Tacos de Carnitas with Red Chile Salsa

Most recipes call for pork shoulder or Boston butt to be used in the preparation of Carnitas. All I had were two pork tenderloins, so I figured that was good enough for my family and me.

I didn’t want to make a big production of dinner, just something simple to where I could set up a taco bar and let everyone make their own tacos however they wanted to. Carnitas seemed to be the right choice.

Look at those beautiful bits of crispy pork spilling out of the taco shells. Topped with guacamole and served with refried beans, this is an easy and delicious dinner.

It’s a hot and muggy lazy summer. So it’s either BBQing or something that can be eaten (mostly) with your hands. Gives me an idea for another meal: shooters. But, I guess that’ll be another post.

I set up the table (with the help of Lily, Brian and Bob) to provide sour cream, guacamole, salsa, shredded cheese and lettuce, taco shells and a big steaming bowl of carnitas and refried beans.

Lily and Brian had made Paula Deen’s Biscuit Donuts earlier in the day and were quite ready to eat something a little heartier (they’d been munching on the donut holes since morning). To see the famous and easy-to-make donuts using Paula Deen's recipe, go to the Mexican Chocolate blog. They were actually pretty good. They decided the recipe should go on the Mexican Chocolate blog because despite the fact that they didn’t use Mexican Chocolate for the glaze, they did flavor it to taste like it. Sounds reasonable to me.

So I hope you’ll give Carnitas a try. Carnitas, by the way, means “little meats” in Spanish. Traditionally they are made with pork but I bet the tacos would be just as tasty if you made it with chicken or beef. Enjoy your day, we are. After having less than an inch of rain all year long, we’ve finally hit our “monsoon” season and it’s been coming down in glorious, copious amounts since Sunday.

Carnitas

2 (4-5-pounds) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5-inch chunks, trimmed of excess fat
I used two pork tenderloins
2 (16 ounce) cartons of chicken broth – I used Swanson’s
½ cup orange juice
1-tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 whole onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1-teaspoon black pepper
1-tablespoon ancho chile powder
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1-teaspoon chile powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine pork, broth, juice and seasonings. Add enough water to completely cover the meat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 2 – 3 hours (or longer) until meat pulls apart easily. Add salt to taste if needed.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove meat from liquid in pot (discard the liquid) and spread the meat out in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon chile powder and drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over the meat. Break the meat into small chunks. Roast meat for 15 to 20 minutes until brown and crispy.

Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm while preparing your garnishes: guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa and shredded lettuce. If you are making your own taco shells, make them while the meat is roasting in the oven or if you are using prepared taco shells, warm them in the oven when you remove the meat from the oven and are preparing your garnishes.

Red Chile Salsa
(inspired by Tyler Florence)

1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes, drained of most liquid
3 Serrano chiles, chopped (or less if you want less heat)
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, smashed
2 teaspoons sea salt
juice of 2 limes
½ cup chopped cilantro (we didn’t use)
a drizzle of olive oil

Put all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse 3 or 4 times for a chunky-style salsa, or longer if you don’t want it so chunky. Pour into serving bowl, cover and chill until serving.

Barbecuing Memories

Several years ago, Bob, my son Mikey and my nephews Rob and Larry decided to have a cook-off. (I told you we were all competitive in the kitchen!) It was August and about 105 in the shade here in the city of the sun – El Paso. We set up a couple of grills and the BBQ competition began.

This post is really about my son Michael, Mr. BBQ, Jr. He loves to barbecue, just like his father. I love looking at pictures of him when he was just a baby. Look.

Now he’s all grown up. He got his degree from UTEP, has an excellent career, is married to my wonderful daughter-in-law Jennifer and has a love of video games, cars, all gadgets of a digital nature, and Barbecuing.
Back to the BBQ Cook-off. Da Boys grilled their hearts out – then jumped into the pool to cool off. We invited some family and friends to judge the entries. These guys were serious.

