RECIPE: Chicken Tinga

For Conrad Punta de Mita’s executive chef, Victor Palma, cooking traditional dishes is about preserving the process and respecting the vast variety of ingredients that have been staples in the Mexican diet for centuries. But more importantly, preparing dishes from his hometown is a way to bring back memories from his childhood in Mexico City. Tinga, a chicken or pork stew served over corn tostadas, is a popular street food, an important food group that lays the foundation of Mexico’s culinary journey. The dish reminds him of dinners at home when his mom would prepare his dad’s favorite meal for the family. The recipe is simple enough to make, but the key to any of his culture’s culinary traditions, Chef Palma says, is mixing so many ingredients into one dish that grandma is the only one who really knows it all. “It’s well-known that if you really want to create an authentic Mexican dish, you have to pay a visit to your abuelita or tía to ask for the recipe,” said Chef Palma.

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken:

• 4 lbs. Chicken Breast, bone & skin on

• 4 quarts Water

• 4 cups Carrots, chopped

• 1 large White Onion, chopped

• 2 cups Celery, chopped

• 2 heads Garlic, peel and separate cloves

• 2 bunches Fresh Cilantro, loose

• 1/3 cups Sea Salt

• 3 teaspoons Ground Whole Black Pepper

For the tinga stew:

• 1 lb. Pork Chorizo Sausage

• 1/4 cups Vegetable Oil

• 4 large White Onions, sliced

• 3/4 cups Brown Sugar

• 1 lb. Plum Tomato, seeded, diced

• 3 tablespoons Dried Oregano

• 4 oz. Canned Chipotle Peppers in Adobo

Sauce, blended

• 3 tablespoons Cilantro Leaves, minced

• 6 Fresh Bay Leaves

• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the garnish:

• 12 Corn Tostadas

• 1 lb. Queso Fresco

• 1/2 quart Sour Cream

• 1 leaf Romaine Lettuce, thinly sliced

• Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

For the chicken:

Place ingredients into a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, then reduce to medium heat. Let the ingredients cook for approximately 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat and transfer the chicken to its own bowl. Let cool for a few minutes. Remove skin and bones, and shred the chicken using your hands. Strain and save the chicken stock for later recipes.

For the tinga:

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook until soft and brown. Add chopped chorizo and cook for 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, stirring occasionally until the onion is caramelized. Add chipotle peppers, dried oregano, diced tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken. Increase heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover the pot and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes.

Season to taste.

To serve:

Transfer the tinga to a serving dish or plate. Spread refried beans over the tostadas, top with the chicken tinga, and garnish with crumbled queso fresco, lettuce and sour cream.