The tell me about Mexican food thread

[LWJ]

Sean's query on pizza touched a nerve with me. A good one. I am passionate about pizza. Truly.

But Mexican food? It is almost religion. And I don't know crap about it.

I can make fair fish and chicken tacos. I can make good pinto beans. I can assemble a tasty (American) burrito bowl.

But none of this compares with some of the mind blowing food I have had in the occasional Mexican joints.

So Brain Trust, give me a data dump. Tell me about Mexican food. What are some tips. Recipes? Let me have it.

[Evans, Marv]

It's all good. The world would be a much worse place without Mexican food. I just made chilis rellenos last night for dinner. Just start trying out recipes for dishes you like to get started. The best is usually from good restaurants. I remember the best enchiladas I ever had was deep in Mexico in a converted gas station. I think I ate a dozen at that setting.

[Gogar]

Oh gosh that's a wide net. As much as or more than the pizza!

IMO pinto beans are the easy barometer of whether or not a restaurant is gonna be good. If they don't care about that then the rest is gonna fail too.

Best Mexican food I've had lately is Richardson's or Dick's Hideaway in Phoenix.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Sean's query on pizza touched a nerve with me. A good one. I am passionate about pizza. Truly.

But Mexican food? It is almost religion. And I don't know crap about it.

I can make fair fish and chicken tacos. I can make good pinto beans. I can assemble a tasty (American) burrito bowl.

But none of this compares with some of the mind blowing food I have had in the occasional Mexican joints.

So Brain Trust, give me a data dump. Tell me about Mexican food. What are some tips. Recipes? Let me have it.

Mexican food covers a huge range of types of foods and ingredients compared to what most Americans think of as Mexican food. Mexican food from the coast will feature lots of seafood. Mexican food from the south will likely feature a lot more fruits and vegetables (since it's tropical with lots of rain) than the food from the northern interior where there's a very different climate.

And I think a lot of the food that we get in the US is probably a bit different from what Mexicans in Mexico eat. I suspect it's similar to the "Chinese" food that you get in the US (although I suspect American-Mexican is probably closer to Mexican than American-Chinese is to real Chinese).

[vash]

Whoa.

Mexican food is a huge topic. Way bigger than the pizza genre. I grew up in El Paso. Our version of Mexican food is unique. Not Tex-mex.

Dang. Just the mole discussion would be its own thread.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by vash

Whoa.

Mexican food is a huge topic. Way bigger than the pizza genre. I grew up in El Paso. Our version of Mexican food is unique. Not Tex-mex.

Dang. Just the mole discussion would be its own thread.

mmmmm, mole

[GH85Carrera]

When we were in the New England states I would ask the person at the counter at the hotel, where is a good restaurant. Often they would say, there is Mexican food on, and I would interrupt, no I want seafood! I will never bother eating Mexican food in Yankee land, or sushi at a gas station. Ain’t ever gonna happen. We have many great local Mexican food places.

Wonderful seafood in Rhode Island!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

When we were in the New England states I would ask the person at the counter at the hotel, where is a good restaurant. Often they would say, there is Mexican food on, and I would interrupt, no I want seafood! I will never bother eating Mexican food in Yankee land, or sushi at a gas station. Ain’t ever gonna happen. We have many great local Mexican food places.

Wonderful seafood in Rhode Island!

Right. While it's possible that there are great Mexican places anywhere, they probably get rarer and rarer the farther you get from Mexico except maybe in Cali or NYC.

[vash]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

When we were in the New England states I would ask the person at the counter at the hotel, where is a good restaurant. Often they would say, there is Mexican food on, and I would interrupt, no I want seafood! I will never bother eating Mexican food in Yankee land, or sushi at a gas station. Ain’t ever gonna happen. We have many great local Mexican food places.

Wonderful seafood in Rhode Island!

Mexican seafood is fantastic. 7 mares soup is a fav of mine.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by vash

Mexican seafood is fantastic. 7 mares soup is a fav of mine.

