TexMex is a completely unique to North America blend of ethnic tastes. With all the Mexican immigration into Texas, the Mexicans and Texans have naturally, over time, learned to like each other’s tastes and combined them into recipes you can only find in Southwest and Western North America.
TexMex Chorizo Lasagna
Americans love lasagna, and Mexicans brought their wonderful, spicy, chorizo sausage with them, so naturally whipping up a lasagna that used chorizo as the meat ingredient just had to happen.
Ingredients: (serves 4)
12 ounces chorizo sausage
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 corn tortillas
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (or grated)
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
2 green onions, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (or dried ground cilantro/coriander)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Break chorizo into small pieces and brown in a pan over medium heat. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
In the same pan that you cooked the chorizo in reserve the pan drippings and add olive oil. Cook onions and jalapeno until softened, 3- 4 minutes. Stir in fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper (if using). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Return the chorizo to the sauce.
Spoon a little bit of the sauce onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place 3 tortillas lengthwise in the pan to cover most of the bottom of the pan. Spoon half of the sauce over the top. Top with half of the pepper jack cheese. Place remaining three tortillas on top of the cheese. Then the remaining sauce and the remaining pepper jack cheese. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Remove from oven sprinkle with cotija cheese, green onions and cilantro. Cook for 10 more minutes or until cotija cheese has melted slightly.
Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes. Slice and serve.
TexMex Pork Chops
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Ingredients:
4 pork loin chops with bone in, sliced to 1″ to 1-1/4″ thick
1 tablespoon scallion infused olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cumin, chili powder and salt.
Add the oil and mix well. Rub both sides of the pork chops with the mixture.
Preheat the grille to medium heat.
Lightly oil the grill. Put the pork chops on the grill.
Close the cover of the grille.
Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked.
Serve with rice, veggies and some cooked onions.
Note: You really want to use a grille, not an oven, for the authentic taste. If you don’t have one and want to purchase one, we recommend this (click here) model for the best value at reasonable price. It has a propane gas fueled oven and a charcoal fueled oven, giving you both options. To get good quality hardwood lump charcoal, click here, and to get a tank of propane gas, click here.
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