Jarkko Tiainen.

 

 

There is a difference between home made Mexican food and supermarket Mexican food. Recipes I used when preparing the food in the pictures above:

Nachos:

(4 side dishes)

4dl corn flour

3dl warm water, warm water makes the dough more elastic so it won’t break so easily

1/2 tea spoon salt

1/2 tea spoon baking powder

1 1/2 table spoon oil

 

For deep fry

1/2 liter oil

 

Prepare the dough and let it sit for one hour. Heat oven to 200C and oil into 180C. Divide the dough into  four equal portions and roll first quarter of the dough into 1-2mm thin sheet. With a sharp knife cut the sheet into nacho shaped triangles. Place it into oven for 5 minutes to get rid of extra moist to ensure crisp nachos. After the oven separate carefully all nachos and fry in two or three batches in the oil. Season with salt while hot.

 

Soft shell tacos or Corn tortillas

(12 servings)

450 g corn flour

3-4 dl water

1 tea spoon salt

Mix all ingredients and let the dough sit in for at least an hour. Separate into 12 equal parts and roll into round ball. Frying the tortilla is really tricky because the dough cracks easily. I found this trick really useful. Cut 20x20cm piece of “wax paper” (voipaperi) and press the dough balls into flat circles with your palm on top of the wax paper square. Now place the dough into the warm dry pan and carefully remove the paper. I even used two pans so I didn’t need to use spatula which easily brakes the dough and I just flipped the tortilla to the other pan when I needed to fry the second side. After frying, brush warm oil on the tortilla and let it sit until all tortillas are ready.

 

Over cooked pork neck

(serves four)

500g pork neck

1 tea spoon of ground black pepper

1 tea spoon of salt

2 bay leaves

3 gloves of garlic

1 onion

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1 orange

dried oregano

Water to just barely cover the meat in the pot

 

Heat oven to 200C. Put all ingredients into oven proof pot and bring to boil. Place into oven for 45 minutes or until inside temperature ~80C. Remove the meat. Boil the stock until reduced into syrupy. Using two forks tear the meat into thin long strips. Turn oven into grill. Dip meat strips in the reduced stock and warm in oven until crispy from the edges. Serve immediately.

 

Fresh salsa

700g small tomatoes

1 sweet onion

coriander

red chili

chili powder

salt

pepper

sugar

olive oil

juice of 1/2 lime

 

Cut tomatoes and onion into small and season according to own preference. Let it sit for a while to let the flavors even out.

 

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

1 red chili, medium spicy

small tomatoes

juice of 1 lime

coriander

salt

sugar

 

Mix all ingredients and season to own preference. Let it sit for a while to let the flavors even out.