I spent 2 summers in Spain, small coastal town near Cadiz and near-ish Jerez. I had some of the best seafood soup ever while I was there. Actually, everything that I ate while I was there was outstanding including the Sangria.

[matthewb0051]

Chipotle is not Mexican food.

If it has sour cream, it is not Mexican food.

I agree with others, the further away from the border you are, the less likely it will be good or even qualify as Mexican food.

Even the stuff from San Antonio and El Paso are vastly different. Both originate or take ques from different parts of Mexico.

One time I was in Charlottesville, VA at a 'Mexican' restaurant. Here in SA we just order 'queso' and get a bowl of melted cheese with chilis in it. The server in Virginia literally brought me a bowl of shredded cheese. Oh, I'm sorry... chili con queso. Silly Yankees.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Gogar

IMO pinto beans are the easy barometer of whether or not a restaurant is gonna be good. If they don't care about that then the rest is gonna fail too.

True.

And, in my many years growing up and then running rivers in the California and the greater Southwest: The number and years of youth and adult league soccer trophies on the coin-op cigarette machine when you walk into the restaurant is all you needed to know.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

For Mexican I needed a focus which became tacos. Easy enough to apply French techniques to Mexican spices so beef bourguignon became my own version of carnitas. This works so well in layering Mexican spices and alchohols. The birria I put a lot of effort into mastering them and feel like I can finally adjust the consommé to the flavor profile I want. I only have 2 pieces of advice for Mexican: Follow recipes religiously or apply your own technique library to the foods used.

[vash]

In Italy the pasta isn’t overly dressed or sauced. Same for Mexican food.

Here is an El Paso staple. The lengua taco. No cheese. No creme. I need to work on my salsa game.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

All different playing with the chili base

[LWJ]

Y'all seen the junkie begging for dimes on a street corner. He says it is for a coffee and bagel but you know he is dreaming of shooting into a vein?

Yep. The pics above have me jonesing. Just like that.

Keep em coming!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by vash

In Italy the pasta isn’t overly dressed or sauced. Same for Mexican food.

Here is an El Paso staple. The lengua taco. No cheese. No creme. I need to work on my salsa game.

no cheese?

OK, I'd eat Mexican with no cheese, and I'd probably like it. But I'd probably like it more with cheese.

[Otter74]

Originally Posted by masraum

Right. While it's possible that there are great Mexican places anywhere, they probably get rarer and rarer the farther you get from Mexico except maybe in Cali or NYC.

Or Chicago. I'd say that Chicago has the best Mexican food in Anglo North America after the greater LA area. Certainly more and better than New York. I wouldn't rank anything in Chicago above Guelaguetza, though.

Mexican food is a very sophisticated cuisine and there's a lot of variety. If you're really interested in it, it's worth getting a book and studying it. One of Diana Kennedy's books would be a great start, though Rick Bayless's books are probably easier for beginners.

One of my good friends had a birthday party the other weekend - she is from Jalisco, and her husband is from Guadalajara. He had made a torito de guayabana, a drink from Veracruz that I hadn't had before (though I'm familiar with guayabana.) It used guayabana juice, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and white rum (though it would normally be made with the agaurdiente.) Also commonly made with peanuts (!), parchita or mango.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Y'all seen the junkie begging for dimes on a street corner. He says it is for a coffee and bagel but you know he is dreaming of shooting into a vein?

Yep. The pics above have me jonesing. Just like that.

Keep em coming!

I think if you were to first identify a dream dish and then harness the passion you have for your pizza dough, channel it into this one dish, perhaps even one aspect of it, you would achieve monumental Mexican food greatness and create a foundation to build on for other Mexican plates. Passion breeds Success.

Edit: and think in terms of layering flavors for the kind of plates you want to eat. Find those recipes and master them, then tweak to suit your palate.

[GH85Carrera]

There is also a HUGE difference in authentic Mexican food, and the Tex-Mex most places serve.

On excellent tip, look around the restaurant, are there Hispanic customers in there, or just a lot of white folks?

Like many ethnic foods, the customers in the place will let you know if it is good.