Latino cuisine: not just tortillas and fajitas
The popularity of Latino cuisine has, over the past five years, increased at a phenomenal rate. We take a look and offer two recipe ideas.
The richness of the cuisine flows from the fusion of the many influences on the food, from the earliest Indian inhabitants to the Spanish conquistadors.
When people think 'Latino' cuisine they naturally visualize tortillas, fajitas and chilli con carne, but it is so much more.
I was in Mexico earlier this year and savoured a vast variety of delicious and exciting foods including sweet potato, squash and string beans.
There were, however, more exotic dishes such as frog, armadillo, racoon and snake!
Most of the dishes are served with a corn bread of every imaginable shape and size and I needed the odd swig or two of Tequila to rinse my palette every now and then! They also have a fabulous selection of pastries to die for -literally! They are so rich and full of sugar and calories it could quite easily be a case of cardiac care unit, here we come!
Tomatoes and peppers are often said to have originated in Mexico so in celebration of this fact, I have included them in both dishes below.
The following dish features an all time favourite meat, succulent pork. British pork is leaner and much more tastier these days, extremely versatile and always a bargain to buy. When pork is char-grilled to perfection and served with a tomato and chilli sauce it will spice up your menu a real treat.
The peppered avocado and pasta salad is a tasty addition to all grilled meats and could also be served as a starter in its own right.
Mexican Style Pork Entrecote
Portions: 10Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 30 minutesApprox cost: £1.70p to £3.20 per portion
Ingredients:
- 10-20 British Pork Entrecote steaks
- 100g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 150mls vegetable oil
- 400g onions, finely chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 400g jalapeno peppers, chopped
- 2 red peppers, diced
- 50g dried oregano
- 1 kilo chopped tomatoes
Method:
Dust the pork steaks with the seasoned flour and grill the pork steaks for six to seven minutes on each side. Place on a baking tray and keep warm in the oven (150degC/300deg F/gas mark 2) while the sauce is being made.
To make the sauce: heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and gently fry for three minutes until they begin to brown. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another two minutes. Add the Jalapeno peppers and the red peppers and continue cooking for a further two minutes. Sprinkle in the herbs and then pour in the tomatoes. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
To serve: Pour some of the sauce onto the plate and arrange the steaks on top.
Serving suggestion: Serve with Peppered Avocado and Pasta salad
Peppered Avocado and Pasta Salad
Portions: 10Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 30 minutesApprox cost: 30p per portion
Ingredients:
- 1.2kg pasta, cooked, cooled and thoroughly drained
- 180mls olive oil
- 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
- 10 spring onions, chopped
- 3 avocado, chopped
- 5 chillies, chopped
Method:
Place the cooked pasta into a bowl. Pour in the oil and add the garlic and peppers and combine ingredients. Gently mix in the avocado and the chillies and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to combine.
