Low Carbohydrate Mexican Cooking
Did you know that the Aztecs did not use fat in their cooking until after the Spaniards arrived? If fact they found fat to be quite unpalatable. Early American foods were flavorful and healthfully prepared.
The Aztecs steamed many foods including tamales, meats and fish. Today we are featuring "mixiotes" which are little bundles of seasoned meats.
Mixiotes are the rather tough outer membranes of young of Maguey (century) plant leaves. The membranes are removed in sheets and used to wrap little bundles of marinated meats and chiles which were then steamed as you would a tamale. Today you can use banana leaves, or parchment paper. In Mexico the use of the Maguey was stopped by law because stripping the young leaves killed the plant and it was decimating the plant population.
Josephina Howard of Rosa Mexicano restaurant in New York includes several Mixiotes recipes on her menu. This offering is for a version made with chicken. Don't let the number of ingredients alarm you the recipe is quite simple. In order to get the best flavor let the chicken marinate overnight.
Toasting chiles and spices - brings out the flavor. Place the ingredient on a hot, dry comal or cast iron skillet and toast just until you can smell the aroma of the spice or chile. Do not allow herbs or dried chiles to burn.
Roast Fresh Chiles and Tomatoes
Fresh flavorful salsas benefit from dry roasting. Unlike toasting, you do want to char the outside of the fresh chiles. Read more about roasting chiles and tomatoes.
Marinating - meats, chicken and fish really helps to provide you with maximum flavor when preparing dishes that don't otherwise require long cooking times. In most cases it is best to marinate the meats overnight. Otherwise, place meats in the marinade early in the morning.