Cinco de Mayo is the air today. All I want to do is going to one of the thousands of taco trucks in Pasco, eat pork tacos slathered in salsa and sample one of the hundreds of margarita recipes that are popping up all over the screen. What better way to shake off the winter blues with the vibrant colors, lively music and mouth-watering food as an energetic atmosphere. Cinco de Gringo, yet another reason to eat and drink to our heart's content.
Cinco de Mayo is a day that commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico. The Cinco de Mayo holiday is celebrated regionally throughout Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla where the triumph occurred and in the United States as a ceremony of Hispanic heritage and pride.
Truth be told, I am a complete sucker for tacos that sit perfectly in my palm, watery Mexican beer, men in cowboy boots, chips and salsa with a strong lime margarita to cool the heat. I get a giddy smile when I see Mexican soap operas on the tube. Cinco de Mayo, another way to sell merchandise to a culture that so desperately needs to be entertained has me even breaking out the picante, slathering it over everything edible in my path.
I dream about Mexico on a daily basis, we made some good friends while we traveled the country on numerous occasions. As I do dream of Mexico, my heart breaks that a country so rich with heritage and culture is so ravaged by violence, corrupted with power, devastated economically, where drugs, gangs and money have taken over a lawless country. People are dying, corruption has people running for their lives, there are mass grave sites within close proximity the United States/Mexico border, drugs are in demand and the Mexican people are making it their primary source of income. I read this article on some female journalists bravely covering/uncovering one of the biggest drug-producing areas in the world. I no longer want to be the traveler, venturing the rugged backwoods of a beautiful landscape that is just south of J's home state.
Never the less I live in an area that has deep Mexican heritage and with that comes great restaurants, panaderias, fresh tortillas, carnercerias and mobile taco stands around every corner. Going to the market in Pasco takes me back to a time where we lived out of a van, ate whole roasted chickens with our fingers, swam in the ocean daily, got married on a Mexican beach and had the time of our lives.
Our favorite Mexican restaurant in town serves pork al pastor on the weekends. Pork and pineapple are packed on a spit and roasted over open flame until the meat is crispy and juice from the pineapple has penetrate the entire roast. It is served on small warm tortillas, over crispy tostados, smothered in enchilada sauce or wrapped up in a burrito. How ever you prefer it will have your stomach asking your backbone for more space.
Don't forget to check out:
Pastoral Tacos
Source: Homesick Texan
Ingredients:
3 (2-ounce) pork cutlets
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh pineapple juice
1/4 teaspoon pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika)
1/2 teaspoon ancho-chile powder or red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Ingredients:
3 (2-ounce) pork cutlets
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh pineapple juice
1/4 teaspoon pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika)
1/2 teaspoon ancho-chile powder or red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 shallot, diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 medium jalapeño chile, seeds and stems removed, diced
Juice from 1/2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Corn tortillas
Method:
Place each pork cutlet between two pieces of plastic and pound until they’re 1/8 of an inch thick. Place the cutlets in a plastic food-storage bag.
Mix together the vinegar, pineapple juice, pimentón, ancho-chile powder, salt and black pepper. Pour the marinade over the pork, seal the bag and give it a good shake to coat the meat. Let it marinate for 10 minutes to 1 hour unrefrigerated.
While the pork is marinating, for the salsa toss together the pineapple chunks, shallot, cilantro, diced jalapeño and lime juice. Add salt to taste.
To cook the pork, heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Take the cutlets from the marinade, shake off any excess and add to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and cooked throughout. Turn off the heat, and allow the cutlets to rest for a minute. Add salt to taste.
Warm up the corn tortillas. Place the pork—either left in a cutlet or cut into strips—in a tortilla, and top with the pineapple salsa.
Yield: 1 or 2 servings
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 medium jalapeño chile, seeds and stems removed, diced
Juice from 1/2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Corn tortillas
Method:
Place each pork cutlet between two pieces of plastic and pound until they’re 1/8 of an inch thick. Place the cutlets in a plastic food-storage bag.
Mix together the vinegar, pineapple juice, pimentón, ancho-chile powder, salt and black pepper. Pour the marinade over the pork, seal the bag and give it a good shake to coat the meat. Let it marinate for 10 minutes to 1 hour unrefrigerated.
While the pork is marinating, for the salsa toss together the pineapple chunks, shallot, cilantro, diced jalapeño and lime juice. Add salt to taste.
To cook the pork, heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Take the cutlets from the marinade, shake off any excess and add to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and cooked throughout. Turn off the heat, and allow the cutlets to rest for a minute. Add salt to taste.
Warm up the corn tortillas. Place the pork—either left in a cutlet or cut into strips—in a tortilla, and top with the pineapple salsa.
Yield: 1 or 2 servings
