Mexican Adventure

Stuart's graduation practice was this morning and I figured he was deserving of a break when he finished around 11:30. When I asked Stuart if he was in the mood for authentic Mexican tacos, he enthusiastically replied YES!

Kitty and I recently learned about a trio of taquerias in Ridgeland, Mississippi just past County Line Road. Earlier in the week, accompanied by we tried Taqueria Guadalupe and Carneceria Valdez. Both were fantastic, but we preferred Carneceria Valdez because of the presentation of limes and radishes along with the trio of sauces. We also liked the fact that when you ordered your tacos, you saw the butcher/cook grab a handful of meat and run to the back, emerging minutes later with a basket of steamy goodness. We attempted to sample all three that day, but La Morena is open every day but Tuesday (the day we visited).

So today, with Stuart in-tow, we went directly to La Morena to complete our taqueria tour. It was certainly worth the wait. When we waled in the door and I spotted one of the cooks mashing a ball of corn meal in a tortilla press, I knew we made the right choice. Stuart ordered two tacos (one beef, one pork) and a Mexican Coke, which he had never had before. Kitty also got two tacos (one beef, one chicken) and a Mineragua and I upped the ante with three tacos (one pork, one chorizo, one tongue) and a Tamarind Soda. All were served with the traditional sprinkling of white onions and fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime.

All of the tacos were delightful, but the chorizo was my favorite. The singular thing that made La Morena stand head and shoulders above the other two places was the fresh tortillas. There is no way to duplicate this flavor with commercial brands and with the taco, the tortilla is the star. This star was a supernova. The edges were rough and rustic, the feel was firm with the grain of the corn retaining its texture. I could really appreciate the aroma of the corn as the steam rose up from the tortiallas to greet my nose. The meats were well seasoned and expertly cooked, retaining their moisture. The three fresh-made sauces offered a great variety from the bright and tart green one, the fiery hot orange one to the smoky red one. They each had their own distinct characteristics and I would have been happy to have any one of them.

After we ate, I visited with the owner while we browsed through the selection of boots, cowboy shirts and Mexican grocery items in the back. When we first arrived, I saw a young boy (her son) get very excited when one of the cooks emerged from the back part of the kitchen with a steaming bowl of meatballs. I asked her about them and she explained that each day she has a different special and that today's was a braised meatball. Although we were full from the tacos, I had to give one of these a try.

I went back to the service counter and asked about the meatballs. The cook flashed a big smile and brought me a bowl of rice with two meatballs, topped with a rich tomato and tamarind sauce. i called to the back for Kitty and Stuart to try this with me. I regretted that I had to share. They were one of the best things I've ever had, and that is saying a lot. The meat was well seasoned, but no overly so and each ball contained a little surprise in the center...a quarter of a boiled egg. The sauce was the perfect silky consistency and had small slices of carrot and garlic. When the cook saw how happy we were, she brought out a little more rice and sauce along with three steaming, fresh tortillas. We ate every bite and sopped up the last bits of sauce with the last pieces of tortilla.

When we left, Stuart proclaimed that he would never even bother with Mexican food anywhere else and debated whether he would tell his friends about La Morena or just keep it as his own little secret.

I wanted him to try the chicharones at Valdez so we made a quick stop there and picked up a half pound to enjoy on the ride home. Kitty REALLY loves chicharones, but we were so full that some of them managed to make it home, where they were devoured by Zak after school.

I can recommend any of these three spots, but the best is clearly La Morena. Just remember that they are closed on Tuesday and they don't accept credit cards. Oh yea, and save some room for the candied fruit.

Bon Appetit

~Tom

Another Quick Lunch

I returned home from a delightful interview with Cynthia Walls from Mississippi Digital Daily and a great visit with my friend Josh Hailey (who just returned from eating his way across Argentina) and I found Stuart sprawled out on the sofa, watching Law & Order with his injured leg elevated. He was hungry and looked far too sad to eat take-out so I did the next best thing...I made fast food Tijuana style. 

