Pati's Mexican Table

Pati, voice-over: Monterrey.

Beyond the football stadiums and craft beer, Mexico's industrial mecca has a more overlooked social scene.

The only thing my home doesn't have is a poster of girls in their underwear.

[Man laughing] Pati, voice-over: Today, I'm going on a cantina crawl, where working men go to blow off steam.

Wow!

As long as you drink, they'll keep bringing you free food!

Pati, voice-over: After a night at the cantinas, there's no better place to nurse a hangover than one of the best taco spots in Monterrey: Tacos El Compadre, better known as Tacos El Muerto or Tacos of the Dead to keep with the neighborhood's theme.

Mmm!

Then I'm showing you how to make your own crunchy, delicious tacos with red masa smothered in a tangy salsa verde spiced with chili pequin.

Oh, that looks yum!

Come on!

Pati, voice-over: And for the perfect comfort food after a long night out at the cantina... That already looks good.

potato hash with corn chorizo and eggs.

Doesn't stop!

Mmm!

Ha ha ha!

Mmm!

Man: I am going to give you a secret.

Yes.

I love secrets.

Pati: Mmm.

Mmm...mmm!

It's like nothing I've tasted before.

Announcer: "Pati's Mexican Table is brought to you by... Man: La Costea por sabor!

Woman: Traditional recipes, authentic flavors, and ingredients.

A taste of Mxico in 90 seconds.

SOMOS--food from the heart of Mxico.

Singers: Avocados from Mexico Over 40 years, bringing authentic Latin American flavors to your table.

Tropical Cheese.

Woman: Stand Together-- helping every person rise.

More information at StandTogether.org.

Woman: Here, the typical arroz con pollo...or not!

Unfollow la Receta.

Mahatma rice.

Woman: King Arthur Baking Company.

Find out more about our Masa Harina at KingArthurBaking.com.

["Nationwide" theme playing on guitar] Man: Cozilumbre--cookware, bakeware, and kitchenware for cooking up tradiciones in your cocinas.

Man: Gobierno de Monterrey.

Pati, voice-over: Cantinas are legendary in Mexico.

These dive bars have historically discouraged or prohibited women from entry, so, naturally, I want in.

Local author and historian David Canales is taking me to two of his favorites to see what these guys are up to behind closed doors.

Uh-huh.

Ah!

Pati, voice-over: Cantinas here were born in the mid-1800s when the U.S. occupied Mexico, and more bars opened to meet the demand for alcoholic beverages.

Cantinas are also famous for serving endless free botanas.

Pati: They give you a-- Oh, my gosh!

That's so funny!

As long as you-- As long as you drink, they'll keep bringing you free food!

Pati, voice-over: This particular cantina is known for the giant avocado torta from the food cart next door.

Ha ha ha ha!

Ah!

Pati, voice-over: And look.

More of Nuevo Len's key ingredients-- That's--whoa!

chili pequin delivered right to the bar.

You guys, this is so much fun.

I'm used to hanging out with guys 'cause I have 3 boys and a husband, so I feel at home!

The only thing my home doesn't have is a poster of girls in their underwear.

Ha ha ha!

Pati, voice-over: El Robles opened in the 1920s and is like a history museum adorned with old photos and memorabilia.

Bartender Don Sergio Robles is the curator.

Ah!

Ah!

No!

Pati: Cantinas in Mexico are known for having great music and really craveworthy food.

And I want to make some craveworthy tacos for you, too, that are different and also from Nuevo Len.

They're known as taco rojos, and that translates to red tacos because the masa is red.

So, I'm gonna add a ripe Roma tomato to start making that seasoning sauce.

In goes, just like that-- full tomato.

And then I'm gonna add 3 guajillo chilies, remove the stem, open it up, remove the seeds.

They're going to rehydrate at the same time as the tomato cooks.

And I'm adding 2 garlic cloves.

So, this is gonna take about 10 minutes.

The taco rojos have a guajillo tomato salsa that are gonna season the masa, but then the tacos are completely bathed in a tomatillo green salsa.

