Braised Short Rib Tacos

Even though I'm Italian, I've developed a serious taste for Latin and Mexican food. My family hails from Calabria, and the proximity to Sicily must play some sort of role in my affinity for spice. Regardless, a recent hankering for something spicy and unique compelled me to try something new and an opportunity from Marx Foods all but sealed the deal.

Marx Foods is an online fine foods supplier and I found out through this whole blog scene that they would send me free product to try out. Needless to say, I signed myself up. A few weeks ago I received a nice selection of dried, mild chilies. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I do know that I really like to braise, and I really like to make serious tacos. After a few moments of thought I decided I was going to reconstitute the chilies and incorporate them into a braising liquid. All I needed to do was pour some boiling water over the chilies, fully submerge and wait 20 minutes for them to rehydrate.

I took the reconstituted chillies, sliced them up, and put them in a blender with three peeled heirloom tomatoes, a bit of the chili water and some fresh lime juice. Blend until relatively smooth and you've got some serious pizazz for your braising liquid.

I dusted the ribs with cumin, ancho chili powder, Mexican oregano and browned them in oil. I removed them after a few minutes on each side over medium heat, and added in a chopped onion and some minced garlic to the pot. Once the onion was soft I added in 2 cups of chicken stock to deglaze the pan and added the tomato-chili concoction as I scraped up the browned bits. Within seconds my kitchen smelled like it meant business. The aroma of the chilies along with the "Mexican herb dust" I coated the short ribs in was amazing. Once everything was boiling I put the ribs back in the pot, covered it and put it in a 350 degree oven for an hour and a half. Another 25 minutes uncovered on the stove top over medium heat was all I needed to yield some tender shredded beef and a thick and robust sauce.

The Guajillo and Aji Panca chiles that I added to the liquid created a depth of flavor that had really nice earth tones and a smooth heat that peaked right before the brink of being overtly spicy. I picked up a little bit of chocolate, plum and all spice in the sauce and I can easily say that these were the best tacos I've ever made. The beauty of it all was that despite the serious flavor, I still managed to pick up the flavorful beef as well. In addition to some good shredded beef, it's tough to beat authentic corn tortillas, fresh Pico de Gallo, cilantro and some sliced avocado to round everything out.

If you're looking for a solid gourmet retailer that can find some rare ingredients I recommend you check out Marx Foods as I'll definitely continue to explore their assortment of rare and exceptional goodies.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

Cool Beans at Cafe Twenty Eight.

Dig Latin inspired food? Obsessed with breakfast? If that’s the case, you should grab a buddy, pal or amigo and check out Café Twenty Eight’s Sunday brunch. We’re blessed to have a lion’s share of killer brunch spots here in SW Minneapolis (Café Maude, Blackbird Café, Café Twenty Eight and Zumbro Café (AKA the SW Quad Cafés), but when I’m looking for something with a little heat, I have to head over to Café Twenty Eight.

I’ve had their chilaquiles with salsa verde last year and I have to admit that it was one of my favorite breakfasts of the year. This time around I decided to roll with the huevos rancheros since I’ve struggled to find a really good order elsewhere, and since the dish wasn’t that far a departure from my original breakfast-based love affair. If you are a huevos fan, then you should really stop in and give it a whirl.

An order of huevos at Café Twenty Eight includes two eggs the way you like ‘em, ranchero sauce, black beans, guacamole, queso fresco, fresh tortillas and your choice of bacon, sausage or chicken sausage. I decided to go with poached eggs (my new favorite – they instantly turn a side dish into a meal) and bacon. As mentioned, I felt a bit bad that I didn’t order the chilaquiles again, but any thoughts of buyers remorse were quickly squashed when my breakfast arrived.

I’m not sure what their process is but I think their black beans are really good, offering the perfect texture with a deep earthy flavor stemming from the thick sauce they simmer in. The ranchero sauce offers a mild heat while flashing freshness and spark. The poached eggs were as delicate as a freshman’s self-esteem and the yolk ran right into the beans and ranchero sauce formulating the perfect spread for those awesome tortillas. For me, the formula is simple: Scoop up as much eggs, beans, sauce, cooling queso and luscious quac as I can into one of the tortillas, crumble on some salty bacon to compliment the freshness of the cheese, shove into mouth and repeat. The only disappointment with this dish was when it was all over.

That’s the beauty of all the great breakfast haunts in SW. There’s variety all over the place and each location has its own calling, but for me, if I want some heat and something with a bit of Latin flare, I look no further than Café Twenty Eight. Unfortunately, their patio season will be coming to an end (OK, based on today it’s straight up over), but it’s really tough to beat a spicy breakfast, some sunshine and a great companion to start off your Sunday.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

Epic Sandwich: Brasa

I was jonesin' for something spicy, so I headed over to Brasa to try some of their awesome Creole, Latin and Caribbean inspired grub. Full review here.