Surprisingly, Bob won for his now (family) famous Ribs and Homemade BBQ sauce. Mikey came in second for his BBQ Chicken. I declared them all winners, the food was fantastic. As you can imagine Lily and I supplied the sides and desserts.

We took a picture of the four smoky-hot grilling maniacs.
Not long after I had this picture up for all to see, I got an email from my son with a picture back.
He said I had messed up the photograph and had just “cleaned it up” for me. Well, what he did was switch faces all around so that he would be shown as Mr. BBQ. I tell you, these kids don’t have anything better to do!

But it didn’t stop there. I’m always putting up pictures of my kids on the computer, just like you guys do. Here's one I had of the two of them. He looks like a giant next to Lily.

Sometimes I alternate between them. So, my son said he had the solution.
Half him...half her!!!

Am I sad that he and Jenn moved to Dallas? Yes a little. Am I sad that Lily is moving to Dallas to finish school? Yes a little. But both my children will be in the same city and they will be able to watch over each other. PLUS, when I go visit, I can see them both at the same time. I was feeling a little guilty about always posting about my daughter while making few references to my son. If you haven't gotten the idea yet, I adore my kids. Bob and I are very blessed to have them.

May your relationship with your children be strong and loving. May it last as long as you do. Hugs to everyone. Here is a photo and the recipe for the real Mr. BBQ Winner...Bob.
Ribs with Bob's BBQ Sauce

Ribs, ribs, ribs, as many as you want, beef or pork
1 recipe Bob's BBQ Sauce, recipe follows

Bob's BBQ Sauce

1 medium onion, finely chopped
¾ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon vinegar
½ tablespoon apple cider
¼ cup water
Dash of pepper
3 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon pineapple bits
Juice from ½ a lemon
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Sauté onion in unsalted butter until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes on low medium heat. Add remaining ingredients one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Prepare the night before barbecue and allow to thicken overnight in refrigerator.Ribs:Boil ribs in beef broth or seasoned water for one hour (that's one hour after the water starts to boil), covered, over medium low heat. Prepare grill 15 minutes before ribs are done boiling. Boiling the ribs does three very good things for the meat: it gives it flavor, it tenderizes it and it then takes much less time on the grill and avoids burning the meat.

Place ribs on medium heat on the grill for 5 minutes on each side. Then, put heat to low and generously mop barbecue sauce over tops. Turn frequently and each time you turn them over, add more barbecue sauce. Cook until desired doneness of meat and the barbecue sauce is just moist. Serve with anything...and lots of napkins!

Here's a picture of the second place winner...Mikey's BBQ Chicken.

Watermelon, Flank, Cocoa: Crazy Combination

But here's what you get.

A delicious meal of Cocoa Flank, original recipe by none other than Miss Paula Deen, some watermelon and mozarella skewers with a tasty tequila-lime glaze and watermelon agua fresca. Oh, I almost forgot the watermelon salsa to go with your cocoa flank. Our dinner was delicious. We sat there after eating, no one wanting to get up we were so full.

We sliced up the flank and made "faux" fajitas with it. Warmed up some flour tortilas and topped it off with the salsa. What a satisfying meal.

I didn't always like watching the Paula Deen show, but she kind of grew on me. My daughter and I now go around saying y'all for everything. Watching her with her boys is rather endearing. Her love for Michael, her honey, is also fun to watch. He's such a quiet man. You know he just loves watching her perform for the camera. It kind of pulls you in.

Most of her recipes are down-home goodness for me. Lily and I will be trying the biscuit donuts recipe this weekend. I'll let you know how they turn out.

But for now, I couldn't pass up this Cocoa Flank recipe she did on her show not too long ago. Chocolate...on steak? Oh yeah, baby. Delicious with a capital D.

Bob's not a fan of mole, so I didn't tell him what I was cooking up. Though this recipe isn't "mole" per se, the marinade aroma and taste was reminiscent of the delectable mole sauce. But once you grilled the flank, the full, blown-out flavor of mole was grilled right into the meat and didn't over power the flank. What can I say, you've got to try it. Great Southwestern flavor.