Pati, voice-over: I'm gonna roast my ingredients for a few minutes directly in my fireplace, because if I've learned anything from Nuevo Len, is that this is the proper way to roast them for salsita.

Yum!

All I'm gonna do is throw in these truly fire-roasted tomatillos with everything.

And these are like tomatillo s'mores.

Just removing the stem of the serrano but throwing it all in there.

Charred onion.

Yum!

I have the garlic that cooked inside of its skin... and I'm gonna add just a teaspoon of salt... a handful of cilantro... which would make about a cup, a teaspoon of the chili pequin.

And now I'm gonna puree this not until completely smooth, because I always like my salsa verde to the point where I can still see the seeds of the tomatillos.

I think they're so incredibly charming to bite into.

[Whirring] That is perfect!

[Smacks lips] Yum.

I guarantee you will have never tasted a salsa verde like this.

So, let me clear a little.

I'm gonna rinse my blender because I need to puree the guajillo sauce that's gonna go into my masa.

I'm gonna add in here the guajillos that already rehydrated and plumped up and the tomato that cooked.

You can see how soft and mushy it is.

And then I'm adding the 2 garlic cloves that are now cooked and soft.

And then I'm gonna add 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

This is the color that's gonna go into the masa.

That's why they're called taco rojos.

Gonna puree this until completely smooth.

[Whirring] I don't want it to have any texture or extra thickness 'cause I need my tortillas to be lean and puff.

So, I'm gonna go through the extra step of straining.

So, I'm hoping to get 1 1/2 cups.

Now, if you don't get 1 1/2 cups, you can just add a little bit more water.

And we are gonna start making tortillas rojas for the taco rojos, which I'm so very excited because it's the first time we do this here.

I want to set my comal over medium heat.

This needs to preheat for at least a few minutes.

If your comal is not preheated, the tortillas are gonna stick.

So I'm gonna add 2 cups of Masa Harina.

I'm just going in, and then I'm leveling with my knife.

And then I'm gonna add 1/2 teaspoon salt.

And then it's actually really good that we just cook and puree this because it's good to have warm or somewhat hot liquid going into the Masa Harina when you mix it.

Now, just be careful not to burn yourself.

We're gonna make these taco rojos with queso fresco, but I'm gonna season the queso fresco.

As I'm kneading it, it is cracking a little, so, I'm gonna add a little bit more water.

You want the masa to feel like Play-Doh, very smooth and malleable.

And now I'm gonna split this masa into 16 balls.

We have our masa.

I'm gonna keep it covered here because masa dries fast.

I have my tortilla press.

And you need to add 2 pieces of plastic to your tortilla press.

One goes at the bottom, and the best plastic is really thin plastic.

See?

Super thin, and you just cut some rounds.

You have your ball of masa, then you put it right in the middle, and then you make sure your flat griddle is really hot over medium heat.

And then you're gonna add the top plastic, like this.

So, then you just press down, gentle but all the way down 'cause you want a very thin tortilla.

So, you're looking for, like, 5- to 6-inch round and, like, 1/8 of an inch.

See, I'm raising the packet now.

I'm removing the plastic from the top.

Put it back again so I don't forget the next time.

And then, I'm gonna peel the plastic from the bottom.

You just lay down the tortilla.

You're gonna count, like, anywhere from 45-60 seconds.

You have to wait until the bottom of the tortilla changes color, and this is funny, because it will change to a kind of pale color with a, like, kind of a sand dunes texture, but you don't want the bottom to become freckled and browned.

OK. See the texture, how it looks like sand dunes a little?

I'm gonna do the second flip after, like, 60 to 90 seconds when the bottom now becomes really freckled and browned.

And then after the second flip, if you did it right, the tortilla should puff.

You know why you want that puff?

Because you want the tortillas to cook under, over, and in-between.

If the tortillas don't puff, then you get a hard, stiff tortilla that cracks when you fold it.

So, you know those Mexican tortillas you've eaten with tacos or quesadillas that are so soft and delicious?

