The Budget Chef
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Cinco de Mayo Family Fiesta
Cinco de Mayo Family Fiesta
by Patricia Mendez
Everybody loves a fiesta. Send out e-vites and purchase a piñata or crepe paper flowers for a festive table decoration. If you are having children in attendance, fill the piñata with inexpensive treats and let the children have a go at it sometime during your fiesta. Add some delicious Mexican food, a pitcher of horchata (rice milk) for the kids and margaritas for the adults and some lively Latin music such as the Buena Vista Social Club, Gipsy Kings or Gloria Estefan.
Most people are under the impression that Mexican food is very spicy. The truth is most Mexican dishes are not. They are made with fresh, simple ingredients prepared with care. This column features Carne Asada Street Tacos. In Mexico, these are served very simply from street vendors with corn tortillas, meat and a mixture of chopped onions and cilantro. I have included a tasty recipe of Salsa Cruda for extra zing on the tacos. This salsa is mild and flavorful. The Spanish rice is a classic recipe. The Pinto Beans with Queso Fresco are not re-fried in lard as traditional beans served in Mexico. The pinto beans are made from scratch, slow-simmered with a piece of salt pork to infuse authentic flavor without the frying. They can be made the day before your fiesta. Queso Fresco is a mild fresh Mexican cheese made from cow’s milk. Serve purchased paletas (Mexican frozen fruit juice bars) for dessert. Paletas come in deliciously different flavors like banana-strawberry, coconut-pineapple, tamarind-orange. And the best part of this menu? It is easy on your budget and is a great change from burger barbeques.
You can usually purchase all needed ingredients at the grocery store. If you have a Latin Market or Carniceria (Butcher Shop) in your area, buy your steak and Queso Fresco there. Skirt steak is an inexpensive cut of meat. The butcher at the Carniceria will have removed the silver skin and extra fat and cut the steak into thin pieces, perfect for these tacos. If you purchase the skirt steak in a grocery store, just be sure to trim all the fat and silver skin off of the meat and cut it widthwise (horizontally) into ¼ inch thick slabs before marinating.
Carne Asada Street Tacos
Makes 10 to 12 servings
6 to 7 pounds skirt steak (also called flap meat)
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer
Garlic salt
Barbecue spice (spice aisle)
3 or 4 large lemons
1 can beer (any brand)
3 dozen small corn tortillas, for serving
Light a fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. The steak should be no more than 1/4 inch thick. If the steak you have purchased is thicker, slice it widthwise (horizontally) with a very sharp knife until you have 1/4-inch-thick slabs Place a layer of skirt steak on the bottom of a large bowl. Lightly sprinkle all four seasonings on the steak and squeeze some lemon juice over the meat. Turn the meat over and repeat. In addition, sprinkle some beer on this side of the steak. Put your finger over the top of the beer can or bottle so you can just sprinkle it; you do not want to wash all the spices off. Repeat with another layer of steak, seasoning both sides and sprinkling with lemon juice and beer until you have finished all the steak. You will not have used the entire can of beer. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
Grill until sizzling (3 or 4 minutes per side). Put in a pan and cover with aluminum foil while you are grilling the remainder of the steak. Chop large pieces of grilled steak into bite-size small pieces with a sharp knife or scissors and serve on warm corn tortillas with Salsa Cruda.
Salsa Cruda
3 fresh Anaheim chilies, seeded and chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped finely
2 tablespoons white onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped finely
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 fresh Serrano chilies, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1-2 limes)
Salt & pepper to taste
Add all ingredients in a bowl and salt and pepper generously to taste.
NOTE: Tomatoes taste best served at room temperature. I recommend that you make this salsa about an hour before serving and do not refrigerate for best taste. If you like your salsa spicy, simply add a few dashes of red pepper sauce and stir.
Spanish Rice
Makes 10 to 12 servings
1/4 cup canola oil
3 cups long-grain rice
5 1/2 cups chicken broth (such as Swanson’s), heated in microwave
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Garlic salt to taste
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the hot chicken broth, tomato sauce and garlic salt to taste. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.
Pinto Beans with Queso Fresco
Makes 10 to 12 servings
1 pound dried pinto beans
8 ounces salt pork or thick sliced bacon
1 large jalapeño chile
1 to 2 tablespoons garlic salt, plus more if needed
1 lb. Queso Fresco or Panela (Mexican soft cheese) or jack cheese for topping, sliced
Put the beans in a colander and rinse in cold water. Transfer them to a large saucepan and cover with water, filling the pot approximately two thirds full. Add the salt pork or bacon, jalapeño, and garlic salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and set the heat to low. Simmer for approximately 3 hours. Check every 30 minutes to make sure the beans are covered in water. If necessary, add a little more water so the beans don’t burn. Do not add any water during the last 30 minutes unless the beans are very dry. The water should become thicker and savory and the beans should be juicy, not too dry or too watery. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Let cool slightly and remove the salt pork or bacon. Either discard it or cut up the lean portion of the bacon and add it back to the beans, discarding the fatty part. Refrigerate until the next day, or serve immediately. Pinto beans are delicious served with Queso Fresco or jack cheese on top.
Patricia is the author of the book, Easy Entertaining for Beginners. The book is an award-winning finalist in the cookbook: general category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.
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