Mexican Tinga Food

CHICKEN TINGA RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the sliced onion. Stir-fry for 3 minutes and stir in the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Mix in the chopped tomato and parsley, lower the heat, stir and let cook until tomatoes start releasing its juices. This step will take about 6-7 minutes. If your tomatoes aren't juicy enough add a couple of tablespoons of water.
• Finally, add the chicken and chopped chipotle pepper. Simmer for about 8 more minutes until all the flavors had blended. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, garnish with chopped parsley. You can serve it as a main dish with rice and a salad or as a topping for tostadas, sopes or for empanada filling. If you have leftovers this dish freezes well for about a month.

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!

SHREDDED SPICY CHICKEN TOSTADAS (TINGA)

Steps:

• For the chicken: Place the chicken, peppercorns, salt, garlic, bay leaf and onion in a large heavy saucepan with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and remove the chicken from the liquid. Reserve the broth for later use. Using 2 forks or clean hands, shred the chicken into a bowl and set aside.
• For the tinga: In a large heavy saute pan, cook the chorizo over medium heat until fully cooked, about 6 minutes. Add the onions and saute until translucent and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatillos and cook for 1 minute. Add the chipotle, salt, pepper, Mexican oregano and the sprigs of marjoram and thyme. Add the shredded chicken. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Add between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of the chicken cooking liquid, depending on the thickness of the sauce. Cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the marjoram and thyme sprigs.
• To assemble: Place 2 tablespoons of tinga on each tostada. Serve immediately.

MEXICAN PULLED PORK (TINGA PUEBLANA)

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Add the salt, bring to a boil and cook until tender, 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
• Place the pork in a large pot of cold water. Add the onion half, the garlic, and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently until the pork is cooked through and is no longer pink in the center, about 45 minutes. Remove the pork from the water and set it aside until it is cool enough to handle (discard the cooking liquid). Using your fingers or 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces and set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute crumbled chorizo until completely cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a paper towel lined plate. Add the chopped onions to the chorizo skillet and cook until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the shredded pork, the tomatoes, and the chipotle chiles. Cook until the tomatoes break down and release their juices, about 5 minutes. Return the potatoes and cooked chorizo to the pan. Stir in the vinegar, thyme, marjoram and salt, to taste. Continue to cook over medium heat until some of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• While the pork cooks, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tortilla and warm for 10 to 15 seconds. Flip the tortilla over and continue to warm until the tortilla is pliable and heated through, another 10 to 20 seconds. Place warm tortillas in a tortilla warmer or on a plate, cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside; repeat with the remaining tortillas (or warm the tortillas in the microwave: stack them on a plate and cover with a damp cloth; microwave for 30 seconds and keep them covered until you're ready to serve).
• Place the pulled pork in a serving bowl or bring to the table in the cooking pot. Arrange the limes, avocado, and cilantro on a platter. Pass warm tortillas so each diner can fill a tortilla with some of the meat and accompaniments. Squeeze lime juice over each serving.

TINGA (MEXICAN DISH)

Steps:

• In large sauce pan wilt the 5-6 sliced onions in the oil until very soft, but not brown.
• About 10-15 minutes meanwhile in blender add as many chipotle chiles as you dare (when making it for my husband I add the whole can) and add lots of the adobo from the can as it adds tons of flavor but almost no heat.
• To the chiles add the tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, bullion, and salt blend until smooth.
• Add puree to onions and cook about 5 minutes.
• Add shredded meat (to make the shredded meat I boil a chuck roast, or pork roast for several hours in salted water until very tender and then shred-the chicken I just boil until cooked through and no longer pink, if cooked too long it will become mushy) stir entire mixture and cook until warmed through 1-2 minutes.
• To eat take a tostada and spread with sour cream.
• Sprinkle on some parmesan cheese if desired.
• Add shredded lettuce and top with tinga mixture.
• Bite!
• Serve with several napkins on the side.

TINGA

Steps:

• Put the chicken into a large pot with 1/4 c sliced onion, garlic and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 25 minutes.
• Remove chicken, cool, and shred meat. If using bone-in chicken, discard skin and bones.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining onion slices, and fry until transparent.
• If using fresh tomatoes, place them in a pan of boiling water (can use water used to boil chicken) and boil until they split open.
• Place the tomatoes, chipotle peppers (use 3-4 for a little heat, up to the whole can according to your taste), and boullion into a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
• Pour into a large pan and add the shredded chicken and cooked onions. Heat through.
• To serve, spread a layer of sour cream on a tostada, top with the chicken and shredded lettuce.