That's because they puffed.

See?

That's a beautiful puff.

And after it puffed and it cooked for, like, 15 seconds, then you can store it in your tortilla warmer.

And then, let's just make some more.

Pati, voice-over: Located a few neighborhoods over, El Aguacate, or The Avocado, caters to factory workers who stop by for a drink and games of dominoes after work.

Ahh!

Ha ha ha!

I pay.

I pay.

Whoa... Oh, these are beautiful!

Oh, my God!

Pati, voice-over: OK, I may have lost at dominoes, but I'm winning some fantastic food.

The rule at El Aguacate is: the more you drink, the more free food you get.

So, with the first beer, we got that... [David laughing] The second beer, we got these.

If you drink 12 beers... You get 12 courses.

Ha ha ha!

Pati, voice-over: I can see how men might appreciate a place to go to forget about their troubles for a while.

It's nice to experience, but now that my producer and I are receiving thoughtful gifts, it's probably time to let them go back to what they were doing.

Now I know you're getting hungry.

Let's finish filling those scrumptious taco rojos.

We have so many things ready.

We have the salsa verde con pequin.

We have the red tortillas.

And now I'm gonna make my queso fresco filling.

I'm gonna add 2 tablespoons of safflower oil.

Once it heats up, adding 1/2 cup of finely chopped white onion.

This has 2 serrano chilies that are already chopped.

And, of course, I'm keeping the seeds.

[Sizzling] You want to have enough oil.

They're not bathed or swimming in the oil, but they get nicely coated.

One garlic clove, finely chopped.

And I add it after the onion and the serrano soften, because the garlic just cooks that much faster and we're only waiting until the garlic becomes a little fragrant and changes in color.

And then I'm combining... tomatoes and tomatillos.

I have 2 Roma tomatoes that I finely chopped, and I'm keeping the seeds and the skin and everything.

I have 3 tomatillos that I husked and cleaned and finely chopped.

They go really well together.

Then I'm adding a little bit of salt.

And then you just let this soften.

OK, so, this is ready because you can see how mushy and smushy the tomatoes and tomatillos are.

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast and...breakfast in Mexico because Mexican breakfasts are perfect for any time of day.

I'm adding 2 cups or 8 ounces of queso fresco.

And queso fresco is a beautiful cheese because it is crumbly and it's tangy and it's lightly salty.

And it is so satisfying to bite into.

OK, so I'm adding this straight in here.

It smells so nice.

So, now I'm just combining it.

Yum.

So delicious.

Let me bring-- Mila knows it's ready.

[Pan clatters on stove] I really wish that Mila could eat all of the food I make.

You can use a comal, a griddle.

And I'm setting it over low-medium heat.

And this is very easy, 'cause I'm just gonna take my tortilla rojas that I just made.

So I'm adding a sufficient amount of queso fresco filling.

Then I'm just folding.

I'm going for the next one.

[Sizzling] Oh, that looks yum!

Come on!

OK, flipping here.

We want these to get toasty.

I feel like I have like my morning taco stand... for all of you who went out last night and stayed up so late.

[Sizzling] Yum.

Aw, so pretty!

Yum.

OK, so I'm adding a little crema... a little queso cotija.

Don't mind me if I do.

Oh, I want to eat it like this!

Mmm...

It's so good!

Messy, craveworthy, perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, any time, dinner.

Oh!

Late night dinner.

Pati, voice-over: Now it's time to visit what some locals tell me is the best taco stand in Monterrey: Tacos El Compadre, more commonly known as Tacos El Muerto or Tacos of the Dead.

I'm thinking the name comes from the neighbors.

Pati: Ha ha ha!

Pati, voice-over: Mary Rico never expected to run and operate the taqueria.

It all started with her in-laws almost 50 years ago, selling stews out of their home.

Pati, voice-over: They set up a stand near the cemetery, and the cabeza tacos became a big hit.

But not long after, a series of unexpected deaths-- first, her father-in-law and then her husband-- left a young widow with no business experience in charge of the operation.

