Anyone know some good AUTHENTIC mexican food dishes?

Question

My husband is Mexican (born here in the states, but his parents came over from Mexico). We also have a 1 year old son, and I would like to start learning to make authentic mexican dishes for him and my son. I am White and can't cook very well (by can't, I mean I rarely cook anything from scratch), so the easier the better. I don't mind spicy foods, because my husband and my son both love spicy foods.

I have asked his mother to help, but like most mexicans, they don't follow a recipe. They just know how to make it. Since I don't really cook very often, this makes it a bit difficult for me. His family is from the Northern Part of Mexico...near the border if that makes a difference.

I want AUTHENTIC, so things that are actually prepared and eaten in Mexico. If I want Americanized I can look in a cook book or go to a Mexican restaurant here in Wisconsin. Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

OK.

What you do is plan to spend some time with the mom in her kitchen.

Get yourself a note book.

Ask her to make various dishes, especially yours and your husband's favorites.  Start with the easiest dish to prepare.

Record or describe in detail all the ingredients, where to buy it, amount used etc.  Add any comments you might have as you are documenting.

List the cooking utensils she uses.

Take down everything she does when handling and preparing a dish.

Record procedures and amounts exactly as you observe.

Next go home and try using your recorded notes. If you have any questions, you still have her to clarify.

Then permanently record your tested recipe.

Then go on to a more difficult dish.

Answer 2

You have to look at this website! Someone who spent time with this family took pictures of their cooking and put this page together. You can read it and look at the step-by-step pictures. It is very easy and it's authentic and very delicious. I have probably cooked all of her recipes. Just save the link into your favorites and look it up everytime you need a recipe. By the way, I'm mexican so I know what authentic is! Good luck. I hope you enjoy cooking mexican food as much as I do.

http://rollybrook.com/kitchen.htm

Answer 3

Everyone else pretty much answered your question already, but i just want to add that for food to get even more authentic in your husband's eyes, find out what state he's from there's certain dishes that are native to certain  areas.

Buy a molcajete ( mortar and pestle made of lava rock http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/mortarpestl... To make your salsa there. You cant get more authentic that. Don't boil the peppers and tomatos like someone else suggested, instead you can roast them on open flame of you have a gas burner or on a cast iron skillet if its electric range. After the skin is charred you can steam then in a plastic bag until they cool . peel and then mash on the molcajete with a garlic clove . salt and pepper to taste.

  

Answer 4

You cant get more authentic than Mole. Just prepare chicken as if you were making chicken soup  and buy a jar of Doña Maria Mole sauce, it has easy instructions on how to make in English. and just ad the chicken. serve with Spanish rice, which is just fried rice in a chicken stock and tomato sauce.

Next, you could make tamales, authentic ones where you would have to go to a tortilleria to get the corn dough.

You could also make asado de puerco, which is sauted pork in a red pepper sauce.

just look up the recipes online.

Answer 5

I'm in a similar situation. My fiance is american and i'm mexican. I do wish she would learn how to cook like my mom cause she does make delicious foods and I would like for our children to know where they are coming from.

First of all the dishes known here in the states as authentic are just for special occasions. Like "mole, pozole, enchiladas, panbasos, birria." all of them are for parties and such. They are hard to make but worth the effort. An everyday plate would consist of a soup, not campbell soup, you can buy the bags from a mexican store. Beans are also common. There are different ways to make the beans, dry or in a type of soup. just add water and let the beans soak in the water and salt. Meat, in some kind of sauce, not your tbone. Again, you can purchase this in the mexican store. Mexicans eat a lot of sweat bread. Tortas, tacos, sopes, tlacoyos, quesadillas.  

Answer 6

Dont ask his mother.

She doesnt want you to be able to provide her son with food that otherwise he'd have to go home for.

Get a good easy cookbook.   Look for "Mexican for Dummies"  I'll bet there is one of those.

Rick Bayless is a renouned Mexican chef.  He and his daughter have made a wonderful book - see if you can find him in your local library.

The key to mexican cooking is FRESH ingredients.  Its not about boxed stuff, or canned stuff or frozen stuff.  If you want to feed your family well, learn to use chicken in fresh combinations of rice, beans, cilantro, cactus (canned), tomatoes, mangoes, rices, limes, etc.  

Good luck!

Answer 7

Chicken Tamales Recipe from Maseca Collection - Jesus Bojorquez







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Mexican Recipe Ingredients:

6 cups Maseca Corn Masa Mix for Tamales

6 cups Chicken broth

1 cup corn oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 large rotisserie chicken

2 cans salsa verde or tomatillo sauce

1 bag corn husks  



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Mexican Recipe Instructions:

Soak the corn husks in warm water until soft.

Blend with an electric mixer Maseca corn masa mix for tamales, corn oil, salt, baking powder and the chicken broth to obtain a consistent mixture.

Shred the chicken and marinate in the green salsa or tomatillo sauce.

Spread masa evenly over corn husks, and spread a spoonful of marinated chicken on top of the masa.

Fold the sides of the corn husk to center over the masa so that they overlap to make along package.

Fold the empty part of the husk under so that it rest against the side of the tamale with a seam.

Place the tamales in a steamer and cook tamales for 35-40 minutes. Check every 20 minutes.The tamales are cooked when they separate easily from the corn husk.

Answer 8

I found this book with very accurate and delicious recipes from all over Mexico.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Mexico-...

Answer 9

Well, here are some easy things that you don't have to slave a lot to make.

Bean tacos.  (I recommend La Costeña brand refried beans cause these taste homemade.)

Get some corn tortillas (if you have a tortillería, a neighborhood tortilla factory like we have in South Texas, then get them there, if not, the packaged ones at the store are fine.  Don't get yellow corn, because we use white corn) and put a little bit of oil into a non-stick pan and fry some of these up to a crisp (allowing them first to warm in the oil before you fold them).  Then fill these with the warmed beans.  Chop, very finely, some cabbage and slice some tomatoes very thin and use these to fill the tacos.

Make a basic salsa (real):  boil one or two tomatoes and one ore more jalapeños (more tomato and less jalapeño = milder, less tomato and more jalapeño = hotter). Take the boiled stuff and put into a blender and add a couple of teaspoons of salt and puree.  This is a very basic home salsa.  This will be used by the person eating the tacos.

Also, remember to salt the tacos once they're dressed.

Answer 10

Here is where I look for real authentic and traditional mexican recipes.

Hope you enjoy them

http://cocina-mexico.com/ingles/menu/fra...