Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Milk's Street's menu of authentic Mexican dishes

Boston Globe

02-05-2025

Makes 4 servings
At Nicos restaurant in Mexico City, chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo taught us that enchiladas can be a simple affair, inspiring us to create our own version paired with an easy, blender-blitzed red salsa. This recipe, while a bit more complex, builds on that, and is inspired by the enchiladas aguascalientes served there.
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Be sure to purchase Mexican-style chorizo, which is a fresh sausage, not dry-cured, salami-like Spanish chorizo. Also, dicing the potato into very small cubes ensures they cook through and integrate well with the chorizo.
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For creaminess, add a tablespoon of shredded queso Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese onto the chorizo-potato filling before rolling up each tortilla.
1 tablespoon neutral oil, plus more for brushing
8 ounces russet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
8 ounces Mexican-style chorizo, casing removed
¼ medium white onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
8 6-inch corn tortillas
Salsa Roja, warmed (see recipe that follows)
Queso fresco, crumbled, to serve
Chopped fresh cilantro, to serve
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Thinly sliced white onions, to serve
Heat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the middle position. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat, warm the oil until shimmering. Add the potato and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the chorizo and chopped onion; cook, stirring and breaking up the chorizo, until the meat no longer is pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1½ cups water and scrape up any browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring, until the moisture has cooked off and the potato is completely tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper; set aside off heat.
Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with oil, then arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet (it's fine if they overlap). Cover tightly with foil and warm in the oven until soft and pliable, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven; leave the oven on.
Lay 4 tortillas on a cutting board or counter; keep the remaining tortillas covered. Distribute 2 tablespoons of the chorizo-potato mixture across the center of each. Roll up the tortillas (see headnote). Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chorizo-potato mixture. Place all 8 seam side down in a row down the center of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Cover with the foil used to cover the tortillas. Bake until heated through, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven. Uncover, then spoon on the warm Salsa Roja. Sprinkle with queso fresco, cilantro, and sliced onion.
Salsa Roja
For make-ahead convenience, the salsa can be cooled and refrigerated for a few days; reheat in a covered saucepan when ready to use.
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3 medium plum tomatoes (about 8 ounces), cored
1 serrano chili, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
¼ medium white onion, peeled, layers separated
1 guajillo chili, stemmed, torn in half, and seeded
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon neutral oil
To make the salsa, warm a large saucepan over medium-high heat until water flicked into it sizzles, about 2 minutes. Place the tomatoes, serrano, garlic, onion pieces, and guajillo chili in the pan; cook, turning the ingredients, until spottily charred, 3 to 5 minutes. If the guajillo chili toasts too quickly, remove the halves as they are done. Let cool for a few minutes off heat.
Carefully add 1 cup water to the pan. Add ½ teaspoon salt and the guajillo halves, if removed. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce to medium-low, and cook, occasionally stirring, until the guajillo is fully softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the oregano, and let cool for 5 minutes; reserve the pan.
Blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute. In the same saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil until shimmering. Carefully add the puree and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the foaminess has dissipated and the sauce is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, taste and season with salt and pepper; you will have about 1¾ cups salsa.
Mexican-Style Shrimp in Chili-Lime Sauce (Aguachile Negro)
Connie Miller
Mexican-Style Shrimp in Chili-Lime Sauce (Aguachile Negro)
Makes 4 to 6 servings
In the state of Sinaloa on the western coast of Mexico, aguachile, or 'chili water,' is a popular, ceviche-like combination of fresh seafood and a sauce of chilies, lime, and water that gives the dish its name. Aguachile negro, specifically, derives its dark, inky color from soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Maggi, a liquid flavor enhancer available in most supermarkets—just look for the distinctive red and yellow label. These may sound like atypical seasonings for a Mexican dish, but they're used quite commonly in the region's cuisine.
