat and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet with about 3 inches of oil. Heat until 375 degrees. Add the chicken drumettes and fry until browned and cooked through – about 13 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Fry the rest of the chicken.
• Heat the butter sauce. Place the wings into a bowl. Add the sauce and toss to coat well.
• Serve immediately with celery and blue cheese dressing. Enjoy!

Print the Buffalo Wings Recipe Here

There are different ways to make this dessert but I think this is by far the easiest. The end result is so wonderful you won’t want to make it any other way! This video also contains tips on making a perfect caramel, that does not crystallize. Here is what you are going to need for this:

1 cup sugar
1 – 14 oz. can evaporated milk
1 – 14 oz. can condensed milk
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

• Add sugar to a heavy pan. Melt sugar at medium heat.
• Swirl pan as the sugar is melting being very careful not to burn it.
• Once all sugar has melted, increase heat and cook until amber in color.
• Pour caramel into a mold without scraping the pot.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until you have a uniform cream – about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour custard into the mold.
• Place mold in an oven proof dish with high sides. Fill it half-way with hot water.
• Place dish into oven and cook for about 1 hour.
• Remove flan from oven and cool down completely.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Place on a platter and serve. Enjoy!

Print the Flan or Creme Caramel Recipe Here

Beef stock is made from roasting beef bones – including neck, back and knuckles – and is used as a base for soups, sauces and stews. It is ideally dark brown and concentrated. Here is how I make mine. I never salt it until I add it to a specific recipe. A good stock requires hours of simmering but is well worth the time as it will make a huge difference in any recipe.

6 meaty soup bones or short beef ribs – completely thawed
1 small white onion
4 garlic cloves – smashed
4 bay leaves
1 small carrot – peeled
1 large celery stalk
10 cups water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the bones thoroughly to get rid of blood and impurities.

Brush some oil on a roasting pan and place it in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove it from the oven and place the soup bones in it. Roast the bones for about 40 minutes until cooked and starting to caramelize.

Place the roasted bones in a large pot. Add 1 cup of water to the roasting pan and deglaze it – making sure to scrape all the brown bits. Pour the liquid into the pot on the bones.

Add 9 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and bay leaves. Simmer soup for at least 2 1/2 hours until reduced and concentrated.

Use the stock as a base for your favorite stews, chilies or soups. You can partition it and freeze it for further use.

Print the Beef Stock Recipe Here

I grew up in Bolivia and quinoa was always a normal staple for us. We ate it steamed like rice, as porridge, in soups and in a sort of cakey bread (pastel de quinoa). It is not until recently – and by that I mean maybe 10 years ago – that I started making salads with it. Quinoa was a very important meal for the Incas and is dubbed the ‘golden grain of the Andes’. It is considered a super food and is very high in protein, iron and manganese. It is also free of sodium and cholesterol and contains all 9 essential amino acids the body needs. Quinoa has a nutty, earthy flavor to it. It contains saponins that are released during cooking and will make it bitter; therefore, quinoa must be washed and rinsed thoroughly – a good 3 to 4 times – in order to prevent bitterness. However, most quinoa sold in the US has already had the saponins removed during processing. When you cook it the solid grains become transparent with an exterior ring. This cereal has an ever-growing popularity around the world and is easier and easier to find at your local grocery store.

Check on the box and see if the quinoa you are using had been pre-rinsed. If not, wash and rinse it 3 to 4 times in order to remove the saponins. Here is what you need to do for 3 cups of cooked Quinoa:

3/4 cups raw quinoa
1 1/2 cups water or low sodium vegetable stock
Salt
Olive oil

1. Wash the quinoa very well, scrubbing it between your hands and rinsing often until water comes out clear. This will take 3 to 4 times.
2. Place quinoa in a fine sieve colander and allow the water to drain well.
3. Heat a skillet with some oil, over high heat, until very hot. Add the quinoa and toast, stirring constantly, until quinoa turns golden and starts crackling, about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Bring the low sodium vegetable stock or water to a boil in a separate pot.
5. Add the toasted quinoa. Season with salt – if using stock use salt sparingly. Cover. Reduce heat to low and allow steaming for approximately 20 minutes. The grains should be soft but not mushy. Add a little bit more water if necessary. You will know it is cooked when you have a translucent center with a ring on the outside. Fluff with a fork and serve.