Chocolate Flank Steak with Pineapple SalsaBy Paula Deen
(The changes I made are written in red.)
Serves:
3 to 4 servings

Ingredients
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder used red chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt I used one of my flavored salts: The Green Chile Salt
Pinch ground black pepper
2 pounds flank steak
Pineapple Salsa, recipe follows (made watermelon salsa instead of pineapple)
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish, optional

Directions
In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine vinegar, cocoa, brown sugar, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add flank steak; seal bag, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
Spray nonstick griddle with nonstick spray and preheat to medium-high.
Remove steak from marinade and discard marinade. Place steak on the griddle and cook for 6 minutes on each side for a medium-rare. When cooked to desired doneness, remove from the griddle, to a cutting board, and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut steak across the grain into thin strips. Serve with Pineapple Salsa and garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.



Pineapple Salsa: (Made Watermelon Salsa)
1 whole pineapple, peeled and diced, 2 cups of small chopped watermelon
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and flesh diced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Yield: 2 cups


Watermelon Skewers
2 cups cubed seedless watermelon
2 cups cubed mozzarella
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tequila
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon lime zest
4 wooden skewers

Thread watermelon and mozzarella on wooden skewers.
Mix olive oil, tequila and sea salt. Drizzle over skewered fruit and cheese. Sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate until serving.

Watermelon Agua Fresca (Adapted from Eating Well)
http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/06/watermelon-agua-fresca.html

8 cups cubed seeded watermelon, divided
1 cup water, divided
1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 liter seltzer water, pre-chilled

Puree half of the cubed watermelon, half the water and half the sugar in a blender. Pour through a coarse strainer into a large container. Repeat with the remaining watermelon, water and sugar. Stir in lime juice. Refrigerate until very cold - at least 4 hours.Before serving, stir in seltzer and garnish with fresh lime (or a small slice of watermelon) if desired.

Other variations of Agua Fresca are:

Agua de Melón: Use cantaloupe or any other melon.
Agua de Fresa: Use strawberries.
Agua de Papaya: Use papaya. The addition of lime juice makes a tastier beverage here.
Agua Fresca de Pepino: Use peeled, seeded cucumbers and lime juice. Cut down on the sugar. Very refreshing

Try making one of these as an alternative to Iced Tea. They're all natural and darn good for you. Real foods for real people.

Marinated Porkchops

We're grilling indoors again. Hopefully the winds will die down and we can BBQ Bob's Smothered Steaks for Father's Day outside. But for now, nothing is going to keep us from enjoying that luscious grilled flavor.

I don't know about you guys, but I keep two grill pans handy for times like these.

One skillet and one reversible pan. (One side for pancakes!) They create the same beautiful grill marks as the outdoor BBQ grill does and with proper heating and seasonings they can replicate that delicious outdoor flavor. I know, my skillet is not cast iron, but I am looking for one and as soon as I find one (affordable) I WILL purchase it.

For now, we made delicious marinated porkchops that I used a dry rub on after the chops had marinated for about 4 hours. The taste was amazing. Take a look.
I served a Macaroni Salad with the chops and dinner was completed with some fresh fruit.
Throw in a few Dos Equis Beers and some non-alcoholic Sangria and you have yourself a delightful BBQ, despite the weather. Enjoy your weekend.
SPICY MARINATED PORK CHOPS
( COOKS.COM)

1 c. vegetable juice cocktail
3 tbsp. finely chopped onion
3 tbsp. finely chopped green pepper (I used jalapeno peppers)
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. low-calorie Italian salad dressing mix
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Few drops bottled hot pepper sauce
4 pork loin chops (bone-in), cut 1/2 inch thick and fat trimmed


For marinade: In plastic bag, combine all ingredients, except chops; add chops. Close bag securely; place in an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain (I stopped here. After I drained the chops of the marinade, I let them sit for a couple of minutes then proceeded to apply the dry rub.)
Reserve marinade. Place chops on unheated rack in broiler pan. Broil chops 3 to 4 inches from heat 6 minutes on each side or until done. Heat marinade and serve with chops. Makes 4 servings.

