A Bowl of Red

Texas Red Chili

This is chili weather.  Light a fire and put your feet up while this simmers away.  Maybe enjoy a good book.  I'm reading Neil Young's new book, Waging Heavy Peace.  But any subversive literature will do!

This is the real deal!  Don't omit the pork and let the chili simmer until it breaks!

 

1/2 White onion, chopped fine

3 Cloves Garlic, finely minced

1 Tbl. Canola oil

1-1/2 Lbs. Ground beef (ask for chili grind) or rough chopped sirloin

1/2 Lb. Ground pork

1/4 Cup Ancho chile powder, mild New Mexico Chile powder, or Paprika

2 tsp. ground Cumin

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 28oz. can Chicken broth

1 8-OZ Can Tomato sauce

1 bottle beer

Roux (1/2 Cup or so)

Salt to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic, in the oil, in a large frying pan until soft, but not browned.  Add the meat and continue cooking until brown. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper and stir well.  Then add the chicken broth and tomato sauce and stir well.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring often.  If thin bring to full boil and work in roux to desired thickness. If it gets too thick add a little more beer.  Serve in big bowls with Ice-cold Lone Star beer, cheddar cheese, chopped white onion, and saltine crackers.

Serves 6

Tequila and Magic in a Mexican Garden

Tequila and Magic in a Mexican Garden

By Mad Coyote Joe

            Looking over at the kitchen window, making sure that his wife Norma isn’t watching, Santiago reaches into the big burlap bag and produces a half empty bottle of José Cuervo Traditional Tequila.  He slowly takes a generous gulp of the golden brown liquid.  Smacking his lips together, he utters, “Madre de dios, I needed that.”

             We are in the garden collecting hibiscus flowers for Norma.  After they dry she will use them to make Jamaica tea.  I am thirteen years old and spending the summer in Guadalajara, Mexico with Santiago and Norma. Years ago they worked on my grandfather’s avocado farm in Escondido, California.  They are both in their late seventies.

             “ Now you want to be careful to pinch the stem just below the base, like this,” Santiago said, carefully removing the flower from the bush.  “Turn the flower facing up and gently slide your fingers inside without crushing the flesh of the flower or disturbing the delicate core.”  The old vaquero gets a little smile on his sun darkened face and continues, “Trust me mijo, one day, when you have a senorita, she will be very happy that you know how to do this.”  He reaches over messing up my hair, while patting me on the head and then goes on.  “Pinch this part, called the pestle, at the base and carefully remove it. Then take off the green cup that surrounds the flower, make sure there are no little bugs and then drop the flower into this burlap bag.”

            As he drops the deep red blossom into the bag, he gestures with his calloused hand, suggesting that I start picking.  “Be gentle, and do me a favor, hurry every chance you get. I don’t pay you nothing for nothing.” He says with a grin.  “Every time you pick one of these flowers a new one will grow back the next day.”

             Checking over and then dropping one of the flowers in the bag, I look up and ask “Why?”

            The lines around the old man’s face tighten a little, as his smile grows and I can almost see the story coming into focus behind his eyes, “Well… a long time ago, a beautiful woman lived in a little Casita, that eventually was added onto and finally became our big house that you see before you.  Her husband got hurt and could no longer work. 

            “How did he get hurt?” I ask.

            “How do I know?  Maybe he worked in the circus washing the elephant’s balls and the elephant sat on him.  Whatever happened he couldn’t work.”  The old man pauses, taking another slow sip of the tequila, “Ahh! Que bueno… Soon the couple had no money, not even for food.  The woman was very worried and would cry every night right here, on this very spot.  One night a little fairy was out collecting moonlight and he heard her and asked why she was crying.  She said that she needed work, anything to feed her family.  The fairy, feeling sorry for her, said he would try to help.  He touched the earth and said something in a secret language that only fairies know, and then he disappeared.

            I break in, going along with the story, “A fairy… really abuelito, did you ever see a fairy?”

            “Gordito hush!” Santiago says, as he sharpens his focus on me raising his index finger, in an attempt to look serious. “Pay attention.  The next morning the very first one these bushes, popped up right here where her tears hit the ground, and the bush had one perfect red flower.  It was so beautiful that the woman thought it must be a sign of good luck.  She put it in her hair and went to town to look for work.  Times were hard and there was no work to be had, but richest man in the town was having café’ on his terrace.  The wonderful scent of the flower intoxicated him.  Looking up he saw the beautiful woman with the flower in her hair, and had to have her.  He offered her money to spend the night with him.  She was so desperate that she agreed.             