1/4 cup – CALORIES 174.13; FAT 6.2 grs (sat 0.93; mono 3.4; poly 1.56); PROTEIN 6.39 grs ; FIBER 2.23 grs; CARBS 23.09 grs; CHOLESTEROL 2.25 mg; IRON 1.63 mg; SODIUM 399.59 mg; CALCIUM 17.44 mg

Print the Steamed Quinoa Recipe Here

In my opinion, when a tamal is moist and has the proper amount of filling you have succeeded! Making tamales in not super hard but it is labor intensive. So you do need to plan ahead. You could prepare the beef and chilies a day ahead of time if you wanted too. Here is what you are going to need for this delicious and wonderful meal:

Makes 16 to 20 tamales

1- 2.5 to 3 pound flank steak or beef round roast
2 TBS ground cumin + 1 tsp. for the chilies
1 small white onion – cut into eighths + ½ for the chilies
1 chili pepper – halved (optional)
8 garlic cloves – smashed + 4 halved ones for the chilies
2 thyme sprigs
4 California dry chilies
2 ancho dry chilies
2 pasilla dry chilies
1½ a cup of soaking liquid
16 to 20 dry corn husks
4 cups masa harina for tamales
4 cups beef broth – hopefully the left over from the beef – luke warm
1 TBS baking powder
1 cup vegetable shortening
Boiling water
Salt & Pepper
2 TBS Canola oil

Rinse and pat dry the beef you are using. Season it with 1 TBS. salt, black pepper and 2 TBS ground cumin. Heat a large braising pan with the canola oil and brown the beef evenly on both sides. Set aside.

Discard all excess rendered fat. Add a little bit of water to the pan and scrape the brown bits from the bottom. Return the beef to the pot. Add the onion, garlic, chili pepper if using and thyme sprigs. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat and cover. Braise meat for 2 to 3 hours, until soft enough to shred. Once cooked, remove meat from pan and allow cooling. Shred the beef by hand, discarding any fat. Strain the broth and save it. You will need 4 cups for the masa harina. If you do not have enough add water to complete the 4 cups.

Heat a large skillet. Add the chili pepper and dry roast until a bit charred and blistered on both sides. Place chilies in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Weigh the chilies down with a small plate. Soak for 30 minutes. Once soaked, remove the stems and seeds and place in a blender. Add the half white onion, remaining garlic cloves, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. salt and 1 ½ cups soaking liquid. Blend into a paste and taste for salt. Add more if necessary. Add the chili paste to the beef and mix well.

Carefully separate the corn husks and soak then in warm water in a clean sink for about 30 minutes. Once soaked, remove from sink and carefully pat dry. Place the husks in a baking sheet and cover with a damp kitchen towel.

Place 4 cups of masa harina in a bowl. Add the baking powder and 2 tsp. salt. Mix well. Place the shortening into a small bowl and whip until creamy. Using your fingertips, add the beef broth to the masa and mix well. Once you have incorporated it all, add the shortening and finish mixing.

Place a husk in front of you with the rough side down and the shorter end towards you. Spoon in a thin layer of masa harina – wetting the spoon as necessary to work. Spoon in some beef in the middle. Fold the short end onto the masa and start rolling the husk away from you until you have a nice tight roll. Press the ends. The dough will seal the husks. Do not worry if your filling seeps a little. It will steam into the masa harina and be absolutely delicious.

Stand the rolled tamales in a steaming basket. Cover them with a damp cotton towel. Cover the pot and steam for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Make sure you check the water levels in your steamer about every 30 minutes. Carefully remove the dish rag and one of the tamales. Let it cool a bit and check for doneness. If they are not fully cooked steam for a little longer.

Serve your tamales with your salsa of choice and enjoy. These will freeze beautifully so go ahead and make a bunch. Enjoy!

Note: You will find Mexican chilies, husks and the masa harina in the Hispanic aisle of your grocery store.