Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Cochinita Pibil



Silvio Campos
El jefe de cocina Silvio Campos de Tixkokob, cerca de Mérida, es famoso de su Cochinita Pibil. Cochinita pibil es Yucatán tradicional el plato de la carne de cerdo asado del modo lento del origen maya.  Preparación de la tradicional cochinita pibil consiste en marinar la carne en adobo fuertemente ácido hecho de pasta de achiote (semilla de achiote, hierbas y especias) y el jugo de naranja amarga. La semilla de achiote imparte un color naranja quemado vivo. La carne es entonces envuelto en hoja de plátano y asada en un hoyo.  Cochinita quiere decir el cerdo joven, por tanto cochinita pibil verdadero implica asar un cerdo de mamón entero.  Alternativamente se pueden utilizar cortes de carne de cerdo maduro porque el alto contenido ácido de la marinada y la cocción lenta ablanda la carne.  Las recetas siempre emplean el jugo de Sevilla o de naranjas amargas para adobar. En áreas donde no son comunes naranjas amargas, jugo de naranjas dulces combinado con pomelo y limas puede utilizarse para aproximar el efecto de la naranja amarga.  Tradicionalmente, la cochinita pibil está enterrado en un hoyo con un fuego en la parte inferior. La palabra maya pibil significa "enterrado".  Para hablantes de inglés Rick Bayless tiene una receta publicada en inglés de Silvio. También puede ver un vídeo de Rick que incluye alguna entrevista de Silvio en español, entonces Rick va a cavar un hoyo en su jardín en casa.  Para los hablantes de español, una comprobación rápida de Internet produjo muchas recetas diferentes. Pero tenga cuidado, porque algunos eran excesivamente simplificado y todos utilizan un horno en lugar de hoyo para asar.  Probablemente el mejor plan sería tomar un viaje a Tixkokob y deje que Silvio Campos cocinar para usted. Incluso podrá vender un poco de su pasta del achiote, entonces usted puede ir a casa a cavar un hoyo en su jardín como Rick.



Ingredients for Cochinita Pibil

Achiote Paste and the annatto seed pods
Chef Silvio Campos of Tixkokob, near Merida, is famous for his Cochinita Pibil.  Cochinita pibil is a traditional Yucatán slow-roasted pork dish of Mayan origin.  Preparation of traditional cochinita pibil involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic marinade made from achiote paste (annatto seed, herbs, and spices) and the juice of bitter orange. The annatto seed imparts a vivid burnt orange color. The meat is then wrapped in banana leaf and roasted in a pit.  Cochinita means baby pig, so true cochinita pibil involves roasting a whole suckling pig.  Alternatively cuts of mature pork can be used because the high acid content of the marinade and the slow cooking time tenderizes the meat.  The recipes always employ the juice of Seville or bitter oranges for marinating.  In areas where bitter oranges are not common, juice of sweet oranges combined with grapefruit and limes can be used to approximate the effect of the bitter orange. It is usually eaten with tortillas, red pickled onion, black beans and roasted habanero salsa. Traditionally, cochinita pibil is buried in a pit with a fire at the bottom.  The Mayan word pibil means "buried".  For English speakers Rick Bayless has a recipe published in English from Silvio.  You may also watch a video of Rick that includes some interview of Silvio in Spanish, then Rick goes off to dig a pit at home.  For Spanish speakers, a quick check of the Internet produced many different recipes. But take care because some were overly simplified and all used an oven instead of pit roasting.  Probably a better plan would be to take a trip to Tixkokob and let Silvio Campos cook for you.  He'll even sell you a bit of his achiote paste then you can go home a dig a pit in your yard like Rick.


                      




Monday, February 25, 2013

Casa Crespo and La Teca

Casa Crespo


Casa Crespo offers classic Oaxacan cooking done to a high standard.  They also have a roof top deck with the finest view of the Santo Domingo.




Casa Crespo is owned by Oscar Carrizosa who provides cooking classes in English.  Some favorites from his menu include sopa de lentejas con plátano macho, piña, y tocino (lentil soup with plantains, pineapple and bacon), caldo de piedra con camarón y pescado (a pre-Hispanic soup of shrimp and fish cooked with hot river stones), pipian verde (fish of the day in a pumpkin seed mole), Chichilo mole (an old recipe using endemic chilhuacle chiles), helado de chocolate (homemade chocolate ice cream sprinkled with guajillo chile powder), and sorbete de mezcal y sal de gusanitos (mescal sorbet topped with agave warms and chile powder).  They are located at Allende 107, between Alcalá and García Vigil.  Casa Crespo's website is here.





La Teca




La Teca also offers classic Oaxacan cooking from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec done to the highest standard. It is a small place (only four tables inside) in the Colonia Reforma with a lovely garden with five or six more tables where they can accommodate groups. They are located at Violetas 200A.  The owner and chief cook at La Teca is Sra. Deyanira Aquino, born and raised in the Isthmus.  Women of the region are called 'tecas'--from Tehuantepec--hence the name of the restaurant.  Their tasting menu is a great choice if you have a group of four or more. It starts with garnachas then continues with an assortment of tamales.  The menu often includes purée de papa, estilo Istmeño (potatoes, coarsely mashed and then baked, Isthmus style),  asado de puerco con mole (pork roasted with mole, from Tehuantepec), estofado de bodas, and usually a mole served by itself.  Since it's a bit of a hike from the centro it's advised to make reservations, phone 01.951.515.0563.


asado de puerco con mole


For more photos please visit my Picasa web album.






Thursday, January 24, 2013

Origen Oaxaca and La Hormiga


Origen Oaxaca


Origen Oaxaca serves imaginative nueva cocina oaxaqueña.  Chef Rodolfo Castellanos who is a native of Oaxaca, attended the “Instituto Culinario México”, and has worked in Monaco, San Francisco and throughout México.  The restaurant is located in a pretty Colonial house on # 820 Hidalgo Street.  Like many places in Oaxaca they conduct cooking classes.  Their website is: http://www.origenoaxaca.com/homeen.html

Ensalada de pulpo

Sashimi con cuscús y salsa de aguacate

Pechuga de pato

Robalo con quinoa

Brunellos de chocolate con helado de limón verbena

Tacos de plátano


 La Hormiga


Jardin Conzatti is a park between Reforma and Andrés Quintana Roo and Valentin Gómez Farias and Jacobo Dalevuelta.  It’s a pretty space popular with young couples.  At the corner of Reforma and Valentin Gómez Farias is la Hormiga (the ant), a cart that makes tortas popular with those who live and work in that neighborhood.  The tortas range from 14 to 32 pesos depending on what you want on your bollo or bun.  Top price honors go to a cubano which is a Mexican version of the classic cuban which originally was started by Cubans working in Key West and Ybor City, Florida.  They have classic Oaxaca tortas as well.