Do you Tango? Bring home the new Latin fusion

Sunset, Sept, 2005 by Jerry Anne Di Vecchio

In many restaurants, the term "Latin American" is loosely applied, describing mostly Mexican food with some ropa vieja thrown in for good measure. But in Denver's northwestern highlands, Ulises Santiago and Jose Acevedo of Red Tango are proving that Latin food can have a much wider reach.

Santiago and Acevedo, natives of Mexico and Chile, respectively, met as co-workers during a stint at another Denver restaurant. The two bonded over their shared love of Latin flavors: Santiago cooked in California after leaving Mexico City as a teenager, while Acevedo worked as a wine merchant in Chile before a sideline career as a professional soccer player brought him to Denver. When Santiago invited Acevedo over one evening for a home-cooked meal, a restaurant idea was born. "We spent the next eight months cooking dinners for friends, trying out new dishes," Acevedo says. "Seeing their reactions, we knew we had something."

Red Tango, like a growing number of Latin restaurants, offers a complex array of foods from Mexico and Central and South America, and Santiago leaves plenty of room for improvisation. The result: His Mexican potato pancakes are topped with fish or vegetarian variations instead of the traditional beef, while cilantro steps in for parsley in his Argentinian chimichurri sauce. And many dishes are flavored with the Middle Eastern and Spanish spices he came to love during his time in California. "It's Latin fusion, with a Mediterranean twist," Acevedo says.

It's a lively collaboration, and with help from wives, children, and grandchildren, it's made Red Tango a popular destination. If you're not traveling to Denver soon, here are three recipes that bring these flavors home.

INFO: Red Tango ($$; lunch Tue-Fri, dinner Mon-Sat; 5807 W. 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO; 303/420-2203)

Bistec Argentino al Chimichurri

Chimichurri is the national condiment of Argentina, a tangy herb paste that's used as both a marinade and a sauce. Here, Santiago replaces traditional parsley with cilantro.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 35 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

NOTES: You can make the chimichurri sauce in step 1 up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. If you don't have adobo seasoning (found in Latin markets and some supermarkets), use 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon dried red chile flakes.

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1/2 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro
  6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  1 teaspoon adobo seasoning (see notes)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
  2 boned beef rib-eye or top loin (New York strip) steaks (1 1/2 in.
    thick, 1 1/2 to 2 lb. total), fat trimmed
  2 teaspoons steak herb seasoning mix or salt and pepper
    About 2 tablespoons butter

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1. To make chimichurri, combine cilantro, vinegar, oil, garlic, adobo, oregano, pepper, and chile flakes.

2. Rinse beef, pat dry, and rub all over with steak seasoning mix.

3. In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 teaspoon butter. Lay steaks in pan and cook, turning as needed, to brown all sides, including edges, about 10 minutes total for very rare (red in center, cut to test). For medium rare, cook 2 or 3 minutes more. To reduce spattering, wipe fat from pan with paper towels.

4. Transfer steaks to a platter; keep warm. If dark charred bits are present in pan, wipe out with a paper towel. Add remaining butter to pan and stir; when melted, add chimichurri sauce.

5. Cut meat into 4 portions and set on plates. Pour meat juices from platter into frying pan, then ladle sauce over steaks.

Per serving: 396 cal., 61% (243 cal.) from fat; 35 g protein; 27 g fat (10 g sat.); 2.4 g carbo (0.3 g fiber); 896 mg sadium; 116 mg chol.

Pastel de Choclo

Like a Chilean shepherd's pie, pastel de choclo tops spiced ground beef with a pureed corn crust.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

NOTES: You can prepare the pies through step 5 up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. It may take up to 10 minutes longer to bake the cold pies, and broiling may not be needed to brown tops. Use purchased refrigerated grilled chicken breast pieces or grill your own.

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  1 pound ground lean beef
  1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup raisins
  1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped
  2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
  2 teaspoons paprika
  1 teaspoon ground cumin
    Salt
    About 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  2 hard-cooked large eggs, shelled
2/3 cup thinly sliced grilled chicken breast (see notes)
  3 cups corn kernels (drained canned, thawed frozen, or fresh cooked)
3/4 cup whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 450[degrees].

2. In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat, combine beef and olive oil; break beef into chunks and stir often until no longer pink in center and liquid evaporates, 7 to 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cover raisins with hot tap water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain.