Pati, voice-over: When a young widow made an offer on this shack in Allende, Nuevo Len, to open a business and support her kids, she was refused because she's a woman.
But she was persistent.
And 40 years later, Dolores and her sister Chiva have one of the most popular lunch spots in Nuevo Len-- Las Comadres.
And they only serve one dish-- Carne con chile.
Pati: That's why they don't offer anything else, 'cause you don't need anything else!
Pati, voice-over: And just 10 minutes away, in downtown Allende, is another restaurant that's been perfecting their dishes for almost 50 years-- Capri.
Capri's known for their mouthwatering empalmes, one of Nuevo Len's classic traditional meals that's like a stacked taco tower filled with a stew.
Ah!
Their most popular empalme is made with liver, my favorite.
I know liver has some haters out there, but in my kitchen, I'm teaching you how to make them with chipotle caramelized onions that you would be crazy not to try and pairing them with a silky, citrusy avocado and panela cheese salad and a roasted tomato rice with cumin and oregano.
Mm-hmm!
Mm hmm hmm?
Doesn't stop!
Mmm!
Ha ha ha ha!
Mmm!
Man: I am going to give you a secret.
Yes.
I love secrets.
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 Mexico in 90 seconds.
SOMOS--food from the heart of Mexico.
Men: 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 of tradiciones in your cocinas.
Man: Gobierno de Monterrey.
Pati, voice-over: If you drive through the town of Allende in Nuevo Len, you'll see a tiny structure sitting peacefully at the edge of the iconic Rio Ramos.
It would be easy to pass by on your way to the mountains if it weren't for an abundance of people waiting patiently outside at makeshift tables.
This is home to the Comadres-- [Parrot squawks] two women with the smallest restaurant and the biggest attitude.
Here, the customers know you don't complain, you don't ask for salt.
Even their tiny sous chef is trouble.
Ah ha ha ha!
And don't expect a lot of options on the menu, either.
There's only one, but they've been perfecting it since the eighties.
Nothing has come easy for these two industrious sisters, who have built a successful business despite extreme poverty, sexism, and tragedy.
It started 40 years ago when Dolores found herself in a desperate situation.
Oh, si.
Pati, voice-over: When the little shack by the river went up for sale, she saw an opportunity and made an offer.
The men finally agreed.
But with only 15 days to pay, she found a way.
And soon after, Chiva joined her.
They began to forge their path to independence with nothing but a dilapidated stove, their will to survive, and some chile con carne.
They stuck to simple ingredients... like the perfectly salted meat, and, of course, the fire-roasted tomatoes complete this, too, along with Nuevo Len's prized ingredient.
Chile pequin.
Mmm...mm-hmm!
Mm-hmm!
Mmm!
Mmm!
Mmm!
[Squawking] Next come the side dishes.
Pati: Look at the cheese!
Mmm!
Mmm!
Ahh!
Pati, voice-over: And the meal wouldn't be complete without the puffiest handmade tortillas to wrap it all together.
Mm-hmm.
Mmm!
It's good?
Mm-hmm!
Mmm!
I mean...that's why they don't offer anything else 'cause you don't need anything else!
This is so crazy delicious.
Pati, voice-over: This food epitomizes the magic that can happen when two women come together to establish their independence and build true community.
[Women speaking native language] They're saying, "OK, leave, please leave, please leave," and they're bringing me candy.
I think they like my company.
Pati, voice-over: But since we can't stay forever, I'm gonna help you bring a taste of Las Comadres into your kitchen and show you how to make a roasted tomato rice with cumin and oregano.
Pati: One of the things I love the most about Las Comadres is how simple their ingredients were, how easy it was to put together the meal they made, but it was how they used the ingredients what made the magic happen.
One of the things they used, which is so common in Mexican cooking, is the act of charring or roasting the fresh ingredients.
Here, we're roasting the cherry tomatoes.
with some of the seasonings of Nuevo Len and then we're mixing that with the rice as it cooks.
I have 1 1/2 pounds of cherry tomatoes.
You have to make sure that the tomatoes are really nice and ripe.
And then I'm adding 6 garlic cloves, a teaspoon and a half of salt, a full tablespoon of oregano-- and I got the oregano from Nuevo Len-- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, about 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of pequin chilis.
You get them like these dried.
You can get it in the U.S. now, too.
And then you can grind it or you can chop them.
And I like to coarsely chop because then you get all of the seeds, but you also get the pieces of the pequin chili rather than just the... the dust or the powder.
So, we're adding all of these, and this is a lot of flavoring here.
So, you know, it's interesting, because Las Comadres, they char or roast their tomatoes directly on the fire, which is traditionally Mexican cooking.
And they took out the charred skin and-- as they were saying, because they wanted a more refined sauce, but I love the charred skin.
I love the rustic feel and flavor.
