Mexican Food: Birria (Beef or Goat Soup)

Since, I can remember, I had birria at least a couple of times a month. Every Saturday or Sunday, my parents and I would take a holiday trip to Tijuana, Mexico. To the birreria "Guanjuanto." They made the best birria I've ever tasted in my entire life. We always gave other establishments a try, but none of them could compare.

 As I grow older, we can't just pick up and take a holiday, because our schedules are busy with school, work, and life in general. I miss those days of being a kid and not having a care in the world. Since, then whenever we go to Tijuana- it is a must we go eat there. Mind you, we're only 30 minutes away, but due to high traffic and long border crossings, it has become almost a 8-hour trip, just to come back to the states. I decided I wanted my kids to grow up with the same palette as I did as a kid. My first try on making birria myself was good, just adding seasonings here and there, beginner's luck, if you will. But I've made it more often and with different versions of meat and a variety of spices. I think I've gotten down the basic recipe to share with you.

  Now, usually making birria requires a huge stock pot, which I didn't have, so I decided to use my slow cooker. I'm be using my recipe, with a few minor adjustments to best suit a slow cooker and deliver get flavor.  So, what is birria? It's a soup/stew with meat has been seasoned and marinated for hours and slow cooked over a fire pit or heated stove for hours. Usually served with tortillas as dry shredded/chunk meat with au jus on side to bring out the spicy flavors. Or the meat and au jus served together in a soup. Topped with diced onions, cliantro, chile, and lime. For this recipe to share, I'll be doing the soup version and using goat (chivo surtido), but you can make it with meat for pot roast or shredding.

Supplies:
Chivo surtido (Mixed Goat) 5lbs for this was at my local Mexican supermaket (5lbs x $8.64)
1 can of tomato paste 6oz.
1/2 can of tomato sauce 6or8oz.
2 bay leaves
1 whole onion (peeled skin off)
1 whole head of garlic (do not peel)
salt to taste
1 tablespoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of Chile California
1 tablespoon   of Chile Guajillo
1 teaspoon of Achiote (optional, for more spice)
2 teaspoons of Chile powder
1-2 Chile de arbol (whole, no stems, but optional, I like the spice, will dilute so it's not so spicy)
A 6qt slow cooker, mine is Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker
4 cups of water

It might seem like a lot of work, but you can mix all ingredients in the slow cooker dish, except the water. Marinate overnight or minimum of 2 hours. Then add dish to slow cooker, add water, and set on high for 4 hours. You will smell the delicious spices around 3 1/2hrs, but adding that 30 minutes, will ensure all the meat is cooked through. It will also be done on slow for 6 hours.

Chicken Adobo with Potatoes ft. HB Slow Cooker

       I've eaten many different kinds of Adobo, the Mexican food dish. But, I also enjoy the Filipino version as well. I decided to recreate a dish in the slow cooker. In fact, there are 3 things I love using to cook on a daily basis, the pressure cooker, my ninja blender, and the slow cooker. I  replaced my Original Crock-pot model  to a slow cooker from Hamilton Beach- Stay or Go Slow Cooker, I received as a house-warming present . The convenience of this slow cooker is you can travel without worrying about spilling on your way. I also love the sleek design, the grips on the sides are fold perfectly for easy storage, and reinforced lid lock all the heat trapped inside. It heats up so quickly, makes my meals I've prepared evenly cooked. The best part of having this slow cooker is that I can use the stoneware to serve at the dinner table.



I always thought the flavor of this were going to be so complicated, but they're even beginner friendly. Here it  is:

Using Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker (6 QT) Silver

8 or 10 Chicken Drumsticks, skin off
4-5 potatoes, cleaned and peeled
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 bay leaves
4 peppercorns
1 tablespoon of black pepper
2-4 tablespoons of cornstarch ( I used 2 1/2 for my desired thickness)
2/3 cup of soy sauce
2/3 cup of vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar

Place chicken and potatoes in stoneware, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and let marinate for 30 mins of the counter top. While the chicken marinates you can heat up your slow cooker to low.  Cook for a 7-8.  Serve over white rice. Enjoy!

