(Click here for a Printer Friendly Version) Pastel Azteca a family recipe that was shared with me while living in Mexico Ingredients: 2 dozen white corn tortillas
3 cobs of corn, cooked with a little salt (or frozen sweet corn) 1 pound (1/2 kilogram) chicken breast (skinless, boneless)
chicken consommé, powdered
34 ounces (1 liter) sour cream
4 poblano chiles, washed and roasted*
2 pounds (1 kilogram) tomatoes
1 medium onion
6 cloves of garlic
½ pound (¼ kilogram) grated cheddar cheese
1 bar of butter (1/2 cup)
white pepper and cilantro
½ pound (¼ kilogram) vegetable shortening (or substitute oil)
1 pound ( ½ kilogram) beef skirt
serrano chiles and salt, to taste
Method: Combine tomatoes in a blender, or food processor, with 2 cloves of garlic, 1/3 of the onion, a pinch each of salt and pepper, the powdered chicken consommé and 1/3 of the sour cream. Heat together over very low heat on the stove. Leave to simmer.
Peel each roasted chile under cold running water, rubbing and pulling off the charred skin. Pat them dry with paper towels. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds. If desired, removing the veins, along with the seeds, will make the chiles lose some of their bite; they will not be as spicy. Chop them into pieces, along with the Serrano chiles (remove veins and seeds), and fry them all in a tablespoon of the butter. Add salt and pepper, to taste. You may want to wear gloves to protect your skin, especially while preparing the Serranos. Set aside. Now cut the tortillas into four or eight triangles per tortilla. Fry these in vegetable shortening (or oil) until light golden. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Do not forget the tomatoes; do not let them burn; turn them off if necessary. Boil the chicken with the cilantro, 2 cloves of the garlic, half the remaining onion, and salt. Drain off the water, keeping the spices. Break up the chicken into smaller pieces and fry it in a tablespoon of the butter with the spices and 1/3 of the tomatoes. Set aside. Now, boil the beef with 2 cloves of the garlic and the remainder of the onion. Drain off the water, keeping the spices. Cut the beef into strips and fry it in a tablespoon of the butter along with ½ of the remaining tomatoes and the spices. Set aside. Grease a large pan, such as a lasagna or roasting pan, with butter. Cover the bottom of this pan with a layer of the fried tortillas. Now spread all of the chicken out over this layer and top it with another layer of tortillas. Next, spread over this layer ½ of the corn, then ½ of the cheese, ½ of the remaining tomatoes, and then ½ of the remaining sour cream. Dot the top with half of the remaining butter and then top with another layer of tortillas. Spread on the remainder of the corn, top this with the remaining tomatoes, spread next, the chiles, and then the rest of the sour cream. Top again with a layer of tortillas, on which the beef should be spread. Top the beef with the remaining cheese and dot it with the remainder of the butter. Bake, uncovered, at 475˚F (250˚C) for approximately fifteen minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. *Roasting Fresh Chiles If You Own A Gas Stove: Using tongs to hold the chile, place it directly into the medium flame of a gas burner. Roast by turning the chile, as needed, until it is evenly blistered and charred. Immediately place the roasted chile into a plastic bag and seal the bag. Repeat with the remaining chiles. Let stand for 20 minutes. To Roast In The Broiler: Place the chiles on a foil-lined broiler rack; roast them 2 to 3 inches from the heat until they are evenly blistered and charred, turning as needed. Place the roasted chiles into a plastic bag, seal it, and let stand for 20 minutes. |