Chile Rellenos - Dried Stuffed Ancho Chiles with Plantains and Cream

One of Mexicos most best-known dishes Chile Rellenos (stuffed chiles) is often prepared with fresh poblanos fried in light batter and heated in tomato sauce but there are many regional variances on this popular dish. Jalapeno, manzano, dried pasado, pasilla de Oaxaca, and chili ancho take your pick.

Although I'm a big fan of the battered poblano recipe I wanted to try something different with the poblanos dried cousin the chile ancho. I was soon inspired by a creation of Ricardo Munoz Zurita on the Rick Bayless show "Mexico - One Plate at a Time". How can I go wrong with a the culinary genius of Ricardo Zurita. Ricardo is the chef behind Mexico City's Azul y Oro and author of 4 cookbooks including the 600-page Encyclopedia of Mexican Gastronomy.

This recipe was not listed on Rick Bayless site and the exact measurements were not discussed so we pretty much had to eyeball it and take notes.



Ingredients

Serves 10

12 Chiles Ancho (Always purchase a few more then you need some might fall apart when you are removing seeds and veins)
4 very ripe Plantains
4-5 Garlic cloves crushed
1 whole chopped onion
3 chopped roma tomatoes
3/4 pound of panela chesse
1 small piloncillo cone
1/2 cup of grated piloncillo
dash of salt
dash of pepper

(Piloncillo is an unrefined sugar from Mexico produced in "cone" shapes of various sizes)

Garnish

1 pound of Mexican Crema
Parsley

Dissolve the whole cone of piloncillo in hot water, cover the chiles in the hot water, pushing them down into the water so that they are totally submerged. Soak for 10 min, Ricardo recommended 5 min but we did not achieve the level of softness we were looking for. You also do not want to soak the chiles to long or they will get to soft and fall apart.

Remove the chiles from water and carefully make a slit on one side and remove veins and seeds. Make sure the stem does not fall off and try not to tear the chile.

Bake the plantains for 10 min at 350

Chop tomatoes, queso panela and onions, crush the garlic and ground 1/2 cup of piloncillo. Remove plantains from oven and chop into cubes.

Heat oil and saute onion and garlic. Add tomato and cook for 5 min. Add plantains and cook for another 10 min. Add piloncillo powder, pinch of salt and pinch of pepper and mix well. Remove from heat and add queso panela.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to each chile ancho. Fold crease over and place on a plate with crease down. Garnish with Crema and Parsley.

As I was shooting the final shots I caved in and took a bite.



The Chile Ancho is mild in spice and has somewhat of a fruity flavor. The flavor profile of the ancho played well with the plantains and we were very pleased with the results. I have been craving Chiles en Nogada but they are not in season yet so this was a nice alternative that is much easier to make. I guess we will have to go for the trifecta and feature the ever so popular battered Chile Rellenos soon.

Chiles en Nogada

Restaurante UNO Tijuana - Showcasing Baja California's Talented Young Chefs

********Closed********* This talented Chef is now at Corazon De Tierra in Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada http://www.corazondetierra.com/ After several months away from Tijuana what was one of the first places I couldn't wait to get back to? A restaurant in Gastronomic District? No not exactly, the very first place that came to mind was near the Agua Caliente Racetrack and it was none other than Restaurante UNO.



My wife and I wanted a special, relaxing and intimate dining experience and UNO did not disappoint. Just like our first visit the service was exceptional.UNOs kitchen is run by two young and talented chefs Ricardo Hiroshi Uno and Diego Hernández. On this particular day Diego Hernández was at the helm.

During childhood visits to the markets in Toluca Mexico, Diego Hernández became fascinated by the colors and aromas of the food products. Diegos grandmother was a great cook and she was a key factor in sparking Diegos interest into the culinary world. At the young age of 18 Diego began to work with pioneering chef Benito Molina at Manzanilla Restaurant in Ensenada. Diegos time in Ensenada with Benito opened his eyes to the wonderful regional products of Baja California.

Fresh fish from Ensenada, salads from the garden, pork from ranches in Rosarito, beef from Hermosillo, wine from the Valle De Guadalupe, we could not decide on what to order so we asked Diego to showcase his talents and went for the Menu de Degustation. Degustation turned out to be an 8 course meal that represented all the best the region had to offer fused together with the chefs creative techniques.