            The next day, when she left the rich man’s home, she was overwhelmed with guilt, and went to the church to pray for forgiveness.  As she looked into the font of holy water, in her reflection, the shame of what she had done was as clear on her face as the perfection of the flower that was still in her hair.  And then it happened, as she touched the surface of the holy water, she saw her sins disappear while the flower shriveled and died.  Then the dried up flower fell from her hair, into the holy water, which instantly turned dark red, like the blood of Christo.” 

            “Was it blood?” I asked.

            “No, the holy water just turned the color of blood.  The woman went to the confessional and told the Padre about the rich man and the magic flower.  He thought it must be a sign from god, so he absolved her of her sins.  She went home with food and told her husband that she had paid all the bills.  She was free of guilt and her husband had no suspicions.

            When the Padre saw the holy water that looked like blood.  He worried it would scare away his flock, coming to confession.  He couldn’t just throw it out, so he blessed himself and drank it.” 

             “What did it taste like?” I ask?

            “I don’t know, but it looked like blood and the padre had the cajones to drink it!  The next morning when the woman went outside, the bush had grown a new flower, just as beautiful.  The woman, thinking that it might be a good idea to make a little more money to put aside in case of hard times, put the flower in her hair and went to town.  Another rich man fell under the flower’s spell and this time they went to a hotel.  Again she felt the guilt and again she went to church and again the flower shriveled and died along with her sin, but this time, not wanting the Padre to know what she had been doing, she caught the flower before it fell into the holy font.  She went home and tossed the dried flower into a big empty vase.  This went on for a while; every day a new flower, everyday more money and her husband never suspected a thing.  And their little shack soon turned into this big beautiful hacienda.” 

            Santiago takes the flower I am working on out of my hand and inspects it, “Good, make sure the center is all gone, it will make the tea bitter.”  He drops my flower into the bag and pulls out the bottle taking another sip.  As he savors the tequila he thinks about the story, then he continues. “I tell you Mijo, living a lie is a funny thing, it eats away at you.  Finally the woman could take it no longer.  She went and told the Padre what she was doing.  The Padre made her promise to quit.  Then he told her about drinking the holy water.”

            “Did she quit?” I asked.             

            “Yes, she did, but the bush kept making flowers.  She would pick them and put them in the vase, which was filling up very fast.  She decided she should get rid of the flowers before they caused any more trouble.  Remembering the Padre’s story, she made a tea with them and served it to her husband… the same Jamaica tea we drink today.

            Maybe it was the holy water and maybe it was her sin and the tea was delicious and it quenched her husband’s thirst; but not forever like the Padre who was never thirsty or needed another drink as long as he lived.” 

The Best Mexican Food in the USA!

I went to Carolina’a del Norte in Phoenix this morning.   As I sat there eating one of the simple pleasures of living here, I was reminded of one of the great Mexican Food arguments which circulates around this part of the world. 

My friend Bob Boze Bell, millionaire publisher, of True West magazine, has been in a several decade long debate with the Distinguished Professor Paul Andrew Hutton, Professor of history at The University of New Mexico. 

Both men are well versed, lecture, and have written extensively, on the history of the American west.  Professor Hutton says, that New Mexico has the nations best “Mexican food”, with Mr. Bell correctly arguing, that Arizona has the best!

This is not some subjective argument because I prefer Arizona’s use of certain chiles or cilantro.  There is a simple reason that we have the best Mexican food in the U.S.  Arizona was the least inhabited region of the Southwest.  We had no real anglo settlement until, after the Gadsden Purchase in1852 and then the Civil War, which ended in 1865.  Tucson was basically an army outpost from the 1860’s on.  Eventually growing into a small community and then the largest city in what would become Arizona, until the farming around Phoenix grew in the early 1900’s.

Now I’m sure Professor Hutton, will take great offence with me, a mere cook, lecturing him on history.  But knowing history and understanding it are two different enchiladas (Professor Hutton, please see; food, Mexican, if that school has dictionaries).

The food currently being offered in New Mexico is a combination of Spanish and Native American, traditions starting in the 1500’s. In the 500 years since they have developed a separate “New Mexican “cuisine, that although delicious, is not Mexican food. 

Here in Arizona we’ve only had 150 years to bastardize the Mexican food, with our best efforts coming directly with Mexicans, across the border.  California like Texas are both older and have a lot of fusion, Mexican food.  I’m not saying that there are no great Mexican food restaurants in these places… there are. 

