Cinco de Mayo fiesta! Celebrate Mexico—past and present-with a delicious mixed grill and all the fixings - Food - Entertaining

Sunset, May, 2002 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

In our enthusiasm for all things Mexican, we've made Cinco de Mayo an exuberant north-of-the-border holiday, with parades, festivals, and food. Often mislabeled Mexican Independence Day, May 5 is in fact the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, the Mexican army's (temporarily) successful stand against the French in 1862 and a rather minor holiday in Mexico today Regardless, it's a wonderful time to celebrate our lively Mexican heritage here in the West with a fiesta.

Ruben and Leticia Salinas, owners of Los Caporales Restaurant in Ojai, california, provide the perfect menu, from Leticia's home state of Sonora, for a mixed grill party (parrillada). Guests fill warm tortillas with grilled meats and chilies, add chop sauce (a fresh salsa that doubles as a salad) and roasted-poblano cream, and wrap the bundle like a burrito or fold it taco-style. Pot beans (pinto beans) are the simple side dish, and another classic, pastel tres locbes (three-milk cake), makes a rich, sweet ending.

Mexican Mixed Grill

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour, plus at least 30 minutes to marinate

NOTES: Latino markets often sell wide pieces of boned pork shoulder or
butt thinly sliced, and skirt steak butterflied open in large, thin
slabs called arrachera. If they're unavailable, ask your butcher to
cut wide, thin slices off a boned pork shoulder or butt roast, and
use regular skirt steak. Buy firm chorizo sausages with the texture
of pepperoni; they may be labeled longaniza. For a simpler grill,
choose one kind of meat and marinade, and multiply quantities
proportionately.

MAKES: 10 to 12 servings

 1 pound boned, skinned chicken thighs
 1 pound boned pork shoulder or butt, fat trimmed, cut into
   1/4-inch-thick slabs (see notes)
 1 pound beef skirt steak, fat trimmed (see notes)
   About 1/3 cup orange-achiote marinade (recipe follows)
   About 1/2 cup red chili sauce (recipe follows)
   About 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
   About 1 teaspoon pepper
10 to 12 green onions (6 to 8 oz. total), rinsed
10 to 12 fresh Anaheim (California or New Mexico) chilies
   (about 11/4 lb. total), rinsed
 1 tablespoon salad oil
 1 pound firm chorizo sausages (see notes)

1. Rinse chicken, pork, and beef; pat dry. Cut skirt steak crosswise into 6- to 8-inch lengths. If chicken, pork, or beef is thicker than 1/4 inch, place between sheets of plastic wrap and, with a flat mallet, gently and evenly pound to about 1/4 inch thick.

2. On a rimmed plate, coat chicken completely with orange-achiote marinade and layer thighs; on another rimmed plate, coat pork completely with red chili sauce and layer slices. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day (if marinating chicken and pork a day ahead, wrap beef airtight and chill). Shortly before grilling, lightly sprinkle both sides of beef with seasoned salt and pepper; set on a plate.

4. Lay chicken, pork, and beef on grill; close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until chicken and pork are no longer pink in the center and beef is done to your liking (cut to test), 5 to 8 minutes total. Transfer meat to board or platter with vegetables and sausages. Add more seasoned salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 396 cal., 57% (225 cal.) from fat; 33 g protein; 25 g fat (9 g sat.); 8 g carbo (1.1 g fiber); 901 mg sodium; 113 mg chol.

3. In a wide bowl, mix green onions and chilies with oil to coat. Set onions, chilies, and sausages on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level for only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until onions and chilies are well browned and sausages are browned on the outside and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes for onions, 5 to 8 minutes for chilies and sausages. As done, transfer to a large board or platter.

Orange-Achiote Marinade

PREP TIME: About 5 minutes

NOTES: Achiote paste is sold in reddish orange blocks in Latino markets; if it's unavailable, use 1 more tablespoon paprika (1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons total). The recipe for this marinade can be doubled. It's also delicious on pork. You can make the marinade up to 2 days before using; cover and chill.

MAKES: About 1/3 cup, enough to marinate 1 to 2 pounds meat

In a bowl, mix 1/3 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon salted red achiote paste (see notes), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Per tablespoon: 15 cal., 6% (0.9 cal.) from fat; 0.3 g protein; 0.1 g fat (0 g sat.); 3.4 g carbo (0 g fiber); 304 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Red Chili Sauce

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 20 minutes, plus at least 15 minutes to cool

NOTES: The recipe for this sauce can be doubled. It can also be used to marinate beef or chicken. You can make the sauce up to 2 days before using; cover and chill.

MAKES: About 1/2 cup, enough to marinate 1 to 2 pounds meat

1. Rinse 2 dried guajillo or ancho (sometimes mislabeled pasilla) chilies (about 1/2 oz. total). Snap off and discard stems; shake out most of the seeds. With scissors, working over a 1- to 2-quart pan, cut chilies into 1-inch pieces; drop into pan.