Texas Home Cooking Read online

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  The real-life Yellow Rose of Texas was Emily Morgan, a mulatto slave whom President Santa Anna of Mexico seized as spoils of war while he was in Texas in 1836 trying to suppress the rebellion against his rule. Legend has it that Santa Anna was so smitten with Emily Morgan's eyes, which shone like diamonds and sparkled like the dew, that he pitched camp in a vulnerable spot to check out the rest of her allures. Sam Houston attacked that afternoon, when Santa Anna was occupied in his tent, and won the battle of San Jacinto and Texas independence. Texans like to believe that Emily Morgan schemed her seduction as a patriotic ploy and that's why she was "the sweetest little rosebud that texas ever knew."

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  El Huracán Chili Gravy

  The variables in chili gravy are as infinite as the Odessa horizon. This version is heavy on the beef, uses scratch ingredients rather than a commercial chili powder, and is thickened by reduction and masa harina instead of wheat flour.

  3 ounces dried red chiles (about 1 dozen), preferably a combination of ancho and New Mexican (we prefer 8 of the former and 4 of the latter)

  4 cups unsalted beef stock

  1 pound chili-grind ground beef

  1 medium onion, chopped fine

  2 garlic cloves, minced

  2 tablespoons bacon drippings, optional

  2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground

  ½ teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1 tablespoon masa harina

  Makes about 6 cups

  Preheat the oven to 300° F. Break the stems off the chile pods, and discard the seeds.

  Place the pods in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and roast them in the oven at 300° F for about 5 minutes. Watch the pods closely, because they can scorch easily. Break each chile into several pieces.

  In a blender, purée the pods with the stock. You will still be able to see tiny pieces of chile pulp, but they should be bound in a smooth, thick liquid. Set the purée aside.

  In a medium saucepan or skillet, brown the meat with the onion and garlic. Drain the meat of excess fat. Add the bacon drippings, if you like, and return the pan to the heat. When the bacon drippings have melted, add the cumin, oregano, salt, and puréed chiles. Simmer the mixture for about 50 minutes, until the meat is tender and the liquid has thickened slightly. In a small bowl mix the masa harina with 2 tablespoons of the liquid, and stir the mixture back into the gravy. Simmer the gravy an additional 10 minutes.

  Use the gravy with enchiladas, tamales, and other Tex-Mex dishes.

  Variations: Some people prefer their chili gravy without the ground beef. Eliminate the meat, and sauté the onion and garlic in 4 tablespoons of lard or peanut oil, if you prefer. If you're eager to eat, you can speed up the preparation by starting with ½ cup chili powder (preferably either homemade, [>], or Gebhardt's) instead of whole chile pods. In that case reduce the cumin and oregano by about half.

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  We named this chili gravy after Narciso Martínez, El Huracán del Valle (the Hurricane of the Valley). Martínez created conjunto music in the 1920s and thirties, blending the rhythms of the Mexican border with those he learned from the polkas and waltzes of Bohemian farmers in the Rio Grande Valley. The musical equivalent of Tex-Mex cooking, conjunto remains immensely popular in the southern part of the state and in migrant communities across the country.

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  Beef Enchiladas

  The Idea of putting beef in enchiladas is sure and pure Texan. In all other forms of native Mexican and Southwestern cooking, cheese is the most common filling, followed in popularity by chicken. Even with meat inside the enchiladas, most Texans still top the dish with a beefy chili gravy, a combination as common in the state as tall hairdos at truck stops.

  FILLING

  1 pound chili-grind lean ground beef

  ½ medium onion, chopped fine

  ½ cup unsalted beef stock

  ⅓ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

  1 chopped roasted green chile, preferably poblano or New Mexican, fresh or frozen

  Salt to taste

  ½ batch El Huracán Chili Gravy ([>])

  Oil, preferably canola or corn, if you are using commercial tortillas

  12

  to

  16 corn tortillas

  Grated mild cheddar cheese, chopped onion, and minced fresh jalapeño or serrano, for garnish

  Serves 4

  In a medium skillet, fry the ground beef with the onions until the meat is gray. Pour off any excess fat. Add the stock, corn, green chile, and salt, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. The filling can be made a day ahead and reheated.

  Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a medium baking dish. Warm the chili gravy, if it has been refrigerated.

  If you use commercial tortillas, which are generally less fresh than homemade, they will need to be softened. Heat ½ to 1 inch of oil in a small skillet until the oil ripples. With tongs, dunk each tortilla in the oil just long enough for it to go limp, a matter of seconds. Don't let the tortilla turn crisp. Drain the tortillas lightly before proceeding. If you begin with fresh homemade tortillas, they will be soft enough to forgo the dip in oil.

  With tongs, dip a tortilla in the gravy liquid to lightly coat it. Lay the tortilla on a plate, sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of filling over it, and roll it up snugly. Transfer the enchilada to the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Top the enchiladas with the remaining chili gravy, seeing that each enchilada is submerged in the sauce. Place the dish in the oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through and the sauce is bubbly. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle immediately with the cheese, onion, and jalapeño.

