Classic Tex-Mex and Texas Cooking Authentic Recipes With Big, Bold Flavors Sheryn R. Jones Cookbook Resources, LLC Classic Tex-Mex and Texas Cooking Authentic Recipes with Big, Bold Flavors 1st Printing - February 2005 2nd Printing - November 2005 3rd Printing - April 2006 4th Printing - November 2007 © Copyright 2004 by Sheryn R. Jones All Rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the pub- lisher, except for brief passages included in a review appearing in a newspaper or magazine with permission from the publisher. International Standard Book No. 978-1-931294-63-8 Library of Congress No. 2004103878 Library of Congress Catalog Data Main Title: Classic Tex-Mex and Texas Cooking : Authentic Recipes with Big, Bold Flavors / Sheryn R. Jones. Description: 317 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. Notes: Includes index. Subjects: 1. Mexican American cookery. 2. Cookery, American–Southwestern style. TX715.2.S69 J68 2004 641.5972 22 Illustrations by Nancy Murphy Griffith Edited, Designed and Published in the United States of America and Manufactured in China by Cookbook Resources, LLC 541 Doubletree Drive Highland Village, Texas 75077 Toll free 866-229-2665 www.cookbookresources.com Your Ultimate Source for Easy Cookbooks Dedication Dr. Homer C. Jones A great Texan and the best taste-tester ever and Barbara C. Jones The best cookbook author ever Little Taste of Texas II Great Taste of Texas Mother’s Recipes The Ultimate Cooking with 4 Ingredients Cooking with 5 Ingredients Casseroles to the Rescue Southwest Olé • Southwest Sizzler Black-eyed Peas to Caviar I Cook You Clean • Easy Slow Cooking Holiday Treats • Holiday Recipes • ConTenTs Editor’s Choice Recipes Texas Facts: There are no exaggerations, idle boasts or obnoxious statements in this cookbook, only unadorned truth. Tex-Mex & Texas Cooking Explained ................................................6 The Origin of Tex-Mex Food ................................................................7 Mexican Food In Texas.........................................................................7 Ode to Bar B Que ................................................................................8 Slim’s Tidbits .......................................................................................9 Texas and Tex-Mex Dictionary ...........................................................10 Official State Symbols ........................................................................12 Boy Howdy! ......................................State Peppers .................13 Peppers ..............................................................................................14 Salsa ...................................................................................................15 Salsas ...............................................................................................15 Teasers .............................................................................................20 Brews ...............................................................................................40 So Who’s Margarita? ...........................................................................48 Hot Dang! ...........................................State Fruit ....................49 Rise & Shine ...................................................................................50 Hot Breads ......................................................................................58 Muy Beaucoup! ...................................State Dish ....................77 Rabbit Food ....................................................................................78 Sips & Slurps ...................................................................................93 Beans ...............................................................................................104 • Whistleberries ................................................................................104 Sidekicks ........................................................................................111 ~4~ • ConTenTs ★ Tex-Mex Favorites & Legendary Recipes Slim’s Tidbit: Texas expressions and wisdom-isms The Whole Enchilada! .............State Mammals, ..............................................................Large & Small ...............141 Texas Barbecue Is Beef Brisket ........................................................142 Rubs, Sops & Marinades ...............................................................143 Brisket ...........................................................................................148 Chili – The Official State Dish of Texas ...........................................155 Chili ..............................................................................................156 Chicken-Fried Is a Way of Cookin’ ..................................................161 Classic Cream Gravy .......................................................................161 Beef & Tex-Mex ............................................................................162 Texas Fajitas ....................................................................................172 Chicken & Tex-Mex ......................................................................186 Porkin’ Pigs ....................................................................................207 Fish & Critters ..............................................................................216 Wild Thangs ..................................................................................227 Yes Siree Bob! .......................................State Tree ..................243 Sweet Cakes ...................................................................................244 Pies & Cobblers .............................................................................257 Momma’s Cookies .........................................................................270 Squares & Bars ..............................................................................281 Sweet Thangs .................................................................................290 Boy, I Mean! .......................................State Vegetable ..............307 Bibliography ..................................................................................306 • Index .............................................................................................308 Cookbooks Published ....................................................................318 Order Form ...................................................................................319 ~5~ T -M ex ex and T C e exas ooking xplained Every Texan would explain Tex-Mex Food and Texas Cooking differently, some more extensively and fervently than others, but there is no doubt that if you asked a Texan, “What is Tex-Mex Food?”, you