UNO

A shot of Mexican amber beer with shrimp, clam, and mussels.



DOS

Smoked oysters



TRES

Pork Tocina with black habenero, crema, masa and avocado balls, on a bed of white beans.



QUATRO

Chocolate Clam roasted habenero soup with smoked bread laced with lemongrass shavings.



CINCO

Arugula green bean salad with queso fresco



SEIS

Jurel (Yellowtail) in a chile sauce of chile cascabel, peanuts, and sesame served with fresh vegetables.



SIETE

Lechon en Adobada with a puré of serrano and avocado, emulsion of corn and fried beans.




OCHO was actually a creme brulee I gobbled up so fast I didn't get to snap a picture.

So their you have it, another unique dining experience at Restaurante Uno. Everything that came out of the kitchen was a great pleasure of the senses but I must say, my favorite dish would have to be the Pork Tocina. Succulent pork with little corn masa balls are you kidding me? Everything about this worked like a symphony. The spice of the black habenero, complemented by sweet corn masa balls, cooled with fresh avocado and crema with the subtle white beans providing the canvas for the art.

Come experience the talent of the young chefs in Baja.

Av. de Las Ferias #5202, Col. del Bosque C.P. 22o34 Tijuana, B.C Mexico.
Reservations (664) 681.3203


View Larger Map

UNO Website (Spanish)
UNO Blog
UNO Facebook Page

Masa Assassin Turns 1 Year !

I can’t believe it been a year since I first sat down and wrote about Erizo Cebicheria in Tijuana. First of I want to thank all my readers and subscribers I really appreciate the many encouraging comments and emails and I have received. I'm sorry for not being active the last few months but I hope to get back in full swing by end of February.

So where has Masa been? Well it’s been a combination of a few things that has kept me from blogging the past few months. In November I had some goals to reach with my main passion "Muay Thai". Muay Thai is a Martial Art from Thailand also known as Thai boxing; it’s similar to Western Kickboxing however elbows and knees are also utilized. The weekend excursions of all out food binges were finally catching up to me and my eating habits were not exactly helping my efforts in training.

In December things just got so busy with the holidays and by the time December rolled around my wife and I committed to a serious diet regiment. Living healthy active lifestyles we pretty much always ate sensible during the week but it was the weekend food blogging that finally took a toll on the waistline.

So here we are at the beginning of February most of our goals have been met and we are ready to indulge. Before we start the new 2010 blog post I would like to take a look back at a few of our favorite photos of 2009 and the story behind them.

1. Tres Leches Cake (original post here)



This was very fun to make we even had our five year old daughter involved in the process. We finished the cake in the evening and refrigerated it, planning to take photos in natural sunlight the next day. My wife had to work the next day so I was alone to work on the presentation of the cake and take photos.

I had the first slice ready to go but something just didn’t look right. The strawberries looked a little wilted. I put the cake back in the fridge and headed to the market for some fresh strawberries. When I returned from the market I fanned the strawberries, grabbed some mint from the garden, and I was ready to take the shot. I think the phone rang or something startled me but I ended up dropping the plate, and the slice of tres leches cake went crashing onto the kitchen floor.

I ended up re dressing a new piece and took it in the backyard for the final shoot. I was shooting the pictures so fast because tres leches is like ice cream and I was worried it would melt away. I finally got the shots I was looking for, sat back and enjoyed my tres leches cake! I have received so much positive feedback on this recipe it has by far been our most popular post.

2. Camaron Enchilado Spicy Shrimp Taco - Tacos El Mazateno Tijuana (original post here)



I was so surprised at the results of this one because Its usually difficult to achieve good results when restaurants are very crowded. On this particular day their must have been 100 people enjoying the mariscos at El Mazateno. We ended up actually sharing a table with some friendly strangers. As my wife was striking up a conversation I busted my big camera out the bag and started shooting away.

I usually try to be somewhat discreet when I’m taking pictures of my food but it was pretty tough to do it in this case. I ended up rushing the shots just hoping I snapped at least one good one. Really no secrets of photography behind this one, sometimes random shots are the best. To this day this remains one of my favorite tacos and every time I look at this pic I want to make a run to the border.

3. Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs (Original Post)



After enjoying these Hot Dogs down south for years we decided to replicate them at home. Unlike most of the cooking we cover this was our first crack at this pork frenzy. I have my brother to thank on this one he actually did a great job wrapping the bacon around the Hot Dog and cooking them.

I was still very new to DSLR cameras at this time so I experimented much with this one. Like most of my home pictures this was taken in my backyard and I used a simple white background. Some shots from this session have made their way around the internet including a great piece on 100 ways to use a strip of bacon.

As far as food styling goes I don’t spray my food with anything, pretty much everything I shoot is consumed shortly after the photo is taken, and I mean shortly ha-ha. I will always remember this photo as my first photo submitted and accepted by the top food porn sites foodgawker and TasteSpotting.

4. Chocolate Soufflé - Manzanilla Restaurant (Original Post)



Ah my favorite chocolate soufflé. Anyone who knows me knows my weakness is chocolate. I never leave manzanilla restaurant without my chocolate shuffle fix. Although manzanilla is opened for lunch I would almost always find myself enjoying a late dinner. I try to avoid photos with flash as much as I can so the shots I was getting at night were not doing the soufflé justice.

I decided to make a special trip right at the time of opening and ordered all of my favorite dishes. It turned out to be a good move I finally got the lighting I needed and my chocolate fix. I'm not sure why I like this one so much perhaps its my love for chocolate. I actually got the idea of fanning my strawberries for my tres leches cake picture from this one. The souffle is actually served on a piece of black marble which is the perfect backdrop for the white powdered sugar, and red strawberries.

5. Fresh Baja Scallops with strawberry and Chile Morita - La Cocedora de Langosta Ensenada (original post)



The lighting at La Cocedora de Langosta has always been good to me. I never thought something as simple as a scallop could look so good. One thing I have learned is that each dish has its own personality. Ive noticed its always best to snap food photos seconds after they have been prepared.

I'm still learning about food photography and hope to improve this year.Thanks again for your support!

Tacos Gobernador - San Diego Gobernador Taco Throwdown

From Sinaloa to Sonora to San Diego every time I order a Taco Gobernador (Governor) I can almost guarantee I will be getting something different at each establishment. The Taco Gobernador is said to have originated in Sinaloa Mexico and named after an ex governor of Sinaloa. The first version I tried was in Sinaloa and had a combination of shrimp, marlin, and cheese. Over the years I have had countless renditions with only one common denominator “Shrimp”.



With my travels to Mexico limited for a few months I decided to put some Gobernadors in San Diego head to head so I grabbed my brother, jumped in the car, and let the games begin. It should be no surprise my favorite gobernadors come from mobile trucks and not restaurants.

First stop Mariscos German 35th and University San Diego. I have tried almost all of Mariscos German locations and they are pretty consistent across the board. Mariscos Germans Gobernadors consist of Red Onion, Cilantro, Celery, Shrimp, Cheese, and Tomato.



Overall I find no faults in this taco and it has been a long time favorite of mine. The Shrimp was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of seasoning and the veggies and cheese grilled just right. This still stands as my number one choice for this style of taco.

Second stop Mariscos El Pescador Chula Vista. Mariscos El Pescador in Chula Vista is my usual Fish Taco stop but I decided to see how their gobernador stacked up to Mariscos German side by side. The Gobernadors at El Pescador are very similar to Mariscos German. El Pescadors Gobernador consist of Shrimp, Bell Pepper, Celery, Onion, Cilantro, Tomato, and Red Onion.



If you’re taking notes Bell Pepper is the only difference from Germans version. Another difference on Pescadors gobernador is they butterfly the shrimp. My only faults with this version is I feel it needs less seasoning and vegetables. Defiantly a top contender in the Gobernador throwdown, and on this day and a close second.

Third stop Mariscos El Paisa San Ysidro. We worked our way south to San Ysidro and decide to check out Mariscos El Paisa. With Mariscos German representing San Felipe and El Pescador representing Ensenada I knew the representation from El Paisa (Culiacan Sinaloa) would be different. This version had no grilled vegetables and consisted of just shrimp, tomato, lettuce, cilantro, and crema.



