(Sonoran-Style Marinated Pork)

This unusual recipe is half jerky and half grilled pork. Don’t worry about exposing the meat to the air; the vinegar is a high-acid preservative.

Ingredients

• 10 Chiltepins (or more to taste), seeds removed and saved

• 10 dried red New Mexican chiles, stems removed, seeds removed and saved

• 3 large cloves garlic

• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 small cabbage, chopped

• Juice of 4 limes

• 4 pounds pork tenderloin, sliced into strips 1/4 to 1/2 inch thin
  (for easier slicing, freeze the pork slightly, then slice)

• Corn or flour tortillas

Instructions

Boil the New Mexican chiles until they are soft. Add all the other ingredients except the pork, chile seeds, and tortillas and puree in a blender to make the marinade.

Add the seeds to the chile marinade and marinate the pork in the mixture for an 1 hour. Hang the strips of meat over a clothesline in the sun and arrange cheesecloth around them to keep the insects away. Dry the meat in the sun for two days in dry weather and then refrigerate until ready to use.

Grill the meat strips over mesquite wood for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Dice the strips and spread the meat over thin flour or corn tortillas.. Spread chopped cabbage over the meat and sprinkle lime juice over the top. Fold the tortilla in half and serve.

Serves: 8

Heat Scale: Hot to Extremely Hot

(Pot of Vegetable Stew with Chiltepins)

Like most stews, this one takes a while to cook, about 4 hours. It is interesting because it contains a number of pre-Columbian ingredients, namely Chiltepins, corn, squash, potatoes, and tepary beans. The spicy heat can be adjusted by adding or subtracting Chiltepins.

Ingredients

• 15 Chiltepins, or more to taste

• 1 beef soup bone with marrow

• 1 cup dried tepary or garbanzo beans

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 acorn or butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1-inch cubes

• 3 ears corn, cut into 2-inch rounds

• 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 head cabbage, quartered

• 3 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, seeds and stems removed, chopped

• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 2 large potatoes or sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 3 zucchini squash, cut into 1/2-inch slices

• 1 onion, quartered

• 2 cups fresh string beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

• Water

Instructions

In a large soup kettle combine the Chiltepins, soup bone, beans, garlic, and twice as much water as needed to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. 

Add the acorn or butternut squash, the corn, and more water and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the carrots and cabbage and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the green chiles, celery, and potatoes and cook for 30 minutes.

Add the zucchini, onion, and string beans and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until everything is tender.

When ready to serve, remove the kettle from the heat, remove the soup bone, and add the cilantro.

From Antonio Heras-Duran and Cindy Castillo, who took Dave and Mary Jane on a chiltepin tour of Sonora, comes this regional specialty. These enchiladas are not the same as those served north of the border. The main differences are the use of freshly made, thick corn tortillas and the fact that the enchiladas are not baked. We dined on these enchiladas one night in Tucson as they were prepared by Cindy, who is well-versed in Sonoran cookery.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

• 15 to 20 chiltepins (or piquins), crushed

• 15 dried red New Mexican chiles, seeds and stems removed

• Water

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon flour

For the Tortillas:

• 2 cups masa harina

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Water

• Vegetable oil for deep frying

For the Enchiladas:

• 3 to 4 green onions, minced (white part only)

• 2 cups grated queso blanco or Monterey Jack cheese

• Shredded lettuce

Instructions

For the Sauce:

In a saucepan, combine the two kinds of chiles, salt, and enough water to cover. Boil for ten or fifteen minutes or until the chiles are quite soft.

Allow the chiles to cool and then puree them in a blender with their water and the garlic. Strain the mixture, mash the pulp through the strainer, and discard the skins.

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the flour, and brown, taking care that it does not burn. Add the chile puree and boil for five or ten minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Set aside and keep warm.

For the Tortillas:

Mix the first four ingredients together thoroughly, adding enough water to make dough. Knead the dough with your hands. Using a tortilla press with waxed paper, make the tortillas. Deep fry each tortilla until it puffs up and turns slightly brown. Remove and drain on paper towels and keep warm.

For the Tortillas:

Place a tortilla on each plate and spoon a generous amount of sauce over it. Top with the cheese, lettuce, and onions.

The word “machaca” derives from the verb machacar, to pound or crush, and that description of this meat dish is apt. The shredded meat is often used as a filling for burritos or chimichangas and is sometimes dried.

Ingredients

• 3 pound arm roast

• 10 to 15 Chiltepins, crushed

• 1 and 1/2 cups chopped green New Mexican chile, roasted, peeled, stems removed

• 1 cup tomatoes, peeled and chopped

• 1/2 cup onions, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Put the roast in a large pan and cover it with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender and until the meat starts to fall apart, about 3 or 4 hours. Check it periodically to make sure it doesn&rquo;t burn, adding more water if necessary.

Remove the roast from the pan and remove the fat. Remove the broth from the pan, chill, and remove the fat. Shred the roast with a fork.

Return the shredded meat and the defatted broth to the pan, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer until the meat has absorbed all the broth.

Serving Suggestions: Serve the meat wrapped in a flour tortilla along with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, grated cheese, and sour cream, which would reduce the heat scale.