Quesabirria

Author: Isabel Orozco-Moore

Tag @isabeleats

Ingredients 

▢4 to 5 pounds chuck roast, cut into large 4-inch chunks

▢½ tablespoon kosher salt

▢½ tablespoon black pepper

▢1 ½ tablespoon olive oil

▢12 guajillo chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2.5 oz)

▢5 ancho chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2 oz)

▢5 árbol chiles, rinsed and stemmed (about 0.1 oz)

▢2 large Roma tomatoes

▢½ medium yellow onion

▢1 4-inch Mexican cinnamon stick*

▢3 bay leaves

▢½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

▢water, as needed

▢2 cups beef broth

▢¼ cup distilled white vinegar

▢5 cloves garlic

▢1 teaspoon ground cumin

▢1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano*

▢½ teaspoon ground cloves

Generously season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides, and heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Working in 2 batches, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned. Remove the pot from the heat, add the seared meat back into the pot, and set aside.

While the meat is searing, add the guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, arbol chiles, tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a medium pot. Cover completely with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles and all the other ingredients to a large blender.

Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked cooking water, the beef broth, white vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves. Blend on high for a few minutes until completely smooth. (You may have to do this in 2 batches if your blender isn’t big enough.)

Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the pot with the seared meat. Discard any solids left behind.

Stir the meat and chile sauce together to combine and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 to 3 ½ hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.

Transfer the meat to a large bowl and shred it with 2 forks. Add the meat back into the consomé and serve as a stew in bowls with diced onion and chopped cilantro or as tacos in corn tortillas with shredded Oaxaca cheese, cilantro, and diced onions.

New Orleans Gumbo

Excerpt from Lauren Allen's Tastes better from scratch web page.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the Roux:

▢1 heaping cup all-purpose flour

▢2/3 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)

For the Gumbo:

▢1 bunch celery , diced, leaves and all

▢1 green bell pepper , diced

▢1 large yellow onion , diced

▢1 bunch green onion , finely chopped

▢1 bunch fresh chopped parsley , finely chopped

▢2-3 cloves garlic

▢1-2 Tablespoons cajun seasoning *

▢6-8 cups Chicken broth *

▢12 ounce package andouille sausages , sliced into 'coins' (substitute Polska Kielbasa if you can't find a good Andouille)

▢Meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken*

▢2 cups Shrimps , pre cooked

▢cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

 

Make the Roux*: In a large, heavy bottom stock pot combine flour and oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 30-45 minutes. This part takes patience--when it's finished it should be as dark as chocolate and have a soft, "cookie dough" like consistency. Be careful not to let it burn! Feel free to add a little more flour or oil as needed to reach this consistency.

Brown the sausage. In a separate skillet on medium-high heat place the sausage slices in one layer in the pan. Brown them well on one side (2-3 minutes) and then use a fork to flip each over onto the other side to brown. Remove to a plate.

Cook the vegetables in broth. Add ½ cup of the chicken broth to the hot skillet that had the sausage to deglaze the pan. Pour the broth and drippings into your large soup pot. 

Add remaining 5 ½ cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, garlic and roux to the pot and stir well. 

Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste.

Add meat. Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp.

Taste and serve. At this point taste it and add more seasonings to your liking--salt, pepper, chicken bullion paste, garlic, more Joe's stuff or more chicken broth--until you reach the perfect flavor. Serve warm over rice. (Tastes even better the next day!)

Chili con carne (Beef): An American Southern dish from San Antonio, Texas

Excerpt from Holly Nilsson's Spend with pennies website 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

▢2 pounds lean ground beef

▢1 onion diced

▢1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced

▢4 cloves garlic minced

▢2 ½ tablespoons chili powder divided (or to taste)

▢1 teaspoon cumin

▢1 green bell pepper seeded and diced

▢14 ½ ounces crushed tomatoes canned

▢19 ounces kidney beans canned, drained & rinsed

▢14 ½ ounces diced tomatoes with juice

▢1 ½ cups beef broth

▢1 cup beer

▢1 tablespoon tomato paste

▢1 tablespoon brown sugar optional

▢salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

 Combine ground beef and 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder.

In a large pot, brown ground beef, onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Drain any fat.

Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 45-60 minutes or until chili has reached desired thickness.

Top with cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro or other favorite toppings