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krusty kritter
 
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Default Pencas de maguey asados?

What would "pencas de maguey asados" be? Is some part of the maguey
plant commonly eaten in Mexico, or does this part of the recipe just
get used and then thrown away? I'm trying to imagine whether it's
edible or adds flavor, or is superfluous.

Barbacoa (Barbecued Lamb)
(para 20 a 24 personas) (for 20 to 24 people)
1 pierna de cordero de 6 a 8 libras (1 leg of lamb, about 6 to 8
pounds)
4 libras de costillas de cordero (4 pounds of lamb ribs)
1/2 libra de garbanzos previamente remojados (1/4 pound of previously
soaked garbanzos)
2 libras de zanahorias cortadas en cuadritos (2 pounds of diced
carrots)
6 hojas de laurel (6 bay leaves)
10 dientes de ajo (10 cloves of garlic)
10 tomates verdes con cascara partidos in cuatro (10 green tomatoes
with skin, cut into quarters)
4 litros de pulque, cerveza or agua (4 liters of pulque, beer, or
water)
8 pencas de maquey asadas (8 pencas of roasted maguey)
12 hojas de aguacate (12 avocado leaves)
6 chiles verdes (opcional) (6 green chiles--optional)

Preparacion: (Preparation

En el fondo del recipinete pone el liquido, los garbanzos, zanahorias,
laurel, ajo, chiles, 4 hojas de aguacate.

(Place the liquid, the garbanzos, carrots, bay leaf, garlic, chile 4
avocado leaves in the bottom of the steamer).

Se coloca la rejilla en el parte superior de la vaporera, que se forra
con pencas de maguey; se colocan las carnes alternando con hojas de
aguacate, se cubre con mas pencas de maguey y se tapa sellando la
orilla del recipiente con masa de tortillas o una mezcla de harina y
agua que forme una masa parecid a migaja de pan.

(Place the grid in the upper part of the steamer , so that it is
covered with pencas of maguey; the meats are placed alternating with
avocado leaves, it is covered with more pencas of maguey and is covered
sealing to the border of the container with tortilla masa or a mixture
of flour and water that forms a crust similar to breadcrumbs.)

Se cuece directamente al fuego durante 4 hours aproximadente.

(Cook directly over the fire for approximately 4 hours.)

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Wayne Lundberg
 
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Default Pencas de maguey asados?

Penjas are the leaves of the maguey plant. You wrap the lamb in the leaves
that have been lightly roasted to amke them easy to handle, and that helps
keep the meat moist and insulates from the hot coals used to heat the hole
where it will be cooked overnight. Usually they tie the leaves with string
and serve the kilos of meat still steaming so you, the customer, cut the
string and unwrap the leaves opening to the still steaming and most
delicious meat ever. In your version the cooking is done in a large steamer
and the maguey leaves acting as blankets, and the result will be very much
like the original cooking method used around the Valley of Mexico since
before Columbus ever saw his first native American.

"krusty kritter" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> What would "pencas de maguey asados" be? Is some part of the maguey
> plant commonly eaten in Mexico, or does this part of the recipe just
> get used and then thrown away? I'm trying to imagine whether it's
> edible or adds flavor, or is superfluous.
>
> Barbacoa (Barbecued Lamb)
> (para 20 a 24 personas) (for 20 to 24 people)
> 1 pierna de cordero de 6 a 8 libras (1 leg of lamb, about 6 to 8
> pounds)
> 4 libras de costillas de cordero (4 pounds of lamb ribs)
> 1/2 libra de garbanzos previamente remojados (1/4 pound of previously
> soaked garbanzos)
> 2 libras de zanahorias cortadas en cuadritos (2 pounds of diced
> carrots)
> 6 hojas de laurel (6 bay leaves)
> 10 dientes de ajo (10 cloves of garlic)
> 10 tomates verdes con cascara partidos in cuatro (10 green tomatoes
> with skin, cut into quarters)
> 4 litros de pulque, cerveza or agua (4 liters of pulque, beer, or
> water)
> 8 pencas de maquey asadas (8 pencas of roasted maguey)
> 12 hojas de aguacate (12 avocado leaves)
> 6 chiles verdes (opcional) (6 green chiles--optional)
>
> Preparacion: (Preparation
>
> En el fondo del recipinete pone el liquido, los garbanzos, zanahorias,
> laurel, ajo, chiles, 4 hojas de aguacate.
>
> (Place the liquid, the garbanzos, carrots, bay leaf, garlic, chile 4
> avocado leaves in the bottom of the steamer).
>
> Se coloca la rejilla en el parte superior de la vaporera, que se forra
> con pencas de maguey; se colocan las carnes alternando con hojas de
> aguacate, se cubre con mas pencas de maguey y se tapa sellando la
> orilla del recipiente con masa de tortillas o una mezcla de harina y
> agua que forme una masa parecid a migaja de pan.
>
> (Place the grid in the upper part of the steamer , so that it is
> covered with pencas of maguey; the meats are placed alternating with
> avocado leaves, it is covered with more pencas of maguey and is covered
> sealing to the border of the container with tortilla masa or a mixture
> of flour and water that forms a crust similar to breadcrumbs.)
>
> Se cuece directamente al fuego durante 4 hours aproximadente.
>
> (Cook directly over the fire for approximately 4 hours.)
>



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krusty kritter
 
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Default Pencas de maguey asados?