The shrimp was succulent and the taco was double wrapped in some quality tortillas however their was way too much crema for my taste. Although the crema was very tasty it just totally took over. Next time I order one from here I will be sure to ask them to go easy on the crema. A minimum of two tacos come in one order which is actually a bargain at $5.00. I believe Mariscos German and Mariscos El Pescador are in the $3.75 each range.

All and all a good day for a shrimp lover like me. I’m sure there are many more great Gobernador tacos out their, if you have any favorites I didn’t mention I would love to hear about them. Its gets very interesting when you judge tacos side by side. It was also great to get another perspective, my brother also agreed at MG 1, Pescador 2, and Paisa 3.

1. Mariscos German
3504 University Ave
between 35th St & Wilson Ave)
San Diego, CA 92104
619) 392-2351

2.Mariscos El Pescador
Toys-r-us Parking Lot
1008A Industrial Blvd
Chula Vista, CA 91911

3.Mariscos El Paisa
3170 Iris Ave San Diego 92154
(Cross Street 30th)Near Trolley

Mariscos El Paisa San Diego - Estilo Culiacan Sinaloa Mexico

A taco truck that has two waitresses??? What??? Well technically according to the Webster Merriam Dictionary the definition of a waitress is “a woman who waits tables (as in a restaurant)”. Well this is not a restaurant, and no tables are in site, but it gets so busy here they have a team of two outside the truck that take your order and serve you.



I’ve been to an abundance of taco trucks and I have not seen an arrangement quite like this. If it gets that crowded “it must be good”, right? Especially when Mariscos German on Beyer Ave is a stone’s throw away. In San Diego Mariscos German has long been my bench mark for Seafood Tacos, followed by Mariscos El Pescador for Fish Tacos. So how does Mariscos El Paisa stack up????

I’ve had everything on the Menu at Mariscos German and 90% of El Pescadors so it would not be a fair comparison at this point, however I will tell you the Fish and Shrimp Tacos are definitely worth a try at this point. With one stop already under my belt I ordered only two tacos, I’m glad I did because the tacos were huge.

Shrimp Taco



Fish Taco




Now “taco purist” may scoff at the use of lettuce rather than cabbage on Fish or Shrimp Tacos but I must say in this case it worked well. The fish and shrimp were both fresh and plump. The crema was tasty and unique and the lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. Other then the tortilla falling apart it’s defiantly worth your buck.

I typically order beyond the basic Fish and Shrimp so I’m eager to get back this week and sample the rest of the goods on the menu. The menu is not very extensive however a few things on the board captured my attention.



I’m eager to check out their Gobernador Taco which is usually grilled shrimp with melted cheese but has varied at every Restaurant or Taco Truck I have tried it at. I’m not a huge Burrito fan but the Alazan sounds interesting. At first look I thought the “Super Ranas” was going to be frog leg tacos however the Super Ranas is a taco with melted cheese Marlin, Octopus, Shrimp, and Fish with a minimum order of two. I also look forward to sampling their Caldos (Soups); I just hope I have room for it all.

I will update this report as soon as I try more of the fine offerings representing Culiacan Sinaloa Mexico. This may be too far south for some but if you’re in the area check it out, it’s been here years and is here to stay. Spanish helps.

Mariscos El Paisa Truck
3170 Iris Ave San Diego 92154 (Cross Street 30TH)Near Trolley

Chiles en Nogada (Chilies In Walnut Sauce) Recipe

Chiles en Nogada is probably my favorite Mexican dish of all. I had have versions at Restaurants in the past but nothing has compared to this homemade version. My wife and I were first inspired to make this after reading a post on Chowhound last year.



Agustin de Iturbide was a military commander who fought in Mexico's War of Independence, and later went on to become Emperor of Mexico in 1822. Agustin signed the treaty of Cordoba that granted Mexico its Independence. On his way to Mexico City, Agustin stopped in the city of Puebla where the townspeople decided to hold a feast to celebrate the Independence from Spain and Iturbide’s saint’s day, August 28th. The Augustinian nuns of Santa Monica convent were in charge of creating a special dish for the occasion. Using local ingredients that were in season they came up with a dish that proudly bore the colors of the Mexican flag; in this dish were the green chilies, the white sauce, and the red pomegranate seeds.