Ayy, wow!

Pati, voice-over: Their love for tacos and the customers kept the Rico family business going.

They're making their last name proud.

[Crunching] Mmm...

Both: Mmm... Pati, voice-over: I'm not making head tacos in my kitchen right now, but I am whipping up some comfort food that you can definitely tackle, and is a great option if you stayed up too late at the cantinas.

I am making hash corn chorizo and eggs.

It's all about craveworthy food that you can have any time.

So I have a pound of Mexican chorizo.

You want to remove the casing, and I have my pan preheating at medium-high heat.

And I'm just gonna roughly chop.

After I add it into the pan, I'm going to continue breaking it apart with wooden spatulas or spoons because once it hits the pan, it wants to, like, get back together.

[Splashing] [Sizzling] While this browns, I'm gonna grate my potatoes.

So, I'm peeling 3/4 of a pound of russet potatoes.

This is so satisfying.

[Grating] Hola, Mila.

It's not dinnertime yet, Mila.

Gonna flip my chorizo.

In Mexico, chorizo comes with so much more fat.

They make it here less fatty, so sometimes you need to add a little more oil.

I'm adding olive oil this time, and I'm gonna add jalapeos that I already sliced.

My recipe calls for 1 to 2 jalapeos, so, of course, here that means 2.

Then I'm adding a cup of corn.

This is fresh corn.

You can use thawed from frozen.

I just want it to brown on the outside a little.

Ah!

This is so pretty!

I'm gonna scrape this right in here, because we're making this recipe in the same skillet.

That already looks good.

'Cause now I'm adding about 1/4 cup of olive oil right in the same pan.

I'm reducing the heat here to medium.

And I have one white onion that I already peeled and halved and sliced.

I really want the onions here to soften.

I don't want them to brown and crisp.

So, I'm gonna crack 8 eggs.

[Crack] Salt... pepper.

You can see how the onions have completely transformed.

So, I'm gonna add my potatoes.

[Sizzling] So, I'm gonna add a little salt and pepper.

Now, the potatoes are gonna cook really fast because they're nice and shredded.

And I'm just gonna let them sit there in the heat 'cause I want to start getting that hash brown texture, where the potato is cooked but browned on the outside.

OK, so, as that happens, I'm gonna beat my eggs.

Bringing in a comal here.

Turning it over low heat so I can heat my tortillas.

I'm going to incorporate the chorizo, corn, and jalapeo.

Before I add my eggs, I like to make sure my heat is not too high.

[Sizzling] These are so beautiful!

I love good, delicious messes.

We need to taco this thing.

I have my beautiful tortilla rojas for those taco rojos.

When you reheat them, you should see a puff like this.

That means you made a good tortilla.

You want to heat them on both sides.

And then, here's my tortilla.

Yum.

We make chubby tacos in this house.

Mmm... Look at the brown hash and the caramelized onion and the sweet corn and the spicy chorizo and--mmm!--that tangy salsita in the tortillas.

This is just yum, yum, yum!

Mmm!

Pati, voice-over: For recipes and information from this episode and more, visit PatiJinich.com.

And connect!

Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest @PatiJinich.

Announcer: "Pati's Mexican Table" is brought to you by... Man: La Costea por sabor!

Woman: Traditional recipes, authentic flavors, and ingredients.

A taste of Mxico in 90 seconds.

SOMOS--food from the heart of Mxico.

Singers: Avocados from Mexico A tradition of authentic Latin flavors and family recipes.

Tropical Cheese.

Woman: Stand Together-- helping every person rise.

More information at StandTogether.org.

Woman: Here, the typical arroz con pollo...or not!

Unfollow la Receta.

Mahatma rice.

Woman: King Arthur Baking Company.

Find out more about our Masa Harina at KingArthurBaking.com.

["Nationwide" theme playing on guitar] Man: Cozilumbre--cookware, bakeware, and kitchenware for cooking up tradiciones in your cocinas.

Man: Gobierno de Monterrey.

Man: Proud to support "Pati's Mexican Table" on Public Television.