skillet tortillas and pollo picante

Real, fresh, true-to-their-origin foods have always held tight to a place in my heart. Unfortunately most restaurants these days sacrifice taste and authenticity in order to please the masses. Now, I don’t know about you, but I would prefer to save money and cook something at home that is closer to the real thing than go to an over-priced restaurant that’s pawning off an untraditional meal. 

With that being said, I have a question. Who doesn’t love tacos? Tacos are one of those foods where it’s difficult to have just one of them. I’m sure most of you get your tacos from Amigos, El Charolais (or some other El “insert Spanish word here”). All of which are very good restaurants but, even though they might claim, it they’re not exactly authentic. One beef that I have with these restaurants is the lack of thought and care that they give to these so-called tortillas they serve to their patrons. I have officially sworn off of those cardboard-in-a-bag, tasteless things they sell in stores. Even though corn tortillas can be made just as easily, Alan and I prefer the flour ones. With just a few ingredients, you’ll be on your way to eating tasty homemade tortillas! 

skillet tortillas.

makes 16

2-½ cups all-purpose flour
2-½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cups plus 2 tablespoons lard or shortening
1 cup hot water

I know you might not be too sure about buying lard, let alone even know where it is in the store. But trust me, you’ll find that it will give your tortillas and many other ethnic foods a fabulous taste and texture. If you’re lucky you can find it in your grocer’s butcher section or where other cooking fats and oils are sold. Many Hispanic markets sell lard as well, so just look around (check out the market at La Perla 3 if you’re in Johnson City). And trust me, the experience you’ll have cooking with lard should totally desensitize you from all the negative thoughts you might have towards innocent ol’ lard. 

So after you’ve combined all your dry ingredients together, you’re going to take your lard in pieces and cut it into the flour mixture until you create a grainy, cornmeal-like texture. 

You need to make sure your water is hot when adding it to your dough. Combine thoroughly and fold your dough into itself about 30 to 40 times until it’s not so sticky. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.

Roll into ping-pong sized balls and allow to sit for an additional 20 minutes.

Roll each dough ball on a lightly floured surface. You can roll them out a little larger than your skillet because they will shrink up a bit while cooking.

Make sure to coat the bottom of your pan with olive oil before cooking. With your stove set on medium-high each side should take about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. You'll want the surface of your tortillas to be golden with touches of dark brown spots. Make sure not to over-cook them however; you still want them to be soft and pliable. Once they’re done cooking wrap in a tea towel to preserve softness and tin foil to keep in the heat.

pollo picante.

makes about 3 cups 

2 large bone-in chicken breasts
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of green chilies
1 can of salsa de jalapeno
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
pinch of kosher salt

For the filling I decided to do my pollo picante recipe, a filling that packs a little heat and lots of flavor. I prefer to use bone-in chicken breast when making foods that involve sauce or broth from the chicken because they tend to bring in more flavors to the dish. Two breasts will give you plenty with leftovers to spare.

Add the salsa de jalapeno, tomatoes, green chilies, garlic and spices to your chicken. Cover and cook for 25 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked. Remove chicken, allow to cool and shred. Remember when shredding your chicken breast to make sure and remove any bones that might be hiding. Return meat to pot and simmer.

If you like the cheese found in your Mexican restaurants, have no fear, it can be had at home! Either in the local Hispanic market or your grocer’s gourmet cheese or dairy section you will find asadero, or queso oaxaca, the soft and creamy white cheese you’ve come to love. But if this cheese eludes you, a fresh mozzarella cheese can be a quick and easy substitute. Add some lettuce and salsa fresca to the mix and you’re on your way to a satisfied, stuffed belly.

If you’ve got a taste for spice I would suggest a chile verde hot sauce to pair with these tasty tacos. A fiery bite that’s just right.

Espero que les guste esta receta!

music review - joe fletcher and the wrong reasons

Unless you’re from the icy nether-regions of Providence, RI you’ve probably never heard of Joe Fletcher and the Wrong Reasons. But thanks to parttime Johnson City resident and fulltime drinking partner Chris Owens, I got the chance to hear them on a Sunday night in April at the Acoustic Coffee House as their road trip detoured into Northeast Tennessee on its way south. The 4-piece was made up by front-man and songwriter Joe Fletcher, Damian Puerini, Scott Boutier, with the recent addition of Chris on mandolin and fiddle. The night featured songs off their 2010 record White Lighter along with some newer material worked in – and I was lucky to be there.

Plaid shirt wearin’, whiskey drinkin’, alt-country songs kept the beers flowing in my glass and in my mind. These tunes had road-trips listening to Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown in them with enough rock-a-billy riffs to make me think Social Distortion. The opening song, Say What you Will, set the tone for the night. As Fletcher sang “I’ve seen everything I’ve set out to see” I was already anticipating hearing about it. Ambulances and Flat Tire were drivin’ Dylan poetry songs complete with harmonica, regret and lonesome wit. They slowed the tempo and twanged it out in an ode to mistakes and where those mistakes can take us on The Drowsy Surgeon. My favorite song of the night was Drunk and Single. Fletcher introduced it in a dedication to George Jones. Upbeat and full of sweet irony for the self-aware man, I’m not sure it was suppose to be a funny song but it made me laugh.

It was good for me to see my friend even if it was only a short stop over for him. There was talk of the band being back in town this summer – and if so, you shouldn’t miss them. You can check out their music and schedule on Facebook. But the real highlight of the night was that our 3 month old daughter Phoebe, went with me and Hannah…so she’s been to her first show…maybe she’ll take me to one someday.

-cheers, alan