  With a spatula, serve 3 to 4 enchiladas per person.

  Variation: Enchilada plates can be prepared individually. Rather than use a baking dish, divide the rolled enchiladas among four plates, and spoon equal portions of the chili gravy over them. Bake 15 to 18 minutes.

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  The Old Borunda Cafe remained in the same family until it closed in 1985. The last owner, Carolina Borunda Humphries, continued to do the cooking until illness forced her to shut the doors.

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  Technique Tip

  Ancho chiles have a sweet heat with tones of chocolate, coffee, or dried fruit. New Mexican pods are earthier in flavor and carry a hint of cherries. They convey similar levels of heat to the gravy they season.

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  Cheese Enchiladas

  Texans used to fill cheese enchiladas with processed American cheese, popular because of its long shelf life and creamy consistency. At least one major chain of Tex-Mex restaurants still offers American cheese as an alternative, calling the variation "old-fashioned" cheese enchiladas. Real cheese is more common today.

  FILLING

  1½ pounds mild cheddar cheese, grated

  ½ medium onion, chopped fine

  1 batch El Huracán Chili Gravy ([>])

  Oil, preferably canola or corn, if you are using commercial tortillas

  12

  to

  16 corn tortillas

  Grated mild cheddar cheese, chopped onion, and minced fresh jalapeño or serrano, for garnish

  Serves 4

  Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a medium baking dish.

  In a bowl, mix the cheese with the onion.

  Warm the chili gravy if it has been refrigerated.

  If you use commercial tortillas, which may not be fresh, they will probably need to be softened. Heat ½ to 1 inch of oil in a small skillet until the oil ripples. With tongs, dunk each tortilla in the oil long enough for it to go limp, a matter of seconds. Don't let the tortilla turn crisp. Drain the tortillas lightly before proceeding. If you begin with fresh homemade tortillas, they will be soft enough to forgo the dip in oil.

  With tongs, dip a tortilla in the gravy liquid to coat it lightly. Lay the tortilla on a plate, sprinkle about ¼
cup of filling over it, and roll it up snugly. Transfer the enchilada to the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Top the enchiladas with the remaining chili gravy, seeing that each enchilada is submerged in the sauce. Place the dish in the oven, and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through and the sauce is bubbly.

  Remove the dish from the oven, and sprinkle immediately with the cheese, onion, and jalapeño.

  With a spatula, serve 3 to 4 enchiladas per person.

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  The oldest Mexican restaurant chain in the country is El Fenix, started in Dallas by Mike Martinez in 1918. Originally from Mexico, Martínez learned to cook in the kitchen of the old Oriental (later Baker) Hotel, but was fired after his cooking became more popular than the chef's. When he opened the first El Fenix several months later, Martínez couldn't afford to hire help, so he pioneered the combination plate ordered by number as a way of keeping meal service simple.

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  Hot Tamales

  Tamales were the first Mexican dish to cross ethnic food lines in Texas and win broad acceptance. John C. Duval's experience may have been fairly typical among the Anglo pioneers. Around 1840 he and a traveling companion camped out near San Antonio. Their cook went to town to get corn and came back with rolls of husks he called "termarlers." The friend accused the cook of trying to feed them the roughage intended for the horses, but they later concluded the strange dish was excellent. Duval was so impressed he gave something of a recipe in his book Early Times in Texas.

  FILLING

  1½ pounds pork loin

  1 medium onion, chopped

  1 bay leaf

  2 cups water

  2 tablespoons oil, preferably canola or corn

  2 garlic cloves, minced

  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  ½ cup chili powder, preferably homemade ([>]) or Gebhardt's

  ¾ teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

  ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground, optional

  MASA

  1 6-ounce package dried corn husks

  6 cups masa harina

  2 cups oil, preferably canola or corn

  4½ cups water, or more, as needed

  1

  to

  2 tablespoons chili powder, preferably homemade ([>]) or Gebhardt's

  2 teaspoons salt

  El Huracán Chili Gravy ([>]), grated mild cheddar cheese, and minced onion, for garnish

  Makes 24 tamales of approximately 4 ounces each, about 8 to 12 main-dish servings

  A day or two ahead, begin making the filling. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

  Place the pork, onion, and bay leaf in a medium-size baking dish, and cover with the water. Bake for approximately 1½ hours, or until the meat is cooked through and pulls apart easily. Remove the pork from the broth. Set the meat aside to cool a few minutes, and refrigerate the broth. When the pork has cooled enough to handle, shred it fine, either with two forks or with the plastic dough blade in a Cuisinart or similar food processor. Refrigerate the broth, covered, overnight. The following day, strain the broth of fat solidified on its surface. If the broth doesn't measure 2 cups, add water to make 2 cups of liquid. Reserve the pork and the broth.

