Category Archive

This is the classic enchilada dish served at the early 1960s Albuquerque restaurant, Videz, owned by Pete Benavidez. The restaurant was torn down to make way for Interstate 40, but the recipe lives on. From the article Albuquerque’s Food History is All About Chiles.

Ingredients

6-8 dried red New Mexican chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon ground Mexican oregano
1/2 pound pork, either cubed from a roast, or chops, or even bones with meat
1 to 1 and 1/2 pounds very lean ground beef
12 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 medium onion, chopped

Instructions

In a large pot, cover the chiles with very hot water and soak for 20 to 30 minutes or until limp and partially rehydrated. Place the chiles in the blender (they should loosely fill 3/4 of the container, if more, make two small batches.) Fill the container up near the top with water. Drop in the clove of garlic and sprinkle the top with the oregano. Add a little salt at this stage if you wish. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes on high or until a homogeneous or orangish-red mixture is obtained.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and add the pork. Cook, covered over a very low heat or uncovered at a slight bubble, for 2 to 3 hours. If cooked uncovered, periodically add water back to original level to maintain proper consistency which I can only describe as medium soupy.

Remove the pork pieces and save for another meal such as carne adovada. Place the chile sauce in the refrigerator and cool. Remove any fat that congeals on the top.

Season the beef with a little salt and pepper and sauté until the meat is no longer pink.

Combine the sauce and beef and simmer, covered, for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

Fry three tortillas per person in a couple of inches of oil until they are slightly harder that the taco shells. As they are removed from the oil with tongs, dip each into the red chile pot until they are fully submerged. Remove, place on a plate and top with some cheese and onion.

Continue the process until the tortillas are stacked three high on each plate.

Ladle red chile, including a small amount of the meat, over the tortilla stack until it is puddled up as deep as it will stand around the base of the stack. Cover the enchilada lightly with grated cheese and place in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Heat Scale: Medium

Here’s a cold soup with a wonderfully fruity taste. It nicely combines mangos and Scotch bonnet chiles, but you can substitute any fresh chile that you have on hand. From the article Mango Madness!

Ingredients

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped Scotch bonnet
1 cup chopped mango
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the pineapple, cucumbers, green onion, Scotch bonnet, mango, and bell pepper in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients and salt to taste and stir well.

Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

This dish is really worth the effort as it makes a very elegant and highly tropical presentation. To test if a coconut is fresh, pound a nail into one of the “eyes,” drain the coconut water and taste. If it tastes sweet it is fresh. Go ahead, mix a drink with some of the coconut water and rum or Scotch. You’ll be surprised by how good it tastes. Open the coconut by baking at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes and let cool. Then, using a hacksaw, cut it in half. From the article Mango Madness!

Ingredients

2 fresh coconuts, drained, liquid reserved, and cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless chicken, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 onion, minced
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons curry paste (available in Asian markets)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup light cream
1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced
Garnishes: Chopped fresh cilantro, reserved toasted grated coconut

Instructions

Cut the coconuts in half and cut out the coconut meat, leaving 1/4-inch of the meat attached to the nuts. Cut 2 cups of the meat into thin slivers and grate 1 cup of the remaining meat.

Preheat the broiler and sprinkle the grated coconut onto a pan and place it under the broiler. Toast for 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until the coconut is golden brown.

Sauté the garlic for 1 minute in the butter and oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken and saute until browned. Remove and keep warm. Add the onion, Scotch bonnet, ginger, and reserved coconut slivers. Saute for an additional 5 minutes.

Stir in the reserved coconut water and cilantro and return the chicken. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, curry paste, cumin, and cloves, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl. Add to the chicken mixture along with the mango and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Spoon the mixture into the coconut shells, garnish with the chopped cilantro and toasted coconut and serve.