Guest Stars: 5.13 - 5.19

INSTAGRAMS POSTED BY YOU

INSTAGRAMS POSTED BY US

Fun Fact Friday: Undoing the myths of Mexican Food that you've believed all your life

There is a saying in Oaxaca,

“Para todo mal, mezcal, para todo bien, también” 

For everything wrong, mezcal; for everything right, too.

Empellon Inside: New Dishes Today, Cocina

We put a couple of new dishes on the menu today.

Both are very simple and super delicious.

Mangalitsa Pork with White Beans and Green Mole.

Oaxacan style green mole is a stew of tomatillos, green chiles, spices and fresh herbs. Traditionally it almost always contains pork and white beans.

We got in some beautiful mangalitsa rib loins in and we were excited to use them right away. Mangalitsa are pigs raised for their lard so the meat is incredibly well marbled. We are cutting thin slices off of the loin and giving them a quick sear on a hot plancha. The pork is surrounded by white beans that have bean simmered in a pigs foot broth thickened with masa. Otherwise the dish is dotted with green mole made in the traditional way with hoja santa an parsley.

The other new dish we have created is a Fresh Chickpea Salad with Burnet, Burnt Chile Hummus and Parmesan

A new technique for us is taking jalapenos and roasting them in an oven until the have turned to cinders. It may sound strange but it tempers the heat of the chile. When the jalapeno ashes are pulverized and folded into hummus it imparts a wonderful, almost coffee like flavor.

We are producing dishes faster then we probably should but I have made the decision that I want to expand the menu at Cocina over the next couple of months. Ive decided that as a Chef I simply do not like small menus so Im not going to have them anymore.

Kitchen Recipes: Lobster Tacos

Our Lobster Tacos, shared with you!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8  tortillas
2 cups cooked lobster meat
1 recipe Hominy (see recipe)
1 recipe Epazote Mayonnaise (see recipe)
1 recipe Epazote Cream (see recipe)
Cotija cheese, for garnish

For the Hominy:

Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter, divided in half
2 garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, chopped
1 cup plum tomatoes, cut into small dice
1 epazote branch
½ oz. mezcal
2 cups hominy
1 tsp salt

Method:

For the hominy, start a pot of boiling water.

In a saucepan over medium heat, add the first half of butter and cook until brown.  Add the garlic and cook until golden, add the Serrano chiles and sauté for one minute before adding the diced tomatoes.

Meanwhile, pick all the leaves off the epazote branches.  Chop the leaves finely before adding to the Serrano chile/tomato mixture.  

Continue cooking the mixture until almost dry, about 10 minutes.  Add the mezcal and let cook until the alcohol dissolves.

In the pot of boiling water, add the corn and blanch for 2 minutes before immersing it into a bowl of ice water. Drain the corn and add to the saucepan with the chiles, tomatoes, and epazote.  Season with salt, remove the pan from the heat and add the second half of butter.  Serve.

Epazote Mayonnaise:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp epazote leaves

Method:

In a blender, place the mayonnaise and epazote leaves and puree until smooth.  Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and serve.

Epazote Cream:

Ingredients:
1 oz olive oil
4 garlic cloves, halved
¼ cup jalapeños, with seeds, chopped
¼ cup Tomato Base (see recipe)
1 qt. heavy cream
1 tsp salt
½ tbsp epazote leaves

Method:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic and jalapeños and cook until just starting to brown, about 4 minutes.  Add the tomato base and continue cooking the mixture down to a paste, about 20 minutes.  Add the cream, salt and epazote and bring to a simmer.

Remove the cream from the heat and cover with a lid.  Allow it to infuse for 30 minutes and strain.  

Tomato Base:

Ingredients:
1 cup plum tomatoes
½ cup roasted onions
4 cloves garlic, roasted

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  Transfer to a bowl, stir thoroughly.  

To assemble:

In a pan, heat the epazote cream and the corn.  Add the lobster and cook 2 minutes to warm through.  Garnish with epazote mayo and cotija cheese.