Mexican Pot

Although I’m fond of Mexican and Tex-Mex food, I don’t cook it very often. Oh, chili is one of my standards (just like it is almost every other cook’s) and I make chicken enchiladas a couple of times a year but that’s about the extent of my unimaginative repertoire. However, this year I’ve been on sort of a South of the Border Binge and have been trying a number of new things such as this Tequila-Marinated Chicken and this Mexican Rice.

The rice is also unimaginative, but I’d never made it so it seemed a worthwhile endeavor. But I did come up with the idea of marinating chicken in tequila on my own, only subsequently discovering there are loads of recipes on the Web. But the best thing I’ve made so far is a pot roast that I’d somehow failed to post here.

This year I’ve been on sort of a South of the Border Binge.

Although I don’t cook Mexican often, I started making my on chile powder several years ago and it continually amazes me how much better it is than the commercial stuff. You can find my recipe below, but suffice to say it includes chipotle, ancho, and pasillo chiles and has a wonderfully rich, fruity, smoky flavor. Good stuff.

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Tex-Mex Pot Roast
Serves 4.

2 lb. 2-inch thick chuck roast
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. corn oil
1 lg. onion; chopped
1/2 lg. bell pepper (any color); chopped
2 sm. jalapeno peppers; seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic; chopped
1 cup beef broth
1 cup canned tomato sauce
4 tsp. chile powder (see below)*
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. cocoa powder
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Season the roast* with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown roast on all sides. Set roast on a plate.

Reduce heat to medium and sauté onions and peppers until translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Increase heat to medium-high, add beef broth and deglaze pan by scraping up browned bits.

Stir in tomato sauce, stir in remaining ingredients, return roast to pot and bring to a vigorous simmer. Cover pot and place in center of oven. Cook 1 hour, taste sauce and adjust seasonings. Turn over roast, and cook 1 hour longer. Turn and cook 1/2 hour more.

Remove roast and shred using a pair of forks, discarding any fat. Combine with sauce. Serve topped with sour cream and salsa with corn or flour tortillas as scoops.

*Chile Powder
Makes 1/2 – 2/3 cup.

2 ea Ancho chiles
3 ea Pasillo chiles
2 ea Chipotle chiles

Stem chiles and break them up. Then process them in one or two batches in a spice mill or coffee grinder.

Try this Pot Roast with…
Steamed Cabbage
Mexican Rice
Buttermilk Sherbet

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