would get an answer. This cookbook and this introduction are heroic, however feeble, attempts to give you an answer for what is arguably the most colorful, flavorful and indigenous regional cuisine in America and probablythe world. There is no doubt that the explanation would be one thing in East Texas, another thing in West Texas and something different in South Texas. In fact, if you were to drive from San Antonio to Austin to Dallas on Interstate 35 and stop to eat enchiladas in all three cities as I have many times, you would find that the enchiladas are different in San Antonio, Austin and Dallas. And even though the enchiladas in all three cities are different, there is no argument that they are all definitely Tex- Mex. So, how does one explain the similarities and the differences and come up with a definition of Tex-Mex Food and an explanation of Texas Cooking? The answer, I believe, comes in the form of exaggeration (so common among Texans) and over-simplification (also common among Texans). For instance, in Texas: Anything with jalapeno in it or with it is Tex-Mex. Anything that is chicken-fried is Texas Cooking. And the basic food groups in Texas are chili, barbecue, beans, jalapenos and “Meskun” food. To add some humor to this exaggeration and over-simplification, Texas expressions and wisdom-isms are used in an effort to convey a “flavor” of the place and the people. It reminds me of the ol’ boy who told me “a hundred years ago, we as sa pore, some days we as eatin chickens and some days we as eatin feathers.” And when it all comes down to “What is Tex-Mex and Texas Cooking?”, it reminds me of the eloquent Texan who said, “I can explain it to you. I just can’t understand it for you.” And there you have it… the Texas truth of it all. After reading 320 pages of this cookbook, I’m sure you’re going to know what Texas Cooking is all about. “Now, am I right or Amarillo?” ~6~ T o T -M f he rigin of ex ex ood I guess you’d have to say that Tex-Mex Food (It’s hard to call it cuisine.) really comes from cattle drives and Old Mexico, from ranchers and cowhands, from vaqueros and senoras, from mothers, grandmothers, chuck wagon cooks and from parts known and unknown. The indigenous foods of Texas came from what was available and were fixed (cooked) the best way they could. These foods give us a glimpse into the past and the rugged independence, resourcefulness and perseverance found in Texas. The indigenous foods of Texas are as colorful and memorable as the state’s history and the characters who call themselves Texans. The flavors are big and bold, honest and simple, exotic and exciting and always memorable. M f T exiCan ood in exas “Mexican food was not created by chefs with pampered palates in fine kitchens. Instead, it was improvised by people with simple cooking facilities who used what foods were available. Juan Almonte in his statistical report on Texas in 1835 stated that, ‘the food most generally used among Mexicans in Texas is tortilla, beef, venison, chickens, eggs, cheese and milk; sometimes, bread, chocolate, tea and sugar.’ Frequently, however, it was necessary for a family to subsist on nothing more than beans and tortillas. “In former days tortillas were made by soaking shelled corn in lime water overnight or until the husks soften. The corn was then ground on a stone metate with a bit of lime water, producing a paste called masa. A small pinch of the masa was patted between the cook’s hands and then pressed paper thin. Some lime water was evaporated on the comal, a flat griddle with a fire below it, before the tortillas were placed on it to cook. Each tortilla was browned on both sides before serving. Today, however, few individuals make their own tortillas in Texas, because they are made in most grocery stores and tortillerias… “The regional foods of Texas-Mexicans differ from the traditional dishes of Mexico and the ingredients vary with individual tastes. All, however, are generally hearty, filling and highly seasoned. Among the most common seasonings are peppers of various types, comino (cumin), coriander, cilantro, onions and garlic.” The Melting Pot: Ethnic Cuisine in Texas Published by The Institute of Texan Cultures of The University of Texas at San Antonio ~7~ o B B Q de To ar ue Ain’t had much luck with horses, Last ’un stomped my head. Ain’t had much luck with women, Last ’un wished me dead. Ain’t had much luck with lots of things, But this I’ll tell you true. There is one thing I’ve got luck with; It’s Texas Bar B Que. Bar-B-Que’s as old as time; The caveman smoked a bit. He could’ve won the Bedrock Fair, If he’d just had my kit. A dirt hole or a metal pit. Watch closely while it makes. You’ll get a good scald on them ribs, If you’ve got what it takes. A hickory fire of seasoned wood--- A secret old folks knew. Smoked until the char is right, It ain’t no brie fondue. The brisket stands without the sauce; This ain’t no French filet. That meat’s a’fallin’ off the bone; You’ve cooked the “Lone Star” way.” Don’t worry none ’bout horses’ feet, Or fret ’bout opposite sexes. Get a pit and fire it up BAR-B-QUE---DONE BEST IN TEXAS! ~Lanny Joe Burnett Cowboy Poet Lanny Joe Burnett was raised on a ranch in Fannin County, Texas. The son of fourth generation Texans, Lanny has been a cowboy all his life. He has performed at the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering in Fort Worth, the Texas Cowboy Reunion in Stanford, National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, State Fair of Texas in Dallas, Fort Worth Stock Show in Fort Worth, Monterey Cowboy Gathering in Monterey, California, in Europe, Central Asia and in many gatherings, festivals, story-telling meetings, churches, schools and benefits across Texas and the American Southwest. ~8~ s ’ T liMs idBiTs Slim was a trail-ridin, slop-slingin’, older than black pepper, cowboy chuck wagon cook. To use my Daddy’s way of describing somebody, “He’s a long, tall drink of water, and he minds his own biscuits (stays out of other people’s business). He’s a good guy. If he likes you, he’ll give you his last biscuit if he can have half of it. If he doesn’t like you, he’ll cloud up and rain all over you. But, he’s honest, straight-forward and he’ll tell you the Texas truth of it.” While most people in Texas do not talk like Slim, he is part of our legacy. And it is up to each of us to continue the exaggerations, boastful claims and colorful language that together make Texas the biggest place in the world. Hope you enjoy some of Slim’s funnin’. Slim’s Tidbit: Texas expressions and wisdom-isms Editor’s Choice Recipes The Editor’s Choice Recipes are some of the editor’s favorites ★ Tex-Mex Favorites & Legendary Recipes Tex-Mex Favorites and Legendary Recipes are recipes most Texans grow up eating. Texas facts and unadorned truths. It is what it is. ~9~