Spicy Pork Chops
(This is the dry rub I used on the porkchops)

Spice these pork chops up by adding more chili powder, or perhaps some cayenne to the rub. Remember to grill them hot and fast.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preparation:
Mix dry ingredients together. Thoroughly rub spice mixture over the entire surface of each pork chop. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat grill. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes over a medium fire. Turn once.

Macaroni Salad

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, cooled
1/2 cup grated carrots
2 stalks finely chopped celery
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large jalapeno, finely minced
2 heaping tablespoons pimento peppers, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
4 hard cooked eggs and paprika, if desired

Mix mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar and sugar in a large serving bowl. Set aside.

Add chopped and minced vegetables into your macaroni. Add to prepared sauce in serving bowl. Fold ingredients together. Layer sliced hard cooked eggs on top and sprinkle with a little sea salt and paprika if desired. This is mighty tasty!
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Come look at the Smiley Face M & M Cake Lily made for Bob for Fathers Day. It's cute!
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It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker!

Pulled Pork (the crockpot method)

The mightly El Paso winds have been blowing, so there will be no barbecuing over the coals today. BUT that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a delicious BBQ meal. We're in the mood for BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches so I'll just make it indoors..in the crockpot. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have preferred the smoked pork, but sometimes we just have to adjust.

We topped off our sandwiches with some Pineapple Slaw and had a Watermelon Margarita and our meal was complete. So, if you can't cook outdoors, adjust your thinking and BBQ indoors. A crockpot, a grill pan, the oven. Nothing should keep you from enjoying a great BBQ - not even the weather. Enjoy.

Pulled Pork (the crock pot method)
Makes 10 servings.

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, well trimmed
1 package McCormick Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar

1. Place pork in slow cooker. Mix Seasoning, ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar until blended. Pour over pork. Cover.

2. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove pork from slow cooker.

3. Shred pork, using 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker. Mix and heat with sauce before serving. Serve on sandwich rolls, if desired.

Cabbage Pineapple Slaw

3 1/5 ounces pineapple tidbits in juice
1 1/5 cups shredded cabbage
½ cups shredded carrots
¼ cup finely chopped jalapenos
2 celery stalks, chopped
½ cup craisins
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

Drain pineapple, reserving 3 tablespoons of juice. Combine drained pineapple, shredded cabbage, celery, craisins, carrots and jalapenos. Combine reserved pineapple juice, mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Add to cabbage mixture and toss lightly. Spoon into serving bowl, cover and chill until serving time.

Watermelon Margaritas

3 tablespoons coarse salt
1 lime wedge
1-cup watermelon puree*
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup tequila
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur
1 cup ice

Chill a margarita glass in the freezer for 30 minutes. Place the coarse salt in a shallow dish or saucer. Wet the rim of the glass with a lime wedge and dip the glass into the salt, coating the top edge. In a cocktail shaker, combine watermelon puree, lime juice, tequila, orange-flavored liqueur, and ice. Shake until frothy and well chilled, at least 1 minute. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

* To make the watermelon puree, remove seeds from fresh watermelon and cut into large chunks. Place in a blender and process until smooth and well pureed.
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If you like fudge, go to my chocolate blog for some fine Mexican Chocolate Fudge!

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Another Smiley:

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be. :)

BBQ Chicken with Piri Piri Sauce and Marinade

Surfing through the web checking out other blogger's tasty posts, I found this amazingly delicious barbecue chicken marinated in Piri Piri Sauce. The blog where I found this recipe is at LIVE. LOVE. EAT.
I’d never heard of Piri Piri before, so I went on the hunt for more information.

