Truly Mexican

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
May 13, 2011

Truly Mexican
Roberto Santibanez with JJ Goode
(Wiley, 2011)
$35

Mexican food is reborn in New York. From tacos to fine dining, Mexican food isn’t just cheap street food any more. Many Mexican chefs have helped to elevate the standards of their national cuisine in New York, and Chef Roberto Santibanez of Fonda is one of them.

In his new cookbook, Truly Mexican, Chef Santibanez teaches us what true Mexican food is about by breaking down the cuisine into classic Mexican sauces as building blocks to create great meals. Delicious salsas, guacamoles, adobos, moles, and pipianes create those amazing enchiladas, tacquitos and more. The book teaches common techniques that the home cook can develop into dozens of dishes. Chef Santibanez is a true teacher: I am not just learning how to make one dish, but the basis for many!

Here’s a taco shop guacamole recipe from Truly Mexican:

TACO-SHOP GUACAMOLE
Guacamole taquero

Before you start gobbling delicate corn tortillas topped with salty, tasty meat in the taquerias of central Mexico, you get to crown your snack with your choice of several salsas, often including what might be my favorite taco condiment of all: guacamole taquero. Blurring the line between guacamole and salsa, this smooth blend of creamy avocado and tart tomatillos packs a spicy punch from serrano chiles and a hint of pungent epazote (many cooks add cilantro instead and so can you). I’ll put this on just about any imaginable taco, but it’s especially amazing spooned over those filled with Carnitas (page 240), steak, and grilled cactus.

Makes 2 cups active time: 15 minutes Start to Finish: 15 minutes

1/2 pound tomatillos (5 or 6), husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
6 large (about 31/2 inches long) fresh epazote or cilantro leaves
2 small garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion
2 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, coarsely chopped, including seeds, or more to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, or 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 small ripe Mexican Hass avocado, halved and pitted

Put the tomatillos into the blender jar first, then add the epazote, garlic, onion, chiles, lime juice, and salt. Blend until very smooth, at least a minute (be patient; see note on page 50). Scoop the avocado flesh with a spoon into the blender jar and blend until smooth. Add a little water, if necessary, to achieve a pourable texture. Season to taste with additional chile, lime juice, and salt, and blend once more.

Serve it with Grilled Adobo-Marinated Skirt Steak (page 135), Adobo-Marinated Chicken (page 133), Tacos (page 212@@nd214), Tortilla Chips (page 229), Carnitas (page 240), rice, beans, or any other side you like (pages 246@@nd256).

This salsa tastes best the day it’s made, but the acidity from the tomatillos will keep it from discoloring as quickly as most guacamoles. It’ll still be delicious the next day if you store it in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap pressed against the surface. Let it come to room temperature before you serve it.