!Viva! !Viva! !Cinco de Mayo! - Mexican menu and recipes

Sunset, May, 1994 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

Celebrates Mexico's Independence Day with a fajitas fiesta

IN THE WEST, CINCO de Mayo is celebrated with more of a Fourth-of-July kind of hoopla than it is in Mexico. There, solemn parades and thoughtful speeches commemorate a battle on May 5, 1862, in the city of Puebla, when Mexican patriots forced troops of France's Napoleon III to retreat. Without this victory, it's possible that our southern neighbors would be conversing in French.

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become an occasion to eat and party. Agustin Gaytan, a chef, cooking instructor, and consultant in Berkeley, California, honors the independence of his native land with a barbecue inspired by the red, white, and green colors of the Mexican flag. The menu is centered on carne asada, meat grilled at the table by the host and the guests, to wrap with all the trimmings in tortillas as fajitas. The preparation is simple, the display colorful, the flavors fresh and straightforward, and the dining pace relaxed.

Use a tabletop barbecue (such as a hibachi), or place a grill alongside the table. Set a gas grill on high heat or keep coals hot with regularly added briquets (every 30 minutes, sprinkle coals with one or two handfuls of briquets--enough to sparsely dot the surface). Guests can lay slices of tequila-marinated beef on the grill and flip once or twice to brown the meat lightly. They can also warm tortillas on the grill. To make fajitas, pile meat onto a tortilla, embellish with spoonfuls of red salsa, green guacamole, and beans or salad, and roll up to eat. Accompany with more salad, beans, roasted onions, and hot sausages.

Serve the meal buffet-style, with comfortable seating at another table.

As beverages, offer watermelon punch and iced beer.

For dessert, try Mexican-style snow cones, with homemade strawberry syrup poured over crushed or shaved ice.

Day-before steps you can complete to help this party flow smoothly include slicing meat and making marinade and salad, cooking beans, roasting onions, partially cooking sausages, and making the strawberry sauce and watermelon punch. Up to 4 hours before serving, make salsa and guacamole. Just before the party, marinate the meat, warm the tortillas, and crush the ice.

Carne Asada

2 pounds beef skirt or flank steak, fat trimmed 1/2 cup tequila 1/2 cup orange juice 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 1 medium-size (5 to 6 oz.) onion, coarsely chopped 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Salt

Cut beef diagonally across the grain in 1/4-inch-thick slices 4 to 6 inches long. In a large bowl, mix tequila, orange juice, lemon juice, garlic, onion, and pepper. If making ahead, cover and chill meat and sauce separately up to 1 day.

About 15 minutes before putting foods on the table, mix beef with marinade. Lift meat from marinade and overlap slices on a small platter. To cook, lay slices flat on a grill above a solid bed of hot coals (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds). Turn slices as they brown lightly, about 3 minutes total for medium-rare. Serves 6 to 8.

Per serving: 141 cal. (40 percent from fat); 17 g protein; 6.2 g fat (2.7 g sat.); 1.1 g carbo.; 51 mg sodium; 41 mg chol.

Warm Tortillas

16 flour tortillas (7 in. wide) or 24 very fresh corn tortillas (6 in. wide)

To heat on grill, lay tortillas, as needed, in a single layer on the grill over hot coals (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds), turning frequently until limp and warm, 2 to 3 minutes total. Use at once.

To heat in a microwave oven, stack tortillas in a towel, or loosely enclose in a heat-resistant plastic bag. Heat at full power (100 percent) until hot, 2 to 3 minutes.

To heat in the oven, stack tortillas, seal in foil, and bake at 350 |degrees~ until hot in center, about 20 minutes.

Wrap stack of heated tortillas in a thick cloth towel to keep warm as served. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Per flour tortilla: 90 cal. (20 percent from fat); 2.4 g protein; 2 g fat (0.3 g sat.); 16 g carbo.; 132 mg sodium: 0 mg chol.

Salsa Bandera

1 1/2 pounds (about 3 large) firm-ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 or 3 fresh jalapeno chilies Salt

Mix tomatoes, cilantro, lemon juice, and onion. Stem and mince chilies and add to tomato mixture with salt to taste. Use, or cover and let stand up to 4 hours; stir. Makes about 3 1/2 cups, 6 to 8 servings.

Per serving: 22 cal. (12 percent from fat); 0.9 g protein; 0.3 g fat (0 g sat.); 5.1 g carbo.; 8.4 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Guacamole

3 large (about 1 1/2 lb. total) firm-ripe to ripe avocados 1/3 cup salsa bandera (recipe precedes) 2 tablespoons lemon juice Salt

Cut avocados in half, remove pits, and scoop flesh from peels. Coarsely mash avocado flesh. Mix in salsa and lemon juice; add salt to taste. Use or, if making ahead, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill up to 4 hours. Makes about 3 cups, 6 to 8 servings.

Per serving: 104 cal. (84 percent from fat); 1.3 g protein; 9.7 g fat (1.5 g sat.); 5.4 g carbo.; 7.9 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.