Fresh Mexico_ 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor - Marcela Valladolid [31]
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Turn on a gas burner to medium-high heat. Working with one at a time, very slowly pass an entire banana leaf directly over the gas flame until the leaf is opaque and pliable. Crisscross the banana leaves in the bottom of a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot (they’ll hang over the edges). Put the pork, with all of the paste, inside the pot. Pour the melted butter over the pork. Wrap the banana leaves over the top and moisten the leaves with a few tablespoons of water (to avoid burning). Cover the pot with aluminum foil and then with its own lid. Bake for 2½ hours, or until the pork is very tender and falling apart.
Make tacos using the tortillas, pork, and pickled onions. Set them on a platter garnished with additional pieces of banana leaves, if desired.
ANNATTO PASTE
I use annatto paste for everything from making marinades and flavoring butter to coloring rice. It is also used to color cheese, margarine, and smoked fish. This musky product of the annatto tree (called achiote in its seed form) is available in Latin American, Spanish, and East Indian markets.
ANCHO-CHOCOLATE BRAISED SHORT RIBS
SERVES 6
5 pounds 2- to 3-inch beef short ribs, on the bone (see Tip)
2 onions, quartered
10 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Salt
2 tomatoes
1 head garlic, wrapped in aluminum foil
4 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
15 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into pieces
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons crumbled dried oregano
2 ounces Ibarra chocolate (see; ⅔ of a 3.1-ounce disk)
Chocolate and chiles have been paired up for centuries in Mexico. Ancho-infused hot chocolate was a drink reserved for royalty, believed to produce strength and virility. The combo is especially tasty with beefy short ribs. You can substitute bittersweet chocolate for the Mexican chocolate; just add a pinch each of sugar and cinnamon and a few drops of almond extract—the ingredients that make Mexican chocolate unique.
Combine the short ribs, one of the onions, the garlic cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon salt in a large heavy pot. Add water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 1½ hours, or until the meat is cooked through.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Arrange the remaining onion, the tomatoes, and the head of garlic on a large baking sheet. Drizzle the onion and tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender and browning in spots and the head of garlic is tender when pierced. Allow to cool slightly. Then transfer the tomatoes and onion to a blender. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their papery skin into the blender, and blend until smooth. Transfer the tomato puree to a medium bowl and set it aside.
When the short ribs are cooked through, strain them, reserving the meat and cooking liquid separately; discard all the vegetables and seasonings.
Put the ancho chiles in a medium bowl and cover with 3 cups of the warm reserved cooking liquid. Let stand for 15 minutes, or until the chiles are soft. Transfer the chiles and liquid to the blender and puree to a paste. (There is no need to clean the blender since everything is for the same sauce.)
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the ancho paste and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree and 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Stir in the cumin and oregano, and then the cooked short ribs. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 1¾ hours, or until the meat is very tender (adding more reserved cooking liquid if the sauce is too dry).
Stir in the chocolate until melted. Season the sauce to taste with salt