Chicken Jalisco Mexican Food

POLLO CON CREMA (MEXICAN CREAMY CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Generously season the chicken breast with with salt, cumin, chili powder and pepper.
• Place flour on a flat plate and dredge the chicken on all sides, shake off excess.
• On a sautéing pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat.
• Fry chicken until they is cooked through and lightly brown-golden on the outside (about 5 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of your chicken).
• Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to prevent chicken from drying out. Set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add one tablespoon of oil and sauté jalapeno and onion until softened.
• Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
• Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan scraping up the bottom to remove any browned bits.
• Add the oregano and simmer until the sauce is reduced almost to half, stirring from time to time.
• Reduce heat to low and add the cream, allow to simmer for 2 minutes while stirring occasionally. Adjust with salt and pepper to your taste.
• Return the chicken back into the pan and let simmer from 2 to 3 minutes more to thicken the sauce a little bit.
• Garnish with parsley and chili flakes and serve warm.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN TINGA DE POLLO (CHICKEN CHIPOTLE IN TOMATO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salty water to a boil and add the chicken breast to cook. Let the chicken simmer until it is cooked through.
• Make sure you skim the foam that forms on top of the water as it starts boiling.
• While the chicken is cooking, place the tomatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and mushy but not falling apart.
• Slice the onions thinly. Heat the oil in a large pan(skillet) and add the onion. Cook the onion until soft and translucent for about 5-6 minutes.
• In a blender, throw the tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and 2-3 chipotle chiles from the can. Be careful with the chiles. The original Mexican recipe calls for the entire can of Chipotle, but I found it to be too powerful and spicy for us, so I added fewer chiles in the blender.
• After blending the ingredients, taste the salsa for salt and pepper and adjust the amount of salt and pepper.
• Pour the salsa over onions. Add oregano, marjoram, thyme, and pepper. (Be careful as the sauce will steam and bubble).
• Simmer the sauce, occasionally stirring, until the sauce deepens in color, becomes darker and less soupy, about 7-8 minutes.
• Take the chicken out of the broth, and with two forks, shred the meat.
• Add it to the sauce and mix well to incorporate the chicken.
• Let it simmer for only a minute and serve over rice or on warm tortillas.
• Bon Appetite!

CHICKEN BIRRIA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the dried chiles and 1 cup of the broth, and bring to a boil, stirring to submerge the chiles. Remove from heat and let stand for 3 minutes. In a blender, combine the chiles and the liquid, the tomatoes and their juices, vinegar and garlic, then season with salt and pepper, and purée until smooth.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and add half to the pot. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, oregano, cumin, cloves and bay leaf and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 2 cups broth and the puréed sauce (carefully, as it may splatter), scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add chicken (and any accumulated juices), and bring to a boil. Simmer briskly over medium, partially covered, until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through, 25 minutes. Taste and season with salt.
• Divide birria among 4 bowls, and top with onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and rice, if using.