Tostada Topping: Beef and Potato Salad with Smoky Chipotle

Tostada Topping: Beef and Potato Salad with Smoky Chipotle

Salpiccon de Res al Chipotle

Makes about 3 1/2 cups, enough for 15 tostadas, serving 15 as a nibble or light appetizer

Recipe from Season 6 of Mexico - One Plate at a Time

Ingredients

3/4 pound stewing beef (preferably from the chuck), cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt
3 (about 3/4 pounds) medium-size boiling potatoes, cut into roughly 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 to 3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
1 medium, ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions

Scoop the beef into a medium saucepan, cover it generously with water, add 2 teaspoons salt and set over high heat.  When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low.  Skim off the grayish foam that rises during the first few minutes of simmering.  Partially cover and simmer until the meat is fall-apart tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. 
With a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a plate to cool.  Scoop the potatoes into the meat broth (if there isn't enough to cover the potatoes, add water) and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes. 
Use the slotted spoon to scoop the potatoes into a medium bowl, sprinkle with vinegar.  Break the up the meat into coarse shreds and stir it into the potatoes, along with the chipotles, onion and olive oil.  Let cool completely, then taste and season with salt if you think necessary.  Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. 
Just before serving, scoop the mixture into a wide serving bowl and mix in the avocado.

Tostada Topping: Pickled Pigs Feet with Jalapenos and Crema

Tostada Topping: Pickled Pigs Feet with Jalapenos and Crema

Manitas con Crema y Chile Jalapeno

Makes about 3 1/2 cups, enough for 15 tostadas, serving 15 as a nibble or light appetizer
Recipe from Season 6 of Mexico - One Plate at a Time

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cleaned, coarsely chopped pickled pigs feet (see note)
1 medium onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1/3 cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped pickled jalapenos (remove the stems and, if you wish, the seeds before chopping)
1/3 cup Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream
Salt, if necessary
Note:  It's difficult to tell you just how many jars or pounds of pickled pigs feet to buy, since some are come cleaner (read: with less fat, cartilage and bone) than others.  A dependable choice is Hormel's pickled pigs feet (though they won't include the pickled chiles and vegetables that you'll find in Mexican brands). 
Three 9-ounce jars will yield about 2 1/2 cups of cleaned, chopped pigs feet. 
To clean the pigs feet, drain off the pickling liquid, then cutout or pull out any bones or hard pieces of cartilage and discard.  Chop what remains into 1/2-inch bits.   

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the pigs feet, onion, cilantro, jalapenos and crema (or one of its stand-ins).  Taste and season with salt if you think necessary. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. 

Tostada Topping: Avocado-Dressed Shrimp a la Mexicana

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=105

Tostada Topping: Avocado-Dressed Shrimp a la Mexicana

Camarones a la Mexicana con Aguacate

Makes about 4 cups, enough for 15 tostadas, serving 15 as a nibble or light appetizer

Recipe from Season 6 of Mexico - One Plate at a Time

Ingredients

12 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) medium-small, peeled-and-deveined cooked shrimp
1 medium white onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large tomato, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (you should have a generous cup)
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
Hot green chiles to taste (usually 3 serranos or 1 to 2 jalapenos), stemmed and roughly chopped
1 medium avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and chopped
1/3 cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, onion and tomato.  Measure the lime juice into a food processor or blender.  Cover and turn on.  Drop in the chile(s) and, when chopped, turn off and scoop in the avocado and cilantro.  Blend until smooth.  Thin to a "creamy dressing" consistence with water (usually 2 to 3 tablespoons). Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon.  (You will have about 1 1/2 cups.) 
Mix the dressing into the shrimp mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the shrimp a la mexicana and refrigerate.  When you're ready to serve, scoop into a serving bowl, decorate with a cilantro sprigs and it's ready.