And so I'm definitely gonna leave that skin on my roasted tomatoes.
And these are gonna go in the oven at 450 for about 20 to 25 minutes.
And meanwhile, I'm gonna start my rice.
I'm going to turn on my heat over medium, and I'm gonna add about 3 tablespoons of safflower oil.
Add 2 cups of rice.
I'm using jasmine rice, and I wanted to use jasmin rice because it is very perfumed and fragrant.
The rice is going from like that beige-y white to a deep, deep white.
And the sound and the feel as the rice toasts and cooks a little bit more will get heavier.
So, listen to the sound.
[Rice scratching pan bottom] Before it browns, I want to add a little bit of an onion, and I'm gonna make some room right in the middle, and then I'm gonna mix it with the rice.
I'm adding 3 cups of chicken broth.
I'm gonna put it right in here... [Sizzling] but I'm going to add some orange juice.
And you may think, "What is orange juice doing in rice?"
Well, it's making it so beautiful 'cause it's going to add some citrus notes and it combines with tomatoes so deliciously.
Nuevo Len makes produces.
So many oranges.
In fact, it's known as the orange belt.
I just squeezed the juice of 2 oranges, which would make about 1/2 cup.
I'm adding a teaspoon of salt, and then I'm gonna give it a gentle stir.
And then I'm gonna check for my roasted tomatoes, which should be ready.
So, it smells in here like popcorn, like orange juice, like charred, roasted tomatoes, and I'm going to go ahead and add all of these right in here.
I mean, I already want to eat it, and it's not even fully cooked!
So, I'm gonna give it the gentlest of stirs so that the tomatoes and all of the juices and all of those flavors go deep into the bottom of the pot.
It's gonna have these beautiful roasted tomato layers.
So, now that this is at a rolling boil, which is where I wanted it, I'm going to cover it, I'm gonna reduce the heat to the lowest possible heat.
And this is gonna cook for about 15 minutes.
I'm gonna get started with my chicken livers with chipotle caramelized onions, so I'm adding 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of safflower oil over medium heat.
I cut 3 large white onions into thin slices.
It's gonna reduce to about 1/3, and it's going to become really irresistible.
We're not gonna let it brown or crunch.
So, it's gonna take about 35 to 40 minutes.
I'm gonna add some salt, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
So, it doesn't need a ton of babysitting, but you do need to stir here and there.
And I think the rice is ready, 'cause it smells ready.
Come see.
Oh, my God!
This is so beautiful.
I can't resist these.
I have to taste a little.
Rice is like a... like a plain canvas.
You can do so much with it.
And with this one, I just painted a picture of what Nuevo Len tasted to me.
And this is charred tomatoes, the orange juice, the cumin, the oregano.
What kind of a crazy person puts orange juice into her rice?
Really.
Mmm... Mm-mmm!
It is so, so, so, crazy delicious.
You're gonna be pouring your morning orange juice into your rice the next time you make one.
Mmm.
Pati, voice-over: Just across town from Las Comadres, there is another stew simmering with a story.
Meet Don Samuel, the owner of Capri, known across town for being a restaurant of the working class, He worked his way from bicycle food vendor to restaurant owner.
And 46 years later, he's still making his best- selling stews for the people using traditional fire cooking.
Since 1975, he's kept the same routine, arriving each morning before his employees to brew his morning Caf de Olla-- coffee with cinnamon, piloncillo, and a splash of milk.
At 13 years old, he worked as an errand boy at a restaurant here in Allende but with dreams of owning his own restaurant one day.
He and his brother taught themselves how to make chorizo and menudo and sold it door to door until it was sold out.
His stews were becoming famous among working-class families across town, so he opened up a restaurant.
By far, the biggest hit on the menu was the empalme.
Ahh.
Uh-huh.
Ooh eee.
Pati, voice-over: Simply put, empalmes are Nuevo Len-style tacos-- one bottom tortilla stuffed with beans, the stew of your choice, and more tortillas on top served with salsa, of course.
Uh-huh.
OK... Ah... Pati, voice-over: These empalmes are to die for, especially the tortilla at the very bottom.
It's bursting with flavor.
Mm-hmm.
Pati, voice-over: Like an empalme, Capri is bound together by layers-- family, community, hard work.
Pati, voice-over: Liver inspires me, and it can inspire you, too.
Now let's make some irresistible chicken livers with chipotle caramelized onions.
Pati: Let's talk about chicken livers, because I think it is one of the most unappreciated ingredients.
You get them, you rinse them, you drain them.
They look like this.
So I have a pound of chicken liver here.
They have a really delicious, soft texture if you cook them right.
I'm going to pour some water over them.
You take the lobes and you put them in a chopping board.
And then, you want to remove the connective tissue between them.
I like to keep the lobes the biggest size they can have without any of that connective tissue.