Apparently Piri Piri was the name given to a particular chile used in cooking in Mozambique, Angola and Portugal. The name is used to describe a special chile plant called the African Bird’s Eye Chile. Here is a picture of it.

There is an excellent review of Piri Piri at David Leite’s website: Leite’s Culinaria.


According to Wikipedia:
"“Nando's, the Portuguese-themed chicken restaurant, originated in South Africa from Portuguese who left Mozambique after the independence in 1975. The chain uses piri-piri in many of its dishes, and helped popularise them worldwide. The company, however, prefers the common South African spelling peri peri on its menus and branded sauces.”

The Congo Cookbook website also gives you a fascinating and detailed history of Piri Piri.

Here's the recipe:

Grilled Chicken Piri Piri

• 2-3 lemons, zested & juiced plus 2 sliced for garnish
• 1/2 head garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 red peppers, seeded & roughly chopped
• 5 chili peppers like serrano or jalapeno
• 2 cups fresh parsley leaves
• 1 1/2 tblsp paprika
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup olive oil
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pkgs cut up chicken pieces, skin on

In a food processor add lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper, chiles, parsley, paprika, red wine vinegar & oil. Process until it becomes a paste (wasn't too pasty to me, it was pourable). Season with salt & pepper. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce as set aside for garnishing cooked chicken later.
Divide chicken pieces into 2-3 large resealable plastic bags. Divide the marinade into both bags & seal. Turn the chicken around in the bags to distribute the marinade. Place chicken in the refrigerator & let it marinate for at least 1 hour & up to 1 day. I did mine overnight after baking it (see my thoughts).
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from bags with tongs & drain well. Season with salt & pepper. Place on grill, skin side down first & grill for about 15 minutes on each side turning occasionally until cooked through.
Serve with lemon wedges & the reserved piri piri sauce.

{Her Thoughts}
Whenever I grill out with chicken I always bake it first for about 25 minutes with just a bit of salt & pepper in a 375 oven. (I totally agree with her on this point. It does cut down on the cooking time over the coals therefore keeping the chicken from getting that “burnt” look and taste.) Not only does this cut down on the time on the grill it also allows the marinade to really penetrate the chicken better. And it’s still on the grill long enough (about 15 min) to get that delicious grilled flavor. My Dad & I have been doing this for years & swear by it!!!!! For this recipe, I needed 2 baking sheets, one for the thighs & legs & the other for the breasts.I halved the original recipe & it’s reflected above. 3 pkgs of cut up chicken feeds about 6 for a BBQ at my house. As for the peppers, I used about 4 jalapenos because I didn't want it to be too spicy for my in laws. It was perfect.

{Back to me}
After combining the ingredients for the marinade and leaving the chicken to absorb the sauce in the fridge, I decided to add the left-over piri piri sauce to a cup of barbecue sauce. I love chile, but my tummy cannot tolerate anything too spicy. The results were quite delicious. The heat of the marinade had been infused into the chicken and when over the hot coals, a slathering of BBQ sauce with the remaining Piri Piri made it mouth watering.
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We roasted some corn and Lily cut up a fresh pineapple and removed the pits from a couple of nectarines. She squirted the fruits with limejuice and sprinkled some paprika over them and roasted these as well. This lovely meal was topped off with a root beer float and we were all quite content…and sleepy after the meal.

I decided to do this recipe after posting about all the delicious chiles available to us for our cooking adventures. I hope you try this magnificent sauce. I guarantee you’ll like it. Hasta luego my friends.
Come check out our latest chocolate indulgence -- Chocolate "Caliente" Souffle.
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A smiley, just for you! :)

THE SENILITY PRAYER :
Grant me the senility to forget the people
I never liked anyway,
The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and
The eyesight to tell the difference.
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Always Remember This:
You don't stop laughing because you grow old,
You grow old because you stop laughing!!!