  In a large, heavy skillet, warm the oil over medium heat, and add the garlic and pork. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and stir constantly for about a minute as the flour begins to brown. Add the chili powder, reserved broth, salt, oregano, and, if you like, cumin. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and is almost diy. Watch carefully toward the end of the cooking time, stirring frequently to avoid burning. The filling will be meltingly tender. Reserve the mixture.

  To prepare the corn husks, place them in a deep bowl or pan and cover them with hot water. Soak them 30 minutes, or until they are soft and pliable. Separate the husks, and rinse them under warm running water to remove any grit or brown silks. Soak the husks in more warm water until you are ready to use them.

  To prepare the masa, the dough made from masa harina cornmeal, measure the masa harina into a large bowl. Add the oil, water, chili powder, and salt. Mix with a sturdy spoon, a powerful electric mixer, or your hands until smooth. When well-blended, the masa should have the consistency of a moist cookie dough.

  To assemble the tamales, review the tips that follow this recipe. The amount of masa and filling used for each tamale should be approximately equal, but will vary depending on the size and shape of the tamale. To make 2 dozen 4-ounce tamales, use 2 tablespoons of masa and filling for each tamale.

  Hold a corn husk flat on one hand. With a rubber spatula, spread a thin layer of masa across the husk and top with the filling. Roll the husk into the desired shape, using your imagination. Repeat the procedure until all the filling and masa are used.

  Review the accompanying pointers on steaming the tamales. Cook the tamales over simmering water for 1 to 1¾ hours until the masa is firm and no longer sticks to the corn husk. Unwrap one tamale to check its consistency.

  The tamales should be eaten warm. The corn husks are usually left on when the tamales are served unadorned, to be removed by each guest before eating. But when they're topped by chili gravy, as they often are, the husks are removed before the sauce is added. Sprinkle cheese and onion over the sauce before serving.

  On the other end of the scale from this vegetarian option, some people insist that lard is better in the masa than oil, and some people prefer a beef filling made by draining the liquid from a favorite chili con carne.

  Variations: Tasty vegetarian tamales now abound, often stuffed with beans and cheese. We prefer a squash, corn, and cheese mixture. Instead of the meat filling, combine 1 cup roasted, chopped New Mexican green chile, 2 pounds grated zucchini, 2 cups corn kernels, 1 tablespoon salt (or more, to taste), and 4 minced garlic cloves. Transfer the mixture to a colander, and let the accumulated liquid drain for at least 30 minutes. Stir in 2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese. Fill the masa as described above.

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  Tamale vendors used to be common on the streets of Texas towns, selling homemade goods out of ten-gallon lard cans carried on the back or in a pushcart. The vendor cried out, "Hot tamales!" as he walked, stressing the last syllable com-pellingly. A nickel would buy a dozen during the Depression. Most of the customers were Anglos, because Mexican families could make their own more cheaply.

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  Most early tamale recipes called for meat from a pig's head, and in many areas of Texas that's still the pork used.

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  One Tex-Mex classic, cabrito or young goat, is regaining some of its old popularity in Texas. We like to barbecue cabrito, as described on [>], but it's also good baked when you know what you're doing. Jorge and Ninfa Guerra perfected our favorite oven preparation at their colorful Austin restaurant. El Azteca. It's worth a special trip there to try it. Based partially on a secret old recipe from Jorge's uncle in Reynosa, the Guerra family's young goat is deep-fried at the end, giving it a wonderful contrast of textures.

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  Technique Tips

  Tamales are a Texas Christmas treat, partially because their labor-intensive preparation is easier when enough people are around to make an assembly line. The work goes quickly with extra hands.

  Clear off a table for your workspace, and line up the bowls of corn husks, dough, and filling. Have a towel and scissors handy, and a large plate or bowl for the wrapped tamales. If you are inexperienced, allow at least 2 hours for assembling the tamales. The assembly will go much faster with practice or additional help. Steaming requires another hour or more.

  Tamales can be plump or thin and shaped as long cylinders or as rounded pouches. To assure that they cook fully, tamales should not be made any larger than described in the recipe, but they can be made smaller for appetizers.

  Keep the dough loosel
y covered while you work. Spread it thin, on the smoother side of the corn husks, but not to the edges of the husks. Top with filling spread more thickly through the dough's center, stopping short of the dough's edges. Roll the tamale, enclosing all the filling. Corn husks can be tied with strips of extra husk at both ends, or at the top of the pouch, or folded over at one end.

  Depending on the size of the corn husks, you may have to overlap two husks to form one tamale. Spread the dough over the husks together, just as if they were one.

  To cook the tamales, a large saucepan or small stockpot works best. Use a metal vegetable steamer or improvise with a baking rack or metal colander over about 2 inches of water. If you own a Chinese bamboo steamer, it will work, too. Place the tamales into the steamer, packing them loosely in opposite directions, or stand them on end. Allow enough space between them for the steam to rise effectively. Cover the pot, and cook over simmering water. You may need to use two steamers, or cook the tamales in two batches.