And one of the most delicious empalmes, or Nuevo Len-style tacos, that I ate while I was there was the Higadillos one.
And it just reminded me of how much I love chicken liver and how I've never cooked them here with you!
They are so insanely nutritious.
They're full of minerals and vitamins, and they have so much Vitamin A.
They are a beautiful thing.
I want you guys to give them a try.
And they're so incredibly affordable, too, by the way.
I'm gonna cover them now with 1/2 cup of milk, which is what my mom used to do.
Then, you want to leave them there soaking anywhere from 1/2 hour to overnight covered in your refrigerator, and I already have some that I have been soaking.
So all that metallic taste will be super toned down.
I'm just removing the chicken livers from the milk, and we're gonna drain them here.
I mean, it's such an acquired taste.
Like, I look at that, and it makes my mouth water.
And my onions have completely wilted and begun to caramelize and brown, which is just what I wanted.
So I'm gonna scrape them right here into this bowl.
And I'm continuing to cook everything on this pan... [Spoon clanking against pan] which is gonna make this dish have so much flavor.
And now I'm gonna season these with salt and pepper... to taste.
So, I added a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of safflower oil.
We want that butter to melt into the oil.
It needs really high heat, so medium high to high because I'm gonna cook the chicken livers really fast.
But you do want it to be really hot, just until it starts to smoke, and then I'm adding my chicken livers.
[Sizzling] You don't want them to steam or boil.
You want them to saut.
Now I'm gonna scrape my cooked chicken livers right into this bowl.
And I'm gonna make the chipotle sauce to finish caramelizing the onions.
OK.
So, I'm adding another tablespoon of butter in here... [Sizzling] and another tablespoon of safflower oil.
And I'm gonna let that melt.
Oh, now it's really starting to smell.
I'm adding 3 tablespoons of the sherry wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of chicken broth, 3 tablespoons of the adobo sauce, from chipotles in adobo sauce, right in here.
Just a few more seconds.
You want to see it really bubbling.
I'm gonna add the caramelized onions right in here.
Gonna reduce the heat back to medium, and then I'm going to incorporate my chicken livers.
Now that it is all incorporated and messy and saucing, this is hgado that I love!
I'm making a really quick avocado and panela cheese salad.
So, you know, when I was in Nuevo Len, the eat a lot of queso fresco, queso de canasta, which is very similar to the panela cheese that I grew up eating.
OK, so I'm gonna make the vinaigrette first.
So I have 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice and a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
And I'm gonna add some salt.
You can add salt to taste, a little black pepper, some diced pickled jalapeos in their brine along with capers.
And then, I'm adding one shallot that I finely chopped.
We're gonna mix all these delicious flavors together-- briny, spicy, tart, citrusy.
Yum.
Then I'm gonna chop some cilantro.
We're gonna use the leaves and the stems.
Then I'm gonna whisk this.
Looks like a delicious, delicious mess.
I love delicious messes, as you can tell.
And then I'm just gonna open the ripe avocado.
It's one of the most beautiful reveals when you open one.
It is just perfect and ready for you.
And then I'm gonna dice the avocado.
This is like a cross between a salad and a chunky guacamole.
And now I'm adding 5 ounces of the panela cheese that I diced.
We're gonna chop a little more cilantro.
So, I have my plate and my fork and my knife and my whole meal ready.
You know what these are?
These are actually my wedding plates.
I still have them.
They're from Mexico.
[Indistinct].
Handmade.
Let me get some spoons.
[Utensils rattling] And Danny doesn't know it yet, but this is what he's having for dinner.
And I'm gonna convince him that chicken livers are actually so delicious.
He's not a fan.
He hasn't tried this recipe.
I think he's gonna love it.
Let's give this a try.
So, my rice... Mmm...Mm-hmm!
It has so much taste.
It's sweet from the roasted tomatoes, but I can feel the kick of heat from the pequin chiles, and then it has the depth from the cumin and the oregano and the sweetness from the orange.
I'm eating everything.
The salad.
Mmm!
So fresh.
Let's go with the chicken livers.
This is fun.
I'm rotating.
Mmm!
Mmm hmm hmm!
Mmm!
The caramelized onion is so caramelized, it's ridiculously sweet.
But then, with that sauce of the chipotles and the dijon, it has such an incredible combination of flavors.
And the chicken livers are just so rich and nurturing, and I love chicken livers so much.
Mm-hmm!
Mmm!
This is making me so happy.
Mmm hmm hmm.
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... [Singers singing in Spanish] Man: La Costea--por sabor!
Woman: Traditional recipes, authentic flavors, and ingredients.
A taste of Mexico in 90 seconds.
SOMOS--food from the heart of Mexico.
Men: 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 of tradiciones in your cocinas.
Man: Gobierno de Monterrey.
Announcer: Proud to support "Pati's Mexican Table" on Public Television.
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