Mexican Style Bread Pudding (NOT Capirotada)

So this is a different take on the usual Bread Pudding that we are all used to having. In a previous post, I gave my rendition of Bourbon Bread Pudding. The following is the same recipe, but a couple of changes here and there. 

Now normally, mexican bread pudding or capirotada, is more savory than sweet. My grandmother used to make capirotada all the time and honestly, I HATED IT. She would put the usuals like raisins, carrots, bread, milk and then top it with cheddar cheese. I just couldn't eat it and refuse to till this day.

For this recipe, I am using bolillos. A little history here, did you know that bolillos were actually influenced by the French? Mexico at one time did have a monarchy in King Maximilian I before the famous Battle of Puebla also known as Cinco de Mayo that we are all familiar with (thanks to Benito Juarez). They ended up creating mariachis, paper mache, and of course bolillos.

Ingredients:

12 to 14 cups French bread (or bolillos)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 cups whole milk
6 large eggs
1 8 oz bottle mexican sweet and condensed milk
5 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
a couple of tbsp mexican cajeta (a mexican style caramel)

First, I am using mexican bolillos. These are basically french rolls. Tear them up and place into a bowl or pan and allow to dry for a short while. Every so often mix it up as the open air allows the bread to harden.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your pan with the butter. Normally, you would use a large 9x13 casserole dish. I am using a disposable pan and once its is sufficiently covered, I place off to the side.

Combine with a whisk the heavy cream, milk, sweet condensed milk, and eggs in a large bowl. I am using sweet condensed milk instead of sugar since it will make it taste that much different. When I was growing up, my grandmother used to use mexican condensed milk. It was great and was a little sweeter than your normal sweet condensed milk.

 Next add all of the spices to the liquid mixture.Whisk assuring that the spices mix well.

 
Unlike the Bourbon Bread Pudding, add the raisins to your bread mixture. I personally like to have both regular raisins and dried cranberries.

Pour the cream mixture over the bread, and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for about 35 minutes. Notice that I have placed all of the bread mixture in a disposable pan. Some of you know how I am all about making it easy for the cook.

 

Now drizzle a little of the cajeta over the bread pudding. Cover in foil. Now place into the oven allowing to cook and set, for about 50 minutes. Check to make sure its set. If you want a nice crust, take off the foil and allow to continue to cook for another 20 minutes.

 

Take out of the oven and you are ready to serve. If you want, add a little more cajeta to your bread pudding. What's the harm?

BTW, I did have someone have to do quality control. Go fig on that one. We had this for a gathering at the house, and from what everyone said, it was damn good!!!

Chicken in Brown Sauce

Most of this blog has many original recipes that I have kept perfecting over the years. Remember, I am very much the type to remake something totally different after I cooked it days before for another totally different meal. This is especially true since MC doesn't necessarily like to eat leftovers. I mean when you think about it, most people don't like to eat leftovers (well I do, but I can't count myself right...).

This recipe was one that I have done for many years, but I hardly do it as it can be rather rich. It was a welcome treat as a meal for during this week. You can make this well in advance and allow the spices to meld well. When you do that, I would suggest you eat it the following day as it is a cream sauce.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
leftover chicken thighs (6 or 7 pieces)
1 red bell pepper
1 medium sized onion
1 cup white wine
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp thyme
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
leftover brown gravy (from Brown Gravy recipe)
1/2 cup heavy cream
additional pepper and salt to taste

Start by dicing up the onion and bell pepper.

In a large pan, place the olive oil and on bring to high heat. Add the vegetables allow to continue to cook until translucent.

While the vegetables are cooking, start to dice up the leftover chicken thighs. Again, I prefer to use chicken thighs as it is cheaper than chicken breast. Allow to continue to cook for about 2 minutes.

 

While the chicken mixture is cooking, add the white wine. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes making sure that the wine has cooked through (for about 5 minutes).

Add the spices to the cooking chicken. Stir in the spices as they are mixing with the chicken.

 

Next add the leftover gravy. Now if you need to make a gravy off to the side, then do so, but again, Just save your leftover brown gravy. I think its a shame when you have to throw out something like a gravy. Reusing it for this recipe is great!! Allow to cook until heated through.

After you have added the gravy, add  the heavy cream to the mixture, stirring on occasion. This will act as a thickener to the sauce. Once it has cooked for 5 minutes, take off the heat.

Now at this time, you can cook up some pasta. For this time, I cooked up some linguine. After you have drained the pasta, add a couple of tablespoons of pasta water to the sauce. This is especially useful when your sauce may have dissipated.

The biggest trend nowadays is adding your pasta to the actual sauce. You can add the pasta to the sauce, but I prefer the tried and true way of just adding the pasta to your bowl and pouring the delicious sauce over it. I then twist the pasta and it mixes well together. Its rich, but muy delicioso!

Stewed Pork (Guisado de Puerco)

My grandmother loved to cook pork dishes. Since she and grandad used to raise pigs (along with me helping cleaning their pens), we would always have pork readily available. Traditionally, we would really use up all parts of the pigs even including the unusual parts.

Nowadays, I do have my share of eating the unusual like tripe, mollejas, etc, but not as much as when I used to eat when I was a kid. My abuelita used to always make a large batch of diced stewed pork. She would have plenty of leftover, but would use it for different dishes for during the week (especially when she would have to cook something for grandad).

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds of cubed pork
1 medium sized onion
2 tbsp minced garlic (or 2 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp Worcestershire 
2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp paprika

When working with meat, you want to make sure you don't have to do too much in prepping it. If you can find a good meat market, they can dice them for you, but that is a rarity nowadays.

Start to dice the pork. When you get cubed meat, sometimes the pieces are not cut the same size. Hence you must need to cut up the pieces. I am also using up some leftover chops

In a large pan, add the olive oil and bring to a high heat.

Add the meat to the heated pan browning for about a minute before you turn them. Add the diced up onion to the cooking meat.

 

Now you should be ready to add the spices along with worcestershire.

 

While the meat and onions are cooking, I add one can of beer. I am doing this as I have not marinated the meat overnight. Normally, if I marinate them overnight, it reduces my cook time. Once I have added the beer, cover it and continue to cook on high heat for about 15 minutes. Reduce to a simmer continuing to cook for another 20 minutes. This allows the cook to become tender. Keep in mind that if you need to add more liquid add at least 1/2 a cup of water.

 

Now here is the thing, normally for a guisado, you can just add flour or cornstarch to create a gravy and you are ready. Otherwise, you can cook it until the liquid dissipates. You will notice that if you do that the meat is "spoon tender". 

For this go around, I am making quesadillas. Remember, I normally like to use quesadilla cheese. Most stores do sell them here in Texas, but if you don't find it in your area, you can also use colby jack.

I am using large burrito sized tortillas. As you can see I am using a flat cast iron comal. I heat the tortillas in order to make them more pliable. I add a layer of cheese and then spoon some of the cooked pork. I add another layer of cheese

 

You can also make this mixture for other uses such as toppings for a salad, in tacos, enchiladas and other dishes.