I leaned most of these recipes from my ex mother-in-law. She is from Mexico, and she is a wonderful cook. I will not ever cook as well as Carmen does! As usual, I’ve altered things a bit from how I learned to do it originally, in most cases. (Disclaimer: This is also means I cannot say these are “authentic” Mexican recipes.)
Mom’s Mexican Rice
Main Ingredients:
1 cup long grain white rice (not short grain)
2 cups water
2 tbl. (or so) oil
½ tsp. salt
½ cube Knorr chicken bouillon
½ tiny can tomato sauce
*Optional:
½ chopped tomato
Mixed vegetables, a handful (or about 1/3 cup)
diced bell pepper
diced onion
browned hamburger (or any other meat)
- Brown the rice in the oil over medium high heat. Don’t burn it. To keep it from burning, make sure you put in plenty of oil and stir CONSTANTLY, scraping around the bottom of the pan and across the middle with each pass of the spoon. When it’s lightly browned, remove the pan from the heat. This takes a little time, but it’s the key to making it work.
- After it’s cooled a little, add the water. (If you prefer, omit the boullion cube and just use 2 cups of chicken broth.)
- Add the rest of the ingredients, including optional ones, if any.
- Put the heat on high again, and bring the water to a boil.
- Turn the heat down LOW. When the water calms down, put a well-fitting lid on the pan.
- Don’t stir the rice while it is cooking. Check it after 10 minutes or so just to make sure it isn’t dry or burning. (If it gets dry before the rice is tender, add a little water.)
- It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to cook. If it’s a bit watery, but the rice is tender, put the lid back on, and turn the heat off. Let it stand for another 5-10 minutes or so; it should continue to absorb water for a while, even with the heat off.
*I’ve even added browned hamburger near the end and then topped this with grated cheese at the very last to make a cheap and easy main dish. You could also do it with chunks of chicken or any other bits of meat you like. If you add cheese, make sure you wait until the heat is off; then sprinkle the cheese on top, and put the lid on for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Serve in a plate, as usual, or wrap it up in a flour tortilla. (If you wrap it in a tortilla, you can add lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and/or a mild salsa, even beans, and have a very hearty burrito.) Best cheese choices: Quesa Fresca (Mexican), Monterey Jack, Mozarella, Cheddar (not the best, but if you’re a cheddar lover, not bad), provolone
Basic Mexican Beans
I learned to make these from my ex-mother-in-law, who was from Chihuahua, Mexico. When she came to the U.S., for a time, she was a cook in a Mexican restaurant in Chicago. This is the basic recipe, from which you can make refried beans, very much like what is served in Mexican restaurants, although I think these are better.
- 2# dry pinto beans
- Salt
- Water
- 3 cloves fresh garlic
(It will be tempting to add other ingredients. Resist! If you do, these will not taste like Mexican style beans. It’s really a simple recipe, and simple is sometimes better.)
Sort through beans to remove any rocks, small dirt clods, or any other debris. It’s normal for dry beans to often have little bits and pieces of things that you don’t want to bite into while you’re eating.
Put beans in a large pot and add water to cover. The water level should be at least three inches higher than the level of the beans.
Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and set aside for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, drain beans and rinse well.
Add fresh water to, again, about 3 inches above the level of the beans.
Add a palmful of salt. My guess as to the amount is probably about a tablespoon.
Peel the garlic cloves and add, whole, to the pot. (Don’t be tempted to use garlic powder; there is a big difference in the taste and quality.)
Bring to a boil, then turn down to low. Cover and allow to simmer.
Cook for at least 4 hours. Keep the water level at an inch or two above the level of the beans. After you do this a few times, you’ll be able to decide for yourself how “soupy” you want your beans to be.
I usually serve these the first day as a kind of soup, topped with Jack cheese, served with salsa and flour tortillas. After the first day, they are better as “refried” beans, which just means that I heat them slowly over low heat, smashing them a bit with a potato masher, and adding Jack cheese to taste. (Some people cook them in bacon grease, hence the term “refried,” which, is actually not accurate.)
