Molcajete Mexican Stew Recipes

MEXICAN STYLE MEAT AND VEGETABLE STEW - AZTECA'S MOLCAJETE

Steps:

• Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy; remove from pan, reserving drippings, cut into small pieces, and set aside.
• Add the oil to the bacon drippings over medium temperature, then sauté the chicken and beef strips until browned, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
• In another large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the boiling water and bouillon granules until dissolved.
• Add remaining ingredients (including reserved bacon) and the cooked meat strips, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Garnish, serve, and enjoy!
• Note: to make the seafood version of Azteca's Molcajete, omit the chicken/beef and instead have 1/2 pound shelled and deveined shrimp, 1/2 pound scallops, and as much skinned and deboned whitefish fillet pieces as you'd like (about 1/4 pound or more) which you will add in during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Note #2: we've also added a can of black beans to the recipe, to good effect. If the soup isn't as thick as you'd like it to be, try adding a can of refried beans - it works well! We've also served it with crisp tortilla strips and a dollop of Mexican crema instead of monterey jack. It's a versatile recipe, so experiment and enjoy yourself! :) If you have made the Rich and Delicious Enchilada sauce recipe of mine, you might recognize many of the soup ingredients - to make the sauce into soup, use 2 cups of the sauce, add 1 cup hot water and 1/2 teaspoon chicken stock granules, then add the cooked chicken and garnish ingredients as usual.

SEAFOOD MOLCAJETE

Steps:

• Cut up tomatillos, onion into quarters and place on baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and sprinkle some salt on the veggies. Add poblanos to the sheet.
• Roast at 350° for 20 minutes
• 1/2 way through turn flip over the poblanos
• When done, pull veggies out of the oven and set them aside.
• Turn the heat in the oven up to 500°; Turn the molcajete upside down and place it in the oven on a tray. You want the molcajete blazing hot, so keep in over 30 minutes or more.
• Take poblanos and blister them over your burner on your stove.
• When you have blistered both chiles, put them in a plastic supermarket bag or ziplock and let them steam in the bag for a good 10 minutes.
• Peel the skin off the chiles and set them aside. You can cut the tops off the poblano and remove the seeds.

MEXICAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil (or lard) in a large skillet, at medium-high. Season the meat with salt and add to the saucepan to cook.
• While the meat is cooking, grind the garlic, peppercorns, and cumin in the molcajete (mortar). Add 2 tablespoons of water to the molcajete mixture to form a paste and add it
• to the meat. By the time you add this spice mixture, the meat should be releasing its juices. Cook for 5 more minutes and lower the heat and place the lid to slowly cook the meat.
• Cook the meat for about 20 minutes and before all the liquid gets dry, add the diced onion and green pepper. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes. Now, add the tomatoes, stir again, and place the lid to slowly simmer the stew.
• After 20 minutes, check the meat for doneness; depending on the cut of meat the cooking time will vary, it has to be fork tender. Just to be safe, keep checking the stew every 10 to 15 minutes, until you see that the meat is soft.
• Season with salt a few minutes before it finishes cooking and serve with rice, pinto beans, and warm flour tortillas.

RUDY'S MOLCAJETE MIXTO

Steps:

• Using oven mitts, heat the molcajete over the grill or stove.*
• Grill carne asada for five minutes.
• Add and grill chicken, nopales on one side for five minutes, turn over. Also, add jalapenos turning every two minutes to soften.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper over meats. Add and grill chorizo and shrimp. Add green onions and rotate to cook on all sides, about two minutes.
• While meat cooks, slice the tomatoes, avocado and cheese into 1/2 inch wedges.
• Using oven mitts, pour half of the salsa into the heated molcajete.
• Remove the meats and slice in long, thin strips.
• Place the beef, chicken, shrimp, nopales, and cheese around the inside edge of the bowl. Add the chorizo to the center of the bowl. Add the tomatoes, green onions, avocados and jalapenos around the chorizo. Pour remaining salsa over ingredients.
• Place the cilantro over the nopales. Place limes on top, to be squeezed when served.
• Use small tortillas to serve.