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| MEXICAN COOKING II |
| C.) LA FONDA DEL SOL - (Mexican Beef Stew/ Cont.) |
| 1.) Wipe beef with damp paper towels. In hot oil and butter, in a 6-qrt. Dutch oven, brown the beef cubes - about one fourth at a time, turning with tongs or a slotted spoon, tto brown all sides. Lift out the browned pieces and place on a tray or platter, and continue to brown the remaining beef cubes. This should take about a 1/2 hr. in all to give a good brown color . Next, chop the onions; you should have 1 and 1/2 cups. Add the onions, thyme, cinnamon and cloves to the drippings in the Dutch oven, and saute, stirring, 5 mins., or until tender, then remove from heat. 2.) Stir in flour, catsup, bay leaf, salt, pepper and lemon peel. Gradually stir in the wine. Drain the pears, reserving 1 cup of the syrup. Add the syrup and browned beef to the mixture in the Dutch oven. Place a large sheet of waxed paper over the top, and place the lid on top of the paper. Bring to boiling on high heat, then reduce the heat and gently simmer, covered. Cook about 1 hour and 20 mins., or until meat is fork tender. Pour off any liquid that collects on top of the paper during cooking, to keep it from diluting sauce. 3.) While the sauce is simmering, scrub the sweet potatoes, if using fresh ones, and place them, unpeeled, in a large saucepan of boiling water. Bring the water back to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 mins., or until fork- tender. Drain and let cool. Peel and halve lengthwise. When the beef is tender, add the sweet potatoes, the pears and raisins to the Dutch oven. Cook, uncovered, for 10 mins., or until heated through and the liquid is slightly thickened. To serve, pour into a heated serving dish or casserole. Sprinkle the top with the chopped pars- ley. Makes 8 servings. |
| D.) ARROZ A LA MEXICANA - (Mexican Rice): |
| 2 tbls. vegetable oil; 1 cup of chopped onion; 1/2 cup green peppers, diced, seeded and cored; 1/2 lb. grnd. beef; 1 tbls. paprika; 1 tsp. dried basil; Salt; 1/8 tsp. grnd. black pepper; 1 can (1 lb. 12oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, (undrained); 2 1/2 cups of water; 1 tbl. butter or margarine; 1 cup long-grain white rice; 1 can (1 lb. ) red kiddney beans, rinsed and drained; 1/4 lb. sliced Cheddar cheese, cut lengthwise into strips: |
| 1.) Put vegetable oil in a large-size skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the onion, green peppers and ground beef. Cook for about 10 mins., breaking up the meat with a fork and cooking until meat is browned and the vegetables are tender. Then stir in paprika, basil leaves, 1 tsp. of the salt and the pepper into the meat and vegetable mixture in the skillet; mix well. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 mins., stirring occasionally. 2.) Meanwhile, put cold water in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tsp. of the salt, and the butter. Stir in the rice and cover the pot; reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 mins. Remove the sauce pan from the heat and let stand, covered, for about 5 mins., or until all liquid is completely absorbed. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375F. Uncover rice and fluff with a fork. 3.) Add the hot rice and drained kidney beans to the meat mixture in the skillet and toss well with two spoons until thoroughly mixed. Transfer this mixture to a 2- qrt. casserole or baking dish. Arrange cheese strips over the top. Cover the casser- ole with a lid or aluminum foil and place on the center rack in the preheated oven; bake for 20 mins. Remove the lid and continue to bake a few mins. longer until the cheese melts. Makes 8 servings. |