Chiles...YUM

Recently I won some delicious dried chiles from Heather’s contest on her blog, Girlichef. The contest was the Chile Pepper Roundup and Giveaway. The entries were impressive. If you missed seeing the post go here to check them out. Thank you Heather, you made me very happy. When I started opening the box, the aromas filled the entire house. It was magnificent. If you've ever roasted your own chiles, you know what I'm talking about.

Dried chiles are very easy to reconstitute and make into a paste or sauce. Here are a couple of simple recipes to go by.

Red Chile Pureé

9- (about 3 ounces) dried New Mexico or California red chiles, hot or mild or a combination of both
2- cups water, or more, to cover chiles completely with water in pan
1- small onion, chopped
2- cloves garlic, chopped

Toast chiles on a large baking pan for approximately 4 minutes. Let cool slightly and then remove seeds and stems. IMPORTANT! Wear rubber gloves when handling chiles. If you accidentally rub your eyes when handling chiles without gloves, it will really sting.

In a 4-quart pan, combine chiles, water, onion, and garlic. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) until chiles are soft (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat and cool slightly.

In blender, whirl chile mixture till smooth. Run through sieve (strainer) to discard residue and any unprocessed chile skins. Purée can be refrigerated (covered) up to 1 week. Makes 2 cups.

* If you want a hotter tasting chile sauce, try adding 1 or 2 "chile de arbol", stemmed and seeded, to the chile in the water simmering step.

Red Chile Sauce

12 whole dried ancho or pasilla chiles
3 cups warm water
¼ cup tomato sauce (paste may be substituted)
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
¼ cup salad oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Spread whole dried chiles on baking sheet and toast in a 400 ° oven until fragrant (3 to 4 minutes). Remove and let cool. Discard stems and seeds; place in a bowl with 3 cups warm water, and let stand for 1 hour.

Whirl chiles in a blender with enough of the soaking liquid to moisten. Add remaining liquid, tomato sauce, garlic, oil, salt, oregano, and cumin. Blend until smooth. Pour into a pan and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Keep warm. If made ahead, cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage. Reheat before using. Makes 3 ½ cups.

This sauce is great on enchiladas and carne con chile colorado.
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There are some chiles that I will always have on hand to add to simple meals to give them that WOW factor.

These are jalapenos, poblano and long green. Living in the desert SW means having chiles on hand, fresh or dried, is a must.

Here is a list of the some of the chiles I found while researching online in preparation of my cookbook, Aprovecho, A Mexican-American Border Cookbook, to give you an idea of the possibilities to use in your Border cooking. Enjoy.

20 Popular Types of Chiles Used in Mexican Cooking

1. Anaheim: A type of fresh long green chile grown in Southern California.
2. Ancho: Dried form of poblano chile; dark red to brown; sweet & fruity; mild to sweet.
3. Cascabel: Round; very hot; dried chile.
4. Chile de Arbol: Dried; small, red; very hot.
5. Chipotle: Dried; smoked jalapeño; dark red.
6. Chipotle in Adobo Sauce: Chipotles in a hot, tomato-base chili sauce.
7. Fresno: Fresh, small bright green or red chiles. Good substitute for jalapeño. Milder than other small chiles.
8. Green Chile: Fresh, long green. Most common type know as Anaheim because it was the first large commercial crop grown in southern California. It is very green when picked; red if allowed to ripen on plant. Types include:Anaheim; Española; New Mexico #64; Chimayo; Big Jim; Dixon;New Mexico
9. Guajillo: Dried, brownish-orange, fruity-hot. Called Mirasol when fresh.
10. Güero: Fresh, yellow-blond; fiery-hot. Use in place of jalapeños or serranos.
11. Habanero: Not easily found fresh. Ripens from green to red to orange. Extremely hot.
12. Jalapeño: Fresh or canned. Comes from Jalapa, Mexico. Small, hot. Green and/or red.
13. Mirasol: Fresh Guajillo.
14. Mulato: Similar to Ancho; dried form of fleshy green chile.
15. New Mexico: A type of long green chile; fresh.
16. Pasilla: Dried chile; has a wrinkled appearance. Dark red to red-black.
17. Piquin: Dried red chile; also called piquin. Very small; very hot. Good substitute for cayenne.
18. Poblano: Fresh; wide, dark green. Mild to medium.
19. Serrano: Fresh, dark green up to 3 inches long; hotter than jalapeño.
20. Tepin: Dried, tiny; very hot. Use like cayenne or piquin.
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Remember what the weather man said:
"Chile today, hot tamale!" (Oh, dear, I have to get some new jokes! This one is bad, bad, bad.)

