Somewhere off the beaten path, where the dust settles freely and native flowers grow wild in the sun, there’s a roadside joint for people with an appetite and a little time to kill. From a distance, it’s just a blot of painted turquoise, juxtaposed against the brown and orange earth. But once inside, travelers are greeted with tastes and aromas they didn’t know they were journeying to discover. And then they realize this out-of-the-way place, and the pile of warmth and goodness in front of them, feels like home. Not their parent’s home or any place they’ve ever lived. But that place in their soul only a plate of good food, prepared with love, can satisfy. They leave full and happy, but wanting more. More road. More adventure. More breathtaking moments. More goodness.
And in that little roadside establishment of my dreams (I know I gave it away at turquoise paint), I serve this deliciousness, a.k.a. Mexi-Texi Bistec Pedazos on Roasted Corn and Garlic Chipotle-Cilantro Mashers. It’s always on the menu and always served fresh, hot and savory. Believe me when I say, “it’s gooood.”
Now, as most of you know, I have this issue with rules. In the kitchen, rules are otherwise known as recipes. Image may be NSFW.
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I taste my food as I’m cooking and do my own thing a lot, and this time around wasn’t an exception. In other words, I ‘sort of’ followed what is written here. I salted for our taste using kosher salt. I added smoked paprika. I added a few mushrooms. And I slow- cooked my roast as I normally do without chopping, as this recipe calls for, and simmered it for a while, then placed it in a 250° oven until falling apart (anywhere from 4-6 hours).
Mexi-Texi Bistec Pedazos on Roasted Corn and Garlic Chipotle-Cilantro Mashers
from Southern Living
3 lb. beef – boneless top sirloin roast, cut into 2-2 -1/2 inch pieces (or not)
1 1/2 t. salt, divided (I use generous pinches of kosher salt)
1/2 t. black pepper
3 T. vegetable oil
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. Mexican Style Chili Powder
2 t. Mexican Oregano leaves
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. chipotle powder
1 c. warm water
2 c. beef broth
Sprinkle roast evenly with 1/4 t. salt and 1/2 t. black pepper. Brown roast on all sides in hot oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot over high heat.
Stir together flour, next 4 ingredients, and remaining salt in a large bowl. Whisk in 1 cup warm water until smooth
Add 2 cups beef broth to pot or Dutch oven. Stir in flour mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover tightly reduce heat to low, and simmer 2 – 2 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender, stirring every 20-minutes.
Roasted Corn and Garlic Chipotle-Cilantro Mashers
1 garlic bulb
2 T. vegetable oil
3 ears fresh corn
2 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-2 inch cubes
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 t. salt
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped (I used two)
1 t. adobo sauce from can (or more)
1 t. pepper
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
Cut off pointed end of garlic; place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with 1 T. oil. Fold foil to seal. Brush corn with 1 T. oil and place on a baking sheet.
Bake garlic at 400° for 1 hour. After 15-minutes, place corn in oven, and bake, with garlic, 45 more minutes or until corn is golden brown. Squeeze pulp from garlic cloves, and set aside. Let corn cool completely.
Hold 1 corncob upright on a cutting board, and carefully cut downward, cutting kernels from cob. Repeat with remaining 2 corn cobs. Discard cobs. Set corn aside
Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover in a large saucepan until fork-tender. Drain and return to pan.
Whisk together reserved roasted garlic pulp, 3/4 c. sour cream, 1/2 c. butter and next 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts and mixture is thoroughly heated.
Mash potatoes slightly; add warm garlic mixture to pan, and continue to mash just until blended (coarsely mashed). Stir in chopped cilantro and corn.
Divide Roasted Corn and Garlic Chipotle-Cilantro Mashers evenly among 6 serving plates. Top with roast and a generous portion of that broth/gravy. Top with sour cream, avocado, chopped cilantro….whatever your heart desires. This. is. good. Enjoy!
Image may be NSFW.
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Filed under: DINNER/ENTREES, Photography, Recipes Tagged: dinner, entrees, food, Photography, Recipes, roast, southwestern, tex-mex Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