All across Mexico, you can find little trailers and carts with a flat-top griddle, a tortilla press and a couple of folks slinging out great eats for very little money. What they offer is simple, tasty meals of tortillas, some type of meat cooked with aromatic spices, and perhaps some onions and peppers sautéed alongside the meat.  They take your order, assemble what you asked for and hand it to you, unceremoniously and without a plate. When you eat at a place like this, you don't bother with a table and instead just stand there on the street corner and stuff your face before returning to whatever it was you were doing before you got hungry. 


One red onion, one chicken breast and several tortillas later, Stuart was full and I got to play Matamoros short-order cook for a little while. Everyone was happy.


Bon Appetit!
~Tom

The Weekend

It's rare that I go through an entire weekend without cooking. Friday, Kitty and I met up with Monte and Amy at El Charro. We gave Zak and Dak a table for themselves and enjoyed a semi-adult evening.  Monte and I had been working on a top secret video project for a couple of days and really needed a break. The girls were all to happy to oblige an we decided on Mexican food. I had a few margaritas and the carnitas. They were pretty good, but a bit on the dry side. They had plenty of flavor, but were overcooked. Next time, I'll try something different.

Saturday evening was the Saint Andrew's Capitol City Dinner Dance. This event is put on by the EYC at our church, Saint Andrew's Cathedral, in Downtown Jackson. We met up there with Monte and Amy (two nights in a row with the cool kids) and had a choice of salmon or beef tenderloin. Kitty, Monte and I had the beef. Amy had the Salmon. All of it was great. I don't know who cooked the salmon, but it was tasty. My friend and fellow parishioner Bobby Lacoste cooked the beef tenderloins and knocked it out of the park. Despite the fact that Amy spilled her wine and I got blamed for it, the evening was a smashing success. Afterwards, we all went together to Underground 119 for a night-cap.
Since I didn't do the cooking, there are no recipes in this entry. Stay tuned...I have a special recipe that I'll put up on Tuesday for my first self avowed "fan."
Bon Appetit!
~Tom

Ole!

I spotted a big hunk of Flank Steak in the freezer this morning and set it in the fridge to thaw. I had the whole day to think of what to do with it but my brain shut down after meetings with PR folk, calls with attorneys and trying to get some of my "real job" accomplished. With no fresh ideas in my head for this slab of beef, I turned to an old standard that is quick and easy. When I got to the house from entertaining some Senators and Representatives at Hal & Mal's (who were one of the few places open, due to the water shortage), I hit the kitchen at a full charge and had the fajitas ready when Kitty got home. I couldn't find any black beans, so I cooked black-eyed-peas with a bit of cumin and chopped onion alongside some basmati rice. Here's the recipe for the fajitas. The rest of it is easy to figure out without me having to type it up.
Bon Appetit!
~Tom

Fajitas
1 1½-2 lb. flank steak
1 medium yellow onion

1 medium red onion

2 bell peppers (any color)

1 jalapeño pepper

1 bunch green onions

1 cup diced tomatoes (canned)

4 cloves garlic

1 bottle Mexican beer

1 Tbsp. Ivy & Devine Coffee Rub

1 tsp. Mexican chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. olive oil

8 flour tortillas

6 oz. sour cream

1 jar high quality salsa

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Prep

Slice yellow onions, red onions and bell peppers. Roughly chop jalapeño peppers, green onions and garlic. Slice the flank (across the grain) steak into ½ inch strips. Season the meat and vegetables with Ivy & Devine Coffee Rub. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Cook

Put dining plates into the oven to warm while cooking the fajitas. Heat a large iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add olive oil to hot skillet and when it begins to smoke, add yellow onions, red onions, bell peppers, garlic, one half of the jalapeño peppers and one half of the green onions. Cook until onions are translucent and peppers begin to soften. Remove vegetables and place them in a mixing bowl. Cover with foil. If the skillet is too dry, add a bit more oil. Add meat to the hot skillet (but don’t crowd the pan) and cook for two minutes on each side. As the meat is done, add it to the mixing bowl of vegetables. When all of the meat is cooked, add all of the meat and vegetables from the mixing bowl into the hot skillet and increase heat to high. When the pan begins to really sizzle, add the tomatoes and about one quarter of the beer. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds, depending on the strength of your microwave oven.

Plate

Serve family style by placing the hot skillet on the table on a trivet with the cheese, sour cream, salsa, and remaining jalapeño peppers and green onions in small bowls.

(Serves 4)