The Mexican Slow Cooker: Recipes for Mole, Enchiladas, Carnitas, Chile Verde Pork, and More Favorites (16 page)

Fold in both sides to partly cover the filling. Fold the bottom up and tuck it firmly over the filling, then roll up the burrito snugly to form a tight cylinder. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Set each burrito on a serving plate and ladle over ½ cup (or more, if you like) of the Fresh Tomato and Guajillo Salsa.

To serve, sprinkle each burrito with a little cheese, the cilantro, and the green onions. Serve immediately.

Makes about 4½ cups

This excellent salsa balances earthy dried chiles with the sweetness of tomatoes and tart tomatillos. It may be substituted for any of the cooked salsas used in any of the recipes in this book. This makes a mildly spicy sauce. If you want a hotter salsa, add as many as 10 more chiles de árbol.

Tear all the chiles into small pieces. In a large skillet, heat the lard over medium-high heat. Add the chiles, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomatillos, and oregano and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are soft and the skillet is dry, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the water, salt, and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. For a velvety texture, pass the sauce through a food mill to remove any remaining skins and fibers, or use as is. The salsa should just cling to a spoon. If necessary, thin with a little more water. Taste and adjust the seasoning and use hot.

Have you noticed that burritos keep getting bigger? This hefty creation is as much an American classic as the hamburger, a big, sloppy “bro-rito” in the best over-the-top tradition. (The teasing title’s literal translation is White Guy Burrito.) But it’s all in good fun. Be careful about how much of each filling ingredient you use or your burrito will wind up the size of a dirigible and fall apart in your lap. Slice each burrito into four pieces to serve a bigger group.

Heat a large, heavy skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. One at a time, heat the tortillas in the skillet, pressing down with a spatula, until warm and lightly toasted on one side. Turn the tortilla over and scatter ⅓ cup cheese over the tortilla, leaving 2 inches uncovered around the edges.

When the cheese is melted, lay the tortilla on a plate and spoon ½ cup of the beans across the center, leaving 2 inches uncovered on each side and a bit more space on the top and bottom. Top with ½ cup of the beef mixture, 2 tablespoons of the onion and cilantro mixture, and 2 tablespoons the salsa. Arrange a sixth of the avocado sliced down the center, then 2 tablespoons of the pickled jalapeños, and finally spoon 2 tablespoons sour cream evenly down the middle.

Fold in both sides to partly cover the filling. Fold the bottom up and tuck it firmly over the filling, then roll up the burrito snugly to form a tight cylinder. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Makes about 2½ cups

This simple fresh tomato salsa adds fresh taste and crunch to almost anything. Make sure it is well seasoned.

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.

All the flavors work together extremely well in this burrito, which is composed of layers of full-flavored pork, rice, tart salsa, crunchy onion, and chunks of avocado and
chicharrón
. The Avocado-Tomato Salsa—not a guacamole, but more like a chunky salad—is just as good in any of the burritos. Serve with the beans of your choice from
Basics, Rice, Beans, and Other Sides
, though
Frijoles Negros
are the hands-down favorite in my house. The burrito is also delicious with
Roasted Tomato Salsa
instead of the Salsa Verde.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Reheat the carnitas in its cooking liquid, uncovered, until it begins to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove all bits of visible fat from the meat.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. One at a time, heat the tortillas in the skillet, turning once and pressing down with a spatula, until warm and lightly toasted on both sides.

Lay a tortilla on a plate and spoon ⅓ cup of the rice across the center, leaving 2 inches uncovered on each side and a bit more space on the top and bottom. Top with ½ cup of the Carnitas, ¼ cup of the Salsa Verde, ⅓ cup of the Avocado-Tomato Salsa, and 2 tablespoons of the onion and cilantro mixture. Scatter about 1 tablespoon
chicharrón
pieces, down the middle.

Fold in both sides to partly cover the filling. Fold the bottom up and tuck it firmly over the filling, then roll up the burrito snugly to form a tight cylinder. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Makes 3 cups

The avocado should be ripe but still firm. This salsa keeps well, but you likely won’t have any leftovers.

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Sun-dried
chiles colorado
infuse the cooking of the US Southwest and northern Mexico with the earthy flavor of sun-baked mountains and desert. North of the border, these smooth-skinned chiles are called New Mexico chiles. They have a nice balance of heat and fruitiness that is quite distinct from chiles of similar appearance. Hunt down chiles grown in Mexico or New Mexico for this recipe (and always avoid Asian and South American chiles, which might look similar but don’t have the right flavor). This recipe, which can be made with either beef or pork, is medium-hot, with a pleasant slow burn. Serve with
Arroz Mexicana
and
Frijoles de Olla
or
Frijoles Charros de Nuevo León
.

Place the chiles in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot water over them. Let soak for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Drain, reserving 1½ cups of the soaking liquid.

In a blender, combine the chiles, the reserved soaking liquid, garlic, and salt and puree for several minutes until perfectly smooth, scraping down the sides several times.

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin, peppercorns, and cloves until fragrant, stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Let cool completely and grind in a spice grinder.

Heat the lard in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, brown the meat on one side without stirring, until it is dark brown. Turn the meat and brown the other side. Add the ground spices and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a 5-quart slow cooker and add the chile puree. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is tender. Stir in the vinegar.

To assemble the burritos, heat a large heavy skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. One at a time, heat the tortillas in the skillet, turning once and pressing down with a spatula, until warm and lightly toasted on both sides. Lay a tortilla on a plate and spoon ¾ cup of the meat mixture down the center, leaving 2 inches uncovered on each side and 3 inches open on the top and bottom. Scatter a bit of the onion and cilantro mixture over the meat. Fold in both sides to partly cover the filling. Fold the bottom up and tuck it firmly over the filling, then roll up the burrito snugly to form a tight cylinder. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, and serve immediately.