Flavored Sugars and Flavored Salts

I love salt. I also love sugar. The combination of both gives my taste buds an exhilarating experience. Have you ever been to the movie theatre enjoying a bag of hot buttered popcorn and all of a sudden have a craving for something sweet, say like chocolate? The two flavors are meant to go together.

But speaking of flavors, why settle for just plain salt or just plain sugar. You can have all kinds of flavored salts and now all kinds of flavored sugars. Imagine the possibilities in your cooking and baking adventures.

I was surprised to hear from Katie, Salt and Chocolate, telling me that I won her give-away of two of her specialty-flavored sugars. She made them herself. She is such a smart girl. The first is a Lemon-Lime Sugar. I will be using this tasty delight on some lemon butter cookies. When baked, I will lightly glaze them and sprinkle with the Lemon-lime for a sweet flavor sensation.

The second is a Vanilla Infused Sugar. This one will go straight into my morning coffee. No, I’m not sharing with Bob or Lily. This one is mine all mine.

I will be adding my own cinnamon-sugar bottle as well as cocoa-sugar bottle. All of these are also great for rimming fruity cocktail glasses. Imagine Katie's Lemon-Lime Sugar rimmed on a glass of a Lemon-Drop Martini. Hmm, lovely.

Thank you Katie. You really made my day.
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Now we get to flavored salt. It’s become quite the rage you know. I have to give my daughter-in-law Jennifer credit for introducing me to the world of flavored salts. She and my son Mikey sent me a few packets for my birthday last year. I was very excited to try them out.

I even used the Espresso Salt to sprinkle on some chocolate truffles I made for Christmas. Oh my goodness, it made all the difference in the world.

To learn more about the various types of salts available, visit Chef 2 Chef. Here you’ll get the low down on all the varieties, their origins and their benefits.

When Lily and I went to Dallas in March, we went to the Central Market where I proceeded to purchase even more flavors. Now I’m really rocking. But, the problem was in storing them. Jennifer sent me a few little bottles she found at Bed, Bath and Beyond and they were perfect.


Flavored salts can add just the right amount of taste to a simple dinner. On a diet? Can only have a chicken breast with a salad? No problem. There is no reason for food to taste bland. Sprinkle with some Chile Verde Salt and your mouth will jump for joy. It’s easy to be on a diet if you can add some flavor to it.

Buying flavored salts is one thing. But you can certainly make your own. Check out these links to The Conscious Kitchen and The Steamy Kitchen to get some ideas on how to prepare your own flavored salts. Ideas for preparing finishing salts (as they are also referred to) as Christmas gifts will having you singing jingle bells in no time. It’s never too early for the holidays as far as I’m concerned.

If you keep searching on The Conscious Kitchen site you will also come across Making Your Own Flavored Sugars as well. People who love to cook and bake love these types of gifts for any special occasion. They are not expensive to make and package and it is a gift from the heart. A labor of love. Don’t forget the little bottles to store the salts (and sugars) in.


The cost per bottle? A mere 99 cents. Enjoy life everyone. It’s too short. Put a little flavor in your everyday living. Live each day to the fullest and let the people in your life know how much you care even if it’s only with a 99 cent bottle of homemade flavored salt or sugar.
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Sorry about the trouble with the links, they have been corrected now!
Must have had brain freeze!!!
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Check out my cake decorating sprinkles jars on the chocolate blog. They look cool!