the appetizer
Mexican cuisine combines the traditional indigenous foods of the Aztecs and Mayas, like chocolate, corn, tomato, avocado, beans and chile peppers, with the meats, rice and garlic brought to Mexico by the Spanish conquistadores.
Mexico
Using Recados and Salsas for Flavor
By Reed Hearon
The Mexican grill relies on two key methods of flavoring foods. One, the recado, is used to season food before it is cooked. Sometimes, foods need to be marinated for hours or even overnight before grilling. Do not stint on marinating times given in the recipes; the times reflect how long it will take for the recado to reach the interior of the food to season and tenderize fully and to help maintain moisture. When salt is listed as an ingredient, it is usually not only there to add flavor but also to raise the moisture level chemically in the food. If you alter the level of salt in some of the recipes, it may result in a dish that is dry as well as bland.
The second method of flavoring is the salsa. Salsas are used as an accompaniment to grilled foods. Whereas recados tend to heighten the natural flavor of the foods being grilled, salsas provide contrast or counterpoint—setting the natural flavors in relief. Salsas rely in part on chiles to provide both flavor and heat. While it is possible to reduce the heat of a salsa by reducing the number of chiles, you also reduce the very flavor of the mixture itself. Instead of using fewer chiles, try making a different salsa based on a milder chile.
From
La Parilla: The Mexican Grill
By Reed Hearon
Photographs by Laurie Smith
Chronicle Books, 1996
Price: $19.95, paper
ISBN: 0-8118-1034-8
Reprinted by permission
Mexico
- The Mexican Grill
- Introduction to La Parilla
- What to Eat
- Tortillas: The Mexican Staple
- Techniques
- Recados
- Using Recados and Salsas for Flavor
Mexican Recipes
from La Parilla
- Charred Habanero Salsa
- Duck and Pomegranate Tacos
- Grilled Snapper with Charred Habanero Salsa
- Mint Recado
- Quick Achiote Recado
- Summer Tomato, Avocado and Chile Salad
- Traditional Achiote Recado
from Kate's Global Kitchen
- Mexican Shredded Chicken & Toasted Corn Soup
- Epazote & A Pot of Pintos
- Mexican Cheeses: The Whole Enchilada
- Tequila Fiesta Recipes: Red, Green and White
- South of the Border Salads & Salsas
- Muy Sabroso! Southwestern Snacks
- A Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
Mexican Cookbooks with Recipes
- Rosa's New Mexican Table by Roberto Santibañez
- Crazy for Chipotle by Lynn Nusom
- Culinary Mexico by Daniel Hoyer
- Fiesta Latina by Rafael Palomino
- Fonda San Miguel by Tom Gilliland and Miguel Ravago
- From My Mexican Kitchen by Diana Kennedy
- Mexican Cooking for Dummies by Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken
- Mexico—One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless
- Nuevo Tex-Mex by David Garrido and Robb Walsh
- Quick and Easy Southwestern Cookbook by Jane Butel
- The El Paso Chile Company Margarita Cookbook by W. Park Kerr
- The Tex-Mex Cookbook by Robb Walsh
- Zarela's Veracruz by Zarela Martinez and Anne Mendelson
More Mexican Recipes
- Avocado Soup (Sopa de Aguacate)
- Caramel Custard (Flan)
- Chicken with Mole Sauce
- Corn Tortillas with Tomato Sauce (Entomatadas)
- Enchiladas with Green Sauce (Enchiladas Verdes)
- Hominy Soup with Greens (Pozole Verde)
- Eggs in Tomato Sauce (Huevos Rancheros)
- Grilled Chile and Cheese Tortillas (Quesadillas)
- Mexican Sausage (Chorizo)
- Roasted Chile Peppers
- Pickled Chiles and Vegetables (Chiles en Escabeche)
- Tomato Sauce (Salsa Ranchera)
- Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)
- Stewed Potatoes (Papas Guisadas)
- Stewed Zucchini (Calabacitas Guisadas)
Back to the main Mexico page
Mexico on Wikipedia
More country Destinations
This page modified January 2007
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