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!

Pan-Fried Noodles+ Sauce

When I was a teen, I worked in an gourmet Chinese restaurant. I loved it there, I was a hostess and I love seeing the food creations the chefs would come up with. I got to taste a lot of dishes that were to be featured on their menus. But, my most favorite dish, was a mixed pan-fried noodles. It had a mixture of beef, chicken, shrimp, and the usual veggies in a stir- fry, peas, ribbon carrots, and water chestnuts. I absolutely loved the dish, while it was easy to buy when I was single, with a family now, I don't want to break the bank.

So, I went to the local grocery store and went through the pasta and "ethnic" food isles to see what I could find. I was disappointed, my "ethnic" food isle didn't have anything that I was interested in.  I went through the isle and picked up Vermicelli and Thin Spaghetti.

Following the boiling instructions, make the pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside for 5-10 minutes. Lightly oil a nonstick pan and set to med-high heat. When you place the noodles use circular motions. Cook for 5-8 minutes, dropping 1/2 a teaspoon of water to get them super crispy. Then in your skillet, place a plate on top and flip on the other side. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. I usually leave place them in the skillet and place in oven with a little sauce for flavor at 300 degrees for 5 minutes.

Now for the sauce.

2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced. or 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of garlic powder.
chives or scallions
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt (optional)
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of cornstarch (mix well, until no bumps)

for a little heat, add 1 tablespoon of Sriracha Hot Sauce or Chili Oil

Mix together, sautee veggies with some sauce, bring sauce to a slight shimmer to thicken. Serve on top of noodles. Enjoy

Alfredo Sauce in your Sleep!

It use to take me a long time to make this sauce, when I first started cooking, i did everything too fast and didn't paid attention to recipes. Now, i work in a steady but fastpace and i can make this sauce in my sleep. 3-5mins, 3 different varieties, simple right? It actually is.

Supplies ( 1 box of spaghetti or Fettuccine pasta)

Pasta, cooked & drained
2TBs of Butter
1 TB  of Flour
Grated Parmasean Cheese
Pepper & Salt to taste
Red Pepper Flakes ( optional)
a whisk
1/2 can Evaporated Milk, 3/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream or Philadelphia cheese

1. Use a sauce pan and melt butter in pan, add flour  and whisk mixture is completely free of flour chunks.

2. Add salt and Pepper to taste, slowly add your milk (or philly cheese)

3. Add grated cheese and whisk in quick. Bring mixture to a boil.

4. Give another whisk, remove from burner and serve over pasta.


Richness:
 traditional alfredo sauce, uses heavy whipping cream. Evaporate milk (1/2can ) less rich and heavy. Olive Garden method uses philadelphia cheese.

Bahn Mi, Bahn You- Vietnamese Pork Sandwich

Almost every Vietnamese has a fresh bakery department or orders in from a local bakery. This is not traditional pork sandwich, but using a different kind of meat found in local chinese restaurants.

Supplies:
Bahn Mi (fresh french rolls)
Pate, Mayo or Butter
Cliantro sprigs
juliene onion (white)
Pickled carrots ( vietnamese veggie section)
Fried Egg (optional)
Fresh Jalapeno
Sliced thin cucumber
Romaine Lettuce
 Pork Butt ( char xisu, recipe as follows)

Char Xisu
1packet of mixture
1cup of water
Meat
marinate overnight
Cook for 4-6 hrs in crock pot

Bahn Mi

Sliced Bahn, like a sandwich. Spread Pate/Mayo/Butter.
Add Meat (warm or hot) arrange cliantro, cucumbers, carrots, and Jalapeno.
Fried egg is optional. Enjoy ;

Whipped Cream Frosting

For my mom's birthday, I decided to make her cake. My mom is very picky, she doesn't like chocolate cake or anything to sweet. I made a homemade whipped cream frosting that was too sweet and could hold up to a vanilla cake.

Supplies:
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla
bowl & mixer

1. I placed my heavy cream, vanilla, sugar ( slowly ) into the mixer, you probably don' t need that much vanilla because you don't want to tint frosting.

2. Mix well, until heavy cream has fluffed, roughly 6 mins. Make sure sugar has dissolved in frosting, so you won't taste granulated particles. Let set in fridge, covered, for 10-15mins. Frost on cooled cake.

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.