Wayne Lundberg wrote:
> Penjas are the leaves of the maguey plant. You wrap the lamb in the leaves
> that have been lightly roasted to amke them easy to handle, and that helps
> keep the meat moist and insulates from the hot coals used to heat the hole
> where it will be cooked overnight. Usually they tie the leaves with string
> and serve the kilos of meat still steaming so you, the customer, cut the
> string and unwrap the leaves opening to the still steaming and most
> delicious meat ever. In your version the cooking is done in a large steamer
> and the maguey leaves acting as blankets, and the result will be very much
> like the original cooking method used around the Valley of Mexico since
> before Columbus ever saw his first native American.


I suppose the maguey leaves are just thrown away then? Do the maguey
leaves add any distinctive traces of flavor at all?

I found that recipe in the local Spanish language newspaper and, while
I just might be able to find maguey leaves in one of the Mexican
groceries around here, I wonder if it would even be worth the effort.

Maybe I could just make a smaller amount of barbacoa in an oven
roasting bag?

I often wonder what is essential to the dish I'm trying to make and
what is actually superfluous.

The other day, I just happened to tune in on a cooking program on TV
and the cook was making pozole using ingredients like epazote and hoja
santa. He said that I could mail order a live plant of the latter herb
and grow my own. It has big wide leaves like a fig tree. He said that
it gave a taste like sassafrass to the pozole.

Does growing my own hoja santa sound worthwhile?

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Wayne Lundberg
 
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Default Pencas de maguey asados?


"krusty kritter" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Wayne Lundberg wrote:
> > Penjas are the leaves of the maguey plant. You wrap the lamb in the

leaves
---snip---

> The other day, I just happened to tune in on a cooking program on TV
> and the cook was making pozole using ingredients like epazote and hoja
> santa. He said that I could mail order a live plant of the latter herb
> and grow my own. It has big wide leaves like a fig tree. He said that
> it gave a taste like sassafrass to the pozole.
>
> Does growing my own hoja santa sound worthwhile?


As to the maguey 'leaves' they are hard to come by and really not worth the
effort when using modern steamers and the like. Barbacoa was, and still is,
cooked in the traditional way on weekends at special restaurants and
eateries around Mexico City. It's a national favorite.

But for those of us living away from the sources of many of the stuff
used... we make do through alternatives. My Barbacoa is pretty darned good
according to those who eat it and I've never used the maguey. I will add
some avocado leaves because I have a tree in the back yard and the leaves
are handy. But the key is to slow cook the meat and retain as much of the
juice as you can within the meat, not so much drippings, although the
drippings make a great consome which when garnished with squeezed little
green limes, oregano, red chile, salt and pepper, maybe a slice of
avocado... makes for a great appetizer before the main meal. Which by the
way, should be eaten as tacos. Barbacoa is a taco filler and should be
pinched and laid in the middle of a taco, to which you add your salsa, then
roll it and eat like a Coney Island hot dog... leaning forward, capturing
the drippings, and lots of napkins handy.

As to herbs... heck, I'd plant as many herbs as you can afford and play with
them when the smell and taste is just right. I've got rosemary, basil,
oregano, chives, cilantro, verdolaga and I don't know what else growing
outside my kitchen window and garden. Sometimes it's a thrill just to pinch
a bit of lavender to smell... or rosemary even if it does not go into the
food.

There is one herb I don't have and will have to get, and that is epazote to
put into my beans. I don't know what it's called in the botanical sense nor
English. On my to-do list now.

Wayne


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Default Pencas de maguey asados?


Wayne Lundberg wrote:

>
> There is one herb I don't have and will have to get, and that is epazote to
> put into my beans. I don't know what it's called in the botanical sense nor
> English. On my to-do list now.
>
> Wayne


Hi Wayne,
According to Diana Kennedy, epazote is also known as Mexican tea or
wormseed.
Botanically it can be called Teloxys or Chenopodium ambrosioides.
I did notice this past spring/summer that epazote plants were sometimes
available at the local Home Despot.
Fortunately for me, I have a local Hispanic market that usually carries
fresh epazote ( the dried is worthless IMO ).
I hope that this was in some way helpful.

Jim



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Wayne Lundberg
 
Posts: n/a
Default Pencas de maguey asados?


> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Wayne Lundberg wrote:
>
> >
> > There is one herb I don't have and will have to get, and that is epazote

to
> > put into my beans. I don't know what it's called in the botanical sense

nor
> > English. On my to-do list now.
> >
> > Wayne

>
> Hi Wayne,
> According to Diana Kennedy, epazote is also known as Mexican tea or
> wormseed.
> Botanically it can be called Teloxys or Chenopodium ambrosioides.
> I did notice this past spring/summer that epazote plants were sometimes
> available at the local Home Despot.
> Fortunately for me, I have a local Hispanic market that usually carries
> fresh epazote ( the dried is worthless IMO ).
> I hope that this was in some way helpful.
>
> Jim
>

Yes, thank you Jim.


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