Rick Martínez shares recipes from his kitchen

To know his cultural historical past and deepen his culinary ardour, Austin-born Rick Martinez moved to Mexico and visited 32 states.

Relleno Negro
Serves 8

Years in the past, after I tried relleno negro for the primary time, I used to be at a taco stand on the facet of the freeway between Cancun and Tulum. There was a cazuela stuffed with this extremely aromatic guiso effervescent away over an open fireplace. It was jet black, which made me suppose it is likely to be mole, nevertheless it appeared too skinny. The guiso had shredded turkey and broken-up pork meatballs, however on the time, I had no concept what it was—I simply knew it smelled unimaginable, like a smoked turkey however with the perfume of toasted chiles, and I needed to strive it. It got here in a taco and was so wonderful (and just a little bit messy). The shredded turkey and damaged meatballs held onto the broth, however after the primary chunk it was dripping down my chin. The buddy who I used to be with noticed how a lot I favored it, and simply earlier than I had to return to New York, he gave me a bag of recado negro (a concentrated black spice paste much like a curry paste used to make sauces and soups) to take residence with me in order that I might re-create the expertise again in New York. Notice that it’s essential begin this dish no less than the day earlier than you intend on serving it.

Substances 

• 7 giant chiles anchos (4 oz/113 g), stemmed and seeded
• 9 giant chiles guajillos (2 oz/56 g), stemmed and seeded
• 15 chiles de árbol (0.42 oz/12 g), stemmed
• 4 giant Roma tomatoes (14.5 oz/ 412 g), cored and left complete
• 1 giant contemporary chile x’catik, cubanelle, banana pepper, or jalapeño (2.5 oz/72 g), stemmed
• ½ medium white onion (6.7 oz/ 190 g), halved
• 1 garlic head, peeled, cloves separated
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 6 complete cloves
• 6 allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• tablespoons Recado Rojo, p. 65, or achiote paste
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1¾ teaspoons Morton kosher salt (0.42 oz/12 g)
• 1 tablespoon rendered lard
• 2¼ kilos (1 kg) complete hen legs
• 1¾ teaspoons Morton kosher salt (0.42 oz/12 g)
• 6 cups do-it-yourself hen inventory or store-bought low-sodium hen broth
• 8 giant eggs
• 3 ounces (85 g) totopos or 6 tostadas
• 1 giant Roma tomato (3.5 oz/ 103 g), cored and finely chopped
• ¼ giant white onion (2.8 oz/81 g), grated on the big holes of a field grater
• 1 giant contemporary chile x’catik, cubanelle, banana pepper, or jalapeño (2.5 oz/72 g), stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon chopped contemporary epazote or oregano (ideally Mexican)
• Morton kosher salt
• 2 kilos (907 g) floor pork (20% fats if attainable)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil, for shaping

Directions 

MAKE THE RECADONEGRO 

1. Put together a grill for top warmth or place a rack within the middle of the oven and preheat to 475°F.
2. On a sheet pan, grill or roast the chiles anchos, chiles guajillos, and chiles de árbol till utterly black, barely puffed, and charcoal-like in texture, for 1 hour. (An out of doors grill is preferable due to all of the smoke— your kitchen will get very smoky, so for those who use the oven, hold the vent on and your home windows open—and also you may wish to disable your smoke alarm; the smoke will subside after the primary quarter-hour.) Put aside to chill.
3. Switch the cooled chiles to a big pot and calmly crush with a potato masher. Fill the pot with chilly water and stir vigorously. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, discard the water, and return the chiles to the pot. Cowl the chiles with chilly water, cowl the pot, and let sit at room temperature for no less than 24 hours and as much as 48 hours. This step is vital and can take away the entire bitterness from the chiles.
4. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
5. Organize the tomatoes, contemporary chile, onion, and garlic on a sheet pan. Roast till the greens are delicate and black in spots, for 30 to 40 minutes. As soon as cool sufficient to deal with, peel the garlic cloves. Switch all the things to a bowl, cowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate till chilled.
6. In a dry small skillet over medium warmth, toast the peppercorns, cloves, and allspice,  swirling  usually, till aromatic and simply starting to smoke, for about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and cumin and toast till aromatic, for about 30 seconds extra. Take away from the warmth, cowl, and put aside.
7. Drain the soaked blackened chiles in a fine-mesh sieve (discard the water). Switch the chiles to a blender and add the chilled tomato combination, toasted spices, recado rojo, vinegar, and salt. Puree till utterly easy. Measure out ½ cup recado negro and put aside for the albóndigas. The remainder will probably be used to make the caldo (broth).

MAKE THE CALDO

1. In a big heavy pot over medium- excessive, warmth the lard. Prepare dinner the hen, beginning skin-side down, till golden brown, for 4 to five minutes per facet.
2. Add the recado negro, salt, and inventory to the pot. Convey to a boil. Cowl, scale back the warmth to medium-low, and simmer till the hen is tender, for about half-hour.
3. In the meantime, arrange a bowl of ice and water. Convey a big pot of water to a boil over medium-high warmth. Utilizing a slotted spoon, rigorously decrease the eggs into the boiling water one by one and cook dinner for five minutes, adjusting the warmth to keep up a mild boil. Switch the eggs to the ice water and chill gently. Crack the eggs throughout (ranging from the broader backside finish, the place the air pocket is) and peel. Put aside (they may end cooking within the broth later).
   

MAKE THE ALBÓNDIGAS :

1. In a meals processor, pulverize the totopos till the crumbs are very fantastic, like breadcrumbs. Add the crumbs to a big bowl with the tomato, onion, chile x’catik, garlic, epazote, reserved ½ cup recado negro, and 1¾ teaspoons salt (0.42 oz/12 g) and whisk till mixed. Add the pork and, utilizing two forks, start “pulling” the bottom pork aside as for those who have been shredding pulled pork, breaking apart the clumps and incorporating the totopos combination till totally blended and the bottom pork combination is evenly coloured black.
2. Frivolously oil your palms. Working with one by one, use a ½-cup measure to scoop out parts of the meat combination and roll gently between your palms into balls. Switch to a big platter.
3. After the hen has simmered for half-hour, nestle the albóndigas into the pot. Cowl and proceed to cook dinner till the hen is falling off the bones and the albóndigas are cooked by, for 30 to 40 minutes extra. Add the eggs, cowl the pot, and cook dinner till the eggs are simply heated by, for about 5 minutes.
4. Serve the hen, albóndigas, and eggs in bowls topped with caldo. (Alternatively, shred the hen and break up the meatballs and eggs into the caldo and make tacos.)
   

Rising up in Austin, Texas, Rick Martínez remembers watching Diana Kennedy on tv, not understanding why a white, British lady was talking about meals from his heritage with authority. Photograph by Ren Fuller.

“Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture From My Kitchen in México” is the end result of Rick Martínez’s travels by Mexico to discover his roots. Photograph courtesy of Clarkson Potter.