Garnachas istmeñas

Garnachas are a wonderful dish that is typically Istmenian. I've eaten them in the markets in Salina Cruz and also in Tehuantepec, either early in the morning or late at night at a stand in the main square owned by Reyna. One night, Lupe Barbieri and her aunt took me to eat "the best ever" in Juchitán, but what really sparked my appetite was the fried chicken, onions, and tomatoes that were cooked in the garnacha grease and served as the other offering on the menu. I suggest you make the pickled cabbage and the fat tortillas a day ahead.

Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS

For cabbage:

2 chiles jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

4 cups shredded green cabbage, sliced very thin

1/2 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon dried Oaxacan oregano, or substitute marjoram

1 quart fruit vinegar or white vinegar, or 1 pint Apple Cider vinegar mixed with 2 cups water (we use Pineapple vinegar)

1 heaping tablespoon sea salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

For the masa:

1½ pounds prepared masa for tortillas 

Or

 2 2/3 cups masa harina for tortillas mixed with 2¼ cups water

 For the filling:

1 teaspoon sunflower or vegetable oil

1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin

1½ medium white onions, finely chopped

7 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Sea salt, to taste

For the salsa de chilito verde:

¾ pound tomatoes (1 medium to large round or 7 plum)

10 chiles serranos, or 4 chiles jalapeños or 3 chiles bravos, stemmed

2 tablespoons chopped white onion

3 garlic cloves

¾ cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

For the garnachas:

¼ cup Mexican crema, heavy cream or créme fraîche

½ cup sunflower or vegetable oil

2 ounces queso Cotija, or substitute asiago cheese or
Parmesan Reggiano, finely grated

1 cup salsa de chilito verde made with jalapeños, or another hot sauce

METHOD

For the cabbage:

Cut the chiles in half lengthwise and place in 1 cup of water mixed with 1 teaspoon salt.  Soak for ½ hour. 

Mix the cabbage, carrots, and oregano in a medium bowl. 

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the vinegar and add the salt and sugar, stirring well to dissolve.

Drain the chiles, then add to the cabbage mixture.  Pour the vinegar over the cabbage mixture and mix well.  Pack the mixture in glass jars and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

For the masa:

Divide the fresh masa or the mixed masa harina into 16 balls.  Pat out the balls between two sheets of plastic to make 2½-inch rounds.  Remove the plastic and place on a hot comal or griddle.  Cook the small fat tortillas on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned.  Set aside to cool.

 For the filling:

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the meat.  When half cooked, about 1 minute, add two thirds of the onion and the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.  Add about 1½ teaspoons of salt and allow to cool.  When cool, transfer meat to a medium bowl.  Add the remaining onion and mix well.  Add salt to taste.

 For the salsa de chilito verde:

On a 10-inch dry comal, griddle or in a cast-iron frying pan over high heat, roast the tomatoes 5 - 10 minutes, removing the skins when they cool down.  Then roast the chiles until they blister on all sides, moving constantly with a wooden spoon.  Place them in a covered bowl to "sweat".  After they are cool enough to handle, scrape the skin off with a small paring knife (only if they are serrano or jalapeño; do not remove the skin of the chile bravo).  Do not run water over them to get the skins off, this will remove the oil of the chiles and some of the flavor. Open the chiles to remove the seeds, and discard the seeds.

Remove the chiles to molcajete or blender.  If using a molcajete, grind the chiles first with salt, then add the onion and garlic, and follow with the tomatoes, one by one.  When it is all ground together, add any reserved tomato juices and the cilantro.  Adjust the salt and serve out of the molcajete.  If using a blender, add the chiles, onion, garlic, peeled tomatoes, and the tomato juice.  Grind coarsely so the sauce has some texture.  Add the cilantro and salt to taste.

For the garnachas:

Mix the cream with a little milk to make a watery sauce to drizzle on top of the garnachas. 

After the tortillas are cool, split them down the middle with a knife to make two thin tortillas, and hollow out the soft interiors.  Lay out the tortilla halves on a cookie sheet and cover each tortilla with some filling, using all of the mixture. 

In a large frying pan, heat the oil until smoking.  Place 4 to 8 garnachas in the pan and cook for 2 minutes, flicking oil over the garnachas with a spatula to cook them thoroughly.  Remove, drain well, and keep warm.  Repeat the process with all the remaining garnachas.

Place 4 garnachas on each plate and sprinkle on a little cheese.  Put a dab of salsa on each garnacha and drizzle the cream on top of each.  Mound the cabbage in the center of the plate.  You can serve the remaining salsa on the table.

Hints:  The pickled cabbage lasts for about a month in the refrigerator or even longer if you seal it in sterilized jars.  It improves with age.

Garnachas can be made with finely shredded cooked chuck roast, but the ground beef seems more popular and stays on the tortilla better.

Excerpted from ¨Seasons of My Heart, A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico¨

(Ballantine Books, November 1999, ISBN 0-345-42596-0) revised January 2022*