Mexican Drinks: Strawberries and Cream drink

Growing up, this drink was a great treat. I remember I preferred this drink over Horchata. With this recipe you can use it to make ice cream pops or a drink.

Supplies:

2 pounds of strawberries, clean sliced, pureed thru blender but reserve a handful for finishing drink

 sugar

1 can of evaporate milk

2 teaspoons of sweetened condensed milk ( 2 tsp for every 2 cups of your pitcher)

water

1.  Pureed strawberries and run through mesh once is enough.

2. In a pitcher add strawberry mix add sugar and add evaporate milk in slowly while stirring. Then, add sweetened milk. Slowly add water while stirring. 

3. Add sugar to taste. Add ice, chill for about 1 hr before serving so flavors can marry. 

Crockpot Pozole

While my stove is getting repaired, it doesn't stop me from cooking a home-cooked meal. But after a series of paninis, grilled chicken fajitas, gyros, turkey burgers...the family started missing mexican hot soups. Since, I usually make either menudo or pozole once a month. Today I decided I would try to make it in a crockpot. The challenge: Balancing out the time and space for all the ingredients that come in this delicious soup. There's only 3 major ones, not including spices. But those 3, must be equally cooked or else there's a chance the soup will be off and you can get sick. So how did I manage to cook this soup in crockpot for under $10!  Easy.  I stalked the ads, last week chicken drumsticks/thighs were on sale. So, I froze some, thawed them out yesterday and tada!

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 3-4hrs on HIGH

5 Chicken Drumsticks -washed-
4-5 Pork Neckbones cut into small pieces -ask your butcher to do it for you-
1 pack of Guajillo Chiles -4-5 chiles-
1 pack of Ancho Chiles  -4 chiles needed-
1 6oz. can of tomato sauce
2 teaspoons of garlic powder -separated-
2 teaspoons salt -separated-
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves -whole-
1/4 of a onion
1 6oz. can of tomato sauce
1 medium size can of white hominy
6 cups of water and 1/4 cup of water -separated-
Blender

1. Heat your crockpot for 10 mins prior. Place all spices in crockpot and 4 cups of water into the pot. Give it a stir and add chicken drumsticks,onion, and neckbones.

2. Take the chiles and use kitchen shears to cut stem off and open them from the side. Take all seeds out and place in bowl together. Add 2 cups of water into the bowl, heat with chiles in microwave or stovetop for 10 mins.

3.  After the chiles have slightly cooled. Place in blender with tomato sauce, salt, garlic powder and blend into it comes to a smooth paste. If its running that's ok too, don't add more water.  *Use a glass bowl, since these chiles are used to tint things, it will tint your bowl* Give it a stir.

4.  Let it cook for 4-5hrs on High. Add hominy to pot 30 minutes before serving.

5. Enjoy!

Tostadas Meat Mix

Tostadas Mix

Taco Shops in San Diego, charge way too much, when it comes to this type of stringy meat. Cook it yourself in a big batch and your can save it for later. Very simple to do, pop water, seasonings, and meat, and Fudda get about it lol. Two hours later, you're ready for some nice mouth-watering tostada mix. Not only is this for Tostadas, but also for filling in Sopes, Burritos, etc.

3-5 pounds of meat to shred (ask butcher to point out meat)
1 large onion ( 1/2 julienne, 1/2 whole)
2 cups of juliene chiles, a combination of Bell Peppers, Red Onion
1 cup of tomato paste
1-2 basil leaves
3 tablespoons of garlic powder
1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of chili powder
2 tablespoons of dried oregano
11/2 cup of beef broth
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
2 cloves of garli

Boil water and add, 1/2 onion whole, basil leaves (crushed before adding), 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper, and cloves of garlic. Cover and let boil for 90 minutes. Check the tenderness, if meat is still a little pink, place back for 15 mins and check again. It shouldn't take more than 2 hrs to complete. Reserve beef broth. In a Shallow Pot or Dutch oven, sautee onions and peppers, for 8-10 mins in oil. After, tomato paste

In a Dutch oven add rest of ingredients, your a wooden spoon to mix meat, break down with spoon let simmer, then turn off burner and cover for 5-8 mins.

Get all your tostadas, beans, lettuce, salsa, sour cream cheese and shredded cheese, You're ready to dig in.