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Spicy dried chilies such as chiltepín or pequín usually bring fruity, earthy burn to the sauce, but can be harder to find in US supermarkets. To mimic their complex heat, we pair fresh, moderately spicy Fresnos with a chipotle or morita chili, which are smoked dried jalapeños. (Don't use canned chipotles, though, as their taste is entirely different.)
Serve the brightly acidic, fiery aguachile with tortilla chips for scooping and dipping. Alternatively, use a slotted spoon to arrange some shrimp and vegetables over a crisp tostada for a satisfying meal.
Though best enjoyed after the shrimp and sauce have been combined and allowed to stand for about 10 minutes, the aguachile can be refrigerated for up to two hours and served chilled; don't incorporate the vegetables until ready to bring it to the table.
Finally, don't fully cook the shrimp when poaching them in water. Traditionally, this dish is made with raw shrimp, 'cooked' by the acidity of lime juice. The shrimp will become tough and stringy if poached too long before being combined with citrus. The goal is to barely cook them, letting the lime juice finish the job.
1 pound small (51/60 per pound) shrimp, peeled (tails removed) and deveined
Kosher salt
¾ cup lime juice
2 Fresno or serrano chilies
1 chipotle or morita chili (see headnote)
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1 medium garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Maggi seasoning
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ medium English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 ripe tomato, cored and chopped
In a 12-inch skillet, distribute the shrimp in an even layer. Add water to cover and sprinkle in 1 teaspoon salt. Set the pan over medium heat, cover, and cook until the shrimp are light pink at the edges and beginning to curl, 6 to 9 minutes; occasionally rotate the skillet for even cooking.
Off heat, use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl; discard the poaching water. Stir the lime juice into the shrimp, then refrigerate, uncovered and stirring once or twice, until no longer warm, about 15 minutes, but no more than 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm an 8- or 10-inch skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat until water flicked onto the surface immediately sizzles and evaporates. Add the Fresno chilies, chipotle chili, and garlic; cook, occasionally turning each item, until charred in spots, 7 to 10 minutes. If charring at different rates, transfer each item to a plate when done.
When cool enough to handle, stem and seed the chilies. In a blender, combine the charred chilies and garlic, Worcestershire, Maggi, soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir the puree into the shrimp mixture. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, then taste and season with salt.
In a wide, shallow serving bowl, evenly distribute the onion and cucumber. Using a slotted spoon, arrange the shrimp on top, then pour the sauce over them. Top with the avocado and tomato.
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Chili-Pineapple Margarita
Kristin Teig
Chili-Pineapple Margarita
Makes 2 drinks
The inspiration for this spicy margarita comes from a cocktail we had at Hartwood, a restaurant in Tulum, Mexico. Chef Eric Werner steeps habanero chilies in tequila for more than 36 hours to add kick. We simplify this recipe, infusing simple syrup with the same flavors to create a cocktail in under 20 minutes. You'll have enough syrup for several batches of margaritas.
The smooth, round flavor of reposado tequila works best with the chilies. Steep the peppers for no longer than 15 minutes or the syrup will be too spicy.
1 cup plus 1½ teaspoons white sugar
4 1-inch strips lime zest
4 1-inch strips orange zest, plus 1 orange wedge
1 jalapeño chili, halved
1 habanero chili, halved
1 tablespoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon chili powder
4 ounces (½ cup) reposado tequila
2 ounces (¼ cup) pineapple juice
1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) lime juice (1 to 2 limes)
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar, 1 cup water, both zests, and both chilies. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and steep for 15 minutes (see headnote). Strain into a jar, discarding the solids. Let cool.
While the syrup cools, in a small bowl, stir together the salt, chili powder, and the remaining sugar. Spread the mixture on a small plate. Use the orange wedge to moisten the rims of 2 rocks glasses, then dip in the chili salt, turning to coat.
In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice, and 1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) of the chili syrup. Add 2 cups of ice cubes and shake vigorously, 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into the prepared glasses.
Christopher Kimball is the founder of Milk Street, home to a magazine, school, and radio and television shows. Globe readers get 12 weeks of complete digital access, plus two issues of Milk Street print magazine, for just $1. Go to 177milkstreet.com/globe. Send comments to