The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites (14 page)

Heat a
comal
or nonstick griddle over medium-high heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with oil and place it, oiled side down, on the hot surface. Toast until somewhat crisp but still flexible.

Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of shredded beef in the middle of the tortilla and fold in half. Serve hot with the salsa, cheese, lettuce, onions,
crema,
and jalapeños on the side.

Makes 1½ cups

This is a terrific all-purpose salsa that I always have on hand. Sometimes I add a few drops of fresh lime juice to this salsa to perk up the flavors.

Double the recipe for a crowd.

Line a heavy skillet with a piece of aluminum foil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and serrano and roast until the skins are blackened and the vegetables are soft. Peel the garlic, stem the serrano, and transfer all the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the onion, cilantro, and salt and pulse until the salsa is fairly smooth but still has some texture. If it seems too thick, add a very small amount of water, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

This
picadillo
is a noble dish, not the awful skillet of ground beef and leftovers that has sullied its name. Here, small morsels of hand-cut beef are richly browned in a spoonful of lard and slowly simmered until tender. Finish with a quick sauté of roasted chiles and tomatoes, diced potatoes, garlic, and onion and you have one of the tastiest things you’ll ever eat. The key to great flavor is browning the meat well, stirring it only once, so it makes its own rich sauce. Enjoy it in a simple taco, wrap it in a burrito, or stuff it into roasted poblanos for
chiles rellenos
. The
picadillo
may also be made with pork.

Line a heavy skillet with a piece of aluminum foil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and Anaheim chiles and roast, turning occasionally, until slightly softened and well charred on all sides. Set aside to cool.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the lard. Working in batches if necessary, spread the meat evenly in the pan and cook until dark brown, stirring only once. Season with the salt and pepper and transfer to a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker.

Chop one of the roasted tomatoes to a pulp, add to the skillet, and cook until dry, about 3 minutes. Add to the slow cooker, scraping up the browned bits from the pan, along with the sliced garlic and bay leaf. Add the water, stir, cover, and cook on low for 4 hours.

When the meat is cooked, peel and seed the roasted Anaheim chiles and cut into ½-inch squares.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of lard in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the potato, onion, and oregano and cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened and the potatoes are softened, but not mushy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the Anaheim chiles, the serrano, and minced garlic and continue to cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Chop the remaining 2 tomatoes to a pulp and add to the skillet. Cook until dry, about 3 minutes, and add to the slow cooker, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Stir well, cover, and cook for a minimum of 1½ hours more.

Serve the
picadillo
folded in warm corn tortillas and topped with the lettuce and
crema
.

Mixiotes
are little packets of braised meat and spices. They used to be cooked wrapped in agave leaves, but these days aluminum foil stands in for the endangered wild plant, as boneless lamb shoulder takes the place of goat.
Mixiotes
are meant to be savory, with a powerful flavor of chiles, which makes it the perfect filling for tacos or
sopes
, where a little meat goes a long way. These tacos are wonderful paired with good mezcal or tequila.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the chiles on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until dry and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely, then grind the chiles in a spice grinder. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the allspice, clove, cumin, peppercorns, and bay leaf and toast until fragrant. Let cool completely, then grind in a spice grinder. Add to the bowl with the ground chiles along with the marjoram and cinnamon. Add the onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, and water. Crumble the achiote paste into the bowl. Stir to create a thick paste. Add the lamb and, using your hands, rub the marinade into the meat.

Rub the shortening on the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a 5-quart slow cooker. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil, each about 24 inches long. Tuck one piece into the slow cooker with the ends hanging over the side. Press it flush against the sides and into the edges of the slow cooker. Place the other piece of foil at a right angle to the first and press it into the corners.

Transfer the lamb and marinade to the cooker. Fold together the ends of the inner piece of foil and roll down to within 1 inch of the lamb, leaving
a small amount of space. Fold and roll the outer piece of foil at a right angle to the first to loosely seal the packet. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

To serve, spoon the hot lamb mixture onto the tortillas and top with the onion and cilantro. Serve the rice on the side.

Carnitas is a specialty item in Mexico, made by simmering a whole pig in a vast copper cauldron until the various cuts are tender and succulent. On a smaller scale, however, carnitas can easily be made in a slow cooker with excellent results. Carnitas is delicious right from the slow cooker, but if it is chilled overnight, much of the fat can be removed before reheating it (save this fresh lard, or
asiento,
for sautéing). The meat will also be even moister and tastier the next day. It is delicious served on a
gordita
or
huarache
.

Remove the excess fat from the cooked carnitas and break into large chunks. Reheat the carnitas in its juices in a large skillet or in 350ºF oven, until almost all the juices are absorbed. You may prefer it juicy and soft (in which case cover the meat as it reheats) or drier and crisp around the edges (reheat uncovered). To serve, spoon the hot carnitas on the tortillas and top with the salsa, onion, avocado, and
chicharrón
.