Serves 10


Ingredients

10 Large Poblano Chiles, charred, peeled, seeds and veins removed
1 Pound of Ground Pork
1 Pound of Ground Beef
Salt to Taste
9 Tomatoes
2 Bay Leaves
Pinch of Oregano
1 Whole Crushed Garlic
1 Chopped White Onion
1/2 Chopped jalapeño (optional for extra spice)
1 Chopped Apple core removed
1 Chopped Peach pit removed
1 Chopped Pear core removed
1 Ripe Plantain peeled and chopped
2oz Raisins
1oz Walnuts
1oz Pecans
1 stick of Cinnamon
3oz chopped dried Pineapple
Cooking Oil

The Walnut Sauce (Nogada)

1 lb of Mexican Crema
¼ - 1/2 Cup Milk
¾ Pound Queso Fresco
½ Ounce Chopped Pecan
2 Ounce Chopped Walnut

Garnish

1 Cup Pomegranate Seeds
½ Cup Cilantro

Cover tomatoes with water and simmer until soft about 10 minutes, Remove skin from tomatoes and blend.



Line large pot or skillet with cooking oil; add whole crushed garlic, onions, and jalapeño. Stir in ground pork and beef and cook over medium low heat until meat is browned. Salt to taste, add pinch of oregano, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Add the tomatoes and salt to taste.





Stir in the raisins and chopped walnuts. After several minutes add the chopped pear, apple, plantains, and mix well, continue cooking over medium-high heat until most of the moisture has evaporated. Stir often let cool, cover, and set aside.





Smear a light coating of vegetable oil on the poblano chile, directly place chile over an open flame. Turn the chiles from time to time to allow skin to blister and char lightly. Place them immediately into a plastic bag or seal with plastic wrap and leave them to sweat for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the skin to moisten. Remove skin and clean off with the edge of a spoon. Make a slit in the side of each chile and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Gloves are recommended; we also recommended you do not rinse the chilies.



Stuff the chiles with the picadillo until they are full, place seam on bottom of plate



Blend the crema, milk, queso fresco, pecans and walnuts until smooth. You can play with the amounts of cheese and milk until you get your desired consistency. Cover the chiles in the nogada sauce and sprinkle with fresh cilantro and pomegranate seeds.

Here is a video from last year which was made with the help of the author of the original post from chowhound. We pretty much stuck with the same recipe with exception of the nogada was made with water instead of milk on the video.



Chiles en Nogada is a very complex dish that maintains a pleasing balance between the savory and sweet. We love serving it to guest and have them guessing the ingredients. If you have any questions regarding the preparation feel free to leave a comment.

Chiles en Nogada

Tacos El Poblano Chula Vista and some Ensenada News

Back in July I reported on Tacos El Poblano, arguably one of the best spots for Carne Asada Tacos in Tijuana. When I was talking with the owner he had mentioned he wanted to open a new place in Chula Vista/San Diego area, well he was true to his word and Tacos El Poblano is now open for Business in Chula Vista. I can’t wait to see how they stack up to their Tijuana counterpart. If you want to check it out yourself the address is on the ad below. You can read about the history of the original in Tijuana here…… . You can also check out a report on the Chula Vista location at my friend Kirks (mmm-yoso) awesome blog here....




UltraMarino by Barra Azul Now Open
I had a chance to stop by Ensenada’s newest bar UltraMarino Bar a few weeks ago. I’m a big fan of their sister restaurant Barra Azul and was curious what menu options they would bring to their new Bar. Ultra Marino is a Bar first and foremost but I was pleased to see I could get my tempura battered oyster fix here. The presentation differs from the picture below(Taken at Barra Azul) but the taste is identical. They serve a wide variety of drinks including some interesting martini offerings that include oyster flavor.



UltraMarino is Located at First and Ruiz.





Last month Jay (The Linkery Restaurant in San Diego) informed me about a new a restaurant on the coast of El Sauzal Ensenada called Gazuza. Gazuza is located at the same location the Oaxacan Restaurant at Viento was previously located. They actually moved it closer to the coast the scene is breathtaking. I hope to get back their soon and provided a full report. Thanks Jay.