Just saying, Mexican food, is a misnomer, like saying, American food.  There are many styles and traditions through out Mexico and the food here is mostly “Northern Mexican” food.   But, Professor Hutton, our Mexican food can beat your Mexican food with one stove tied behind it’s back!

Warmly

Mad Coyote Joe

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

Purfect for this soup weather... easy and delicious!

2 lbs. Pork shoulder, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

2 Tbl. corn oil

1 white onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 roma tomatoes

6 cups chicken broth

1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled and chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. mild chile powder

3/4 tsp. black pepper

10 corn tortillas cut into very thin strips

Garnish:

Queso ranchero

chopped cilantro

white onion, finely chopped

key limes, cut into wedges

Chile tepins

In a large soup pot sauté the pork until it starts to brown then add the onion and garlic and continue sautéing until onions are starting to brown.

This next step may sound like a pain, but it just takes a few minutes and is well worth it. While pork is browning (or before), turn the tomatoes upside down and cut an 1 inch x across the bottom of each tomato, just through the skin. Fill a small sauce pan with water and bring it to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil fill a medium mixing bowl with ice and then add water to fill. Drop the tomatoes, one at a time, into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Remove from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge into the ice water bath. Using the edge of a paring knife Remove the core and skin. Cut the tomato in half, from top to bottom, and squeeze out all the seeds and juice. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2 inch chunks. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, poblano chile, jalapeno, garlic and spices to the pork and onions. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Fill soup bowls about half full with tortilla strips and then ladle in soup to fill. Place garnish in little bowls on the table; allowing your guests to garnish to their own taste.

Texas Red Chili

Texas Red Chili

Lindsay, the nice girl that gets my coffee for me at C4 some mornings, is making Chili for a Christmas party. I told her I would get her my great recipe. It dawned on me that you might also feel like a good "Bowl of Red". This is fantastic Chili and anyone can make it! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

1/2 White onion, chopped fine

3 Cloves Garlic, finely minced

1 Tbl. Canola oil

1-1/2 Lbs. Ground beef

1/2 Lb. Ground pork

1/4 Cup Ancho chile powder, mild New Mexico Chile powder, or Paprika

2 tsp. ground Cumin

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 28oz. can Chicken broth

1 8-OZ Can Tomato sauce

1 bottle beer

Roux (1 C or so)

Salt to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic, in the oil, in a large frying pan until soft, but not browned. Add the meat and continue cooking until brown. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper and stir well. Then add the chicken broth and tomato sauce and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium high heat for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring often. If thin bring to full boil and work in roux to desired thickness. If it gets too thick add a little more beer. Serve in big bowls with Ice-cold Lone Star beer, cheddar cheese, chopped white onion, and saltine crackers.

Serves 6

Baguettes and Country white bread just out of the wood fired oven!

Sucess at Last!

This is our first batch of any size, sixteen loaves, eight Baguettes and eight Country white. The Country white is coming out the same every time; light, mild sour dough, with a crunch that can be heard across the room… delicious!

The Baguettes are getting better with each bake, this time we have the flavor and crunch we are looking for, but the surface is a little irregular and the final loaf is not deep in color.

We are thinking maybe an egg-wash will produce the color we are looking for. For the next bake we are thinking maybe 16-32 loafs of each. After the oven gets hot enough, each bake takes about 30% more time, so we need to use hearth space as economically as possible.

I believe we can do about 30 Country loaves per bake and about 16-18 loaves of Baguette, per bake. Add that to about 10 – 12 bakes per fire and we’ve got a nice little bread business on our hands. The best part of this process is I feel alive about food again, like when I was 28 and had little kids and a young wife that I was grilling for. My mind is busy with the process of baking and it feels good.

Kathy is still by my side, tasting and helping and suggesting, only now she is an Executive chef with 35 years of cooking under her belt. Money is tight, business is slow, and my health is still in question, but life here is good!

While we were getting our oven heated and our bread dough ready, I put a pork shoulder with baby red potatoes and about 20 garlic cloves in an old iron Dutch oven in about two inches of chicken broth. As the fire was quite hot, I placed it just in the doorway. Right before our first bake, I took it inside and let it rest. When the baking was done we had supper, the pork was juicy and almost sweet, combined with the Country white just out of the oven with a schmear of organic sweet cream butter, a few cloves of the roasted garlic and a glass of Cabernet. It wasn’t fancy but WOW! Did it taste great!

The Columns are up on the Bakery pavilion and next week we go to beams and joists for the roof… photos to follow!

Shot of oven during the first counter pour!