Tortillas Columbus

If touring taco trucks in Columbus has inspired you to roll your own, then I know of a place you should go to pick up some tortillas.

Kokis is a tortilla factory on Columbus' West side and my mom has been there enough times that she gets greeted with very friendly and familiar hello. As I was admiring the line through a window, someone invited onto floor to see the whole process. They start with corn, treat it with lime (nixtamal), then grind that into masa. the masa is fed into rollers which flatten and cut the tortillas to size. they bake in an oven then zigzag over racks then are packed by hand into plastic bags. Show up in the morning and you can get warm tortillas. While we were at Koki's my mom asked where was the best Mexican grocery store. We were directed to La Plaza Tapatia.



Living in Chicago all these years, I have been to a wide range of Mexican Groceries from Chicago Heights to Pilsen to Albany Park and La Plaza Tapatia is very very nice store. They have everything you would need for a barbacoa.



Did somebody say cookout?



I love pork tacos. We have had a lot of adventures here in Columbus, including bacon camp, the fair and butchering a whole pig. I hope to write about this stuff soon, but in the meantime take a look at the pics from this trip on flckr. Better yet, go fix yourself something good to eat.

Cheers


Kokis Tortillas
2992 Sullivant Ave
Columbus 43204
614-279-5000

La Plaza Tapatia
4233 Shoppers Lane (Behind Westland Mall)
Columbus 43228
614-276-0333

Carnitas Pibil and a lesson in the ways of BBQ

Pork tacos and a lesson in the ways of BBQ.

I am now positive that my favorite barbeque is pork shoulder rubbed with Achiote and spices. It's a preparation from the Yucatan known as Pibil. I originally started with a recipe from Rick Bayless' One Plate at a Time, but I have done it (and written about it) so many times that now it comes together on it's own. I assure you there are few things finer that a picnic of pork tacos. With fair weather finally forcasted, I decided to make pork tacos over the weekend.



Now you can try following Rick's recipe get some Achiote (annatto) seeds, try grinding them (Like grinding pebbles, very gritty, typically you make a flavored oil with the seeds) OR you can do what everyone else does in Mexico and pick up some paste. I combined garlic, salt, marjoram, thyme and Canela (Cinnamon)with the achiote and added enough olive to make a paste.







I rubbed this mixture on the pork shoulder.



I also started some sliced red onion to pickle in lime juice orange juice sugar ans salt. Overnight in the fridge for both of them.

[
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[We interrupt this post to answer the MAC BBQ Hotline]

[PHONE RINGS]

MAC: Hello?

J*$h: (name obscured to protect privacy) Hey, what are you doing?

MAC: Just started marinating some pork for bbq pork tacos, wanna come over?

J*$h: I can't, got company coming, Pork tacos, that's sounds good, do you have a recipe?

MAC: Sure I'll send you Rick's.

[NEXT DAY VIA Email]

J*$H:

Hey you only sent me an ingredient list, how about some pointers?
1. Such as a basic rub I can use?
2. how long on the grill (est.)
3. will I need to add coals/wood as it progresses?
4. what internal temp?

MAC:

Sorry about that. I don't think you will have enough time to do a shoulder roast on the grill today, it takes six hours. Get some pork shoulder steaks and rub them with whatever ingredients you have that closely match rick's recipe. For Achiote seeds use paprika (and maybe a little turmeric if you got it), for the Mexican oregano use dried marjoram, black pepper, cinnamon,salt, garlic, olive oil, mix that together and squeeze in a lime and rub that on the steaks. let em sit for a while, at least while you get the fire ready.

2. You wanna cook these things as long as you can, after an hour they will be safe to eat but chewy. The longer the pork cooks the more they will tenderize, just like working a crock pot. BTW the pork should be in a pan or something so can baste them from time to time.

3. For the fire you want a small fire off to one side. You want the fire to run at 250-350F. Once you get it going you need to check it like every 20 mins. Add briquettes if the fire is going out, add wood for flavor as needed. It doesn't need to smoke like an old Chrysler tho.

Dave at weber_cam has a good dicussion about lighting an indirect fire on a kettle

4. As for internal temp, I'm going for 200F on my roast, but that is going to take forever. You pork steaks need to get to at least 160F but they wont shred until the temp hits maybe 190. You're gonna chop this stuff up for tacos anyway so pull it off when you're ready to eat. Good luck let me know what happens

[MEANWHILE Back at the Ranch]



I got some banana leaves. I Pass them over a hot grill to soften them. They darken slightly. I line a pan with the leaves, nestle the roast then cover with more leaves. Enter the smoker.



I slow cooked the pork for about six hours, I got the internal temp to about 195F. I was busy doing garden work so I shut the vents and let it sit for another couple of hours



Time to pull the pork.





I roasted some habaneros, garlic, blended it with lime juice and salt for a hot sauce.



The pickled onions are done.



It's a beautiful day to eat tacos.

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[MEANWHILE J*$H writes another note on the MAC BBQ Hotline]

J*$h:

I Made the tacos - everything went fine, but mostly done in the oven. We had to meet friends at Morton, so we threw it in there for a head start (4.4 lbs bone-in shoulder) at 250. Got back 3 hours later, and it was just about done. Not realizing that, I had started the coals, so I threw it on for 40 minutes or so, just to do it. Not sure if the taste changed much. Rub was lime juice, chili, cumin, ancho chili, lots of garlic and kosher salt. A very positive experience I must say, delicious all around. Also made a corn relish I saw bobby flay make - corn, charred jalapenos, cilantro, red onion and lime juice. Good, too. And of course, autentico tortillas.

Thanks.

[Hotline disconnects, MAC is troubled but then enlightend]

A very positive experience? How can that be? I gave J*$h somewhat explicit instructions on how to BBQ and he ignored them. Maybe the lesson today isn't for J*$h but for me (and any other would be BBQ expert). It reminds me that BBQ isn't taught at culinary school. Sure they have catering classes for feeding 700 but it ain't pulling sugar at Cordon Bleu. As far as I know Careme didn't codify the technique for smoking ribs in the backyard. In fact I can only think of one rule when it comes to BBQ: Don't burn yourself (that's also a culinary school rule too). I heard about a new BBQ book whose tagline is "Everything you Know about BBQ is Wrong." While flogging foodies with funny phases may sell books, It goes against what I pontificate on this blog: If it works then it's right. I don't give two squirts about how you cooked the meat because BBQ is much more than just process. It's also about bringing being people together to eat. Make it good, make it yours. However if you are still having trouble, give me a call I'd be glad to help.

Cheers.

PS If you enjoy reading rants about BBQ (I don't), read my post Pig Pick

Kick it to the Curb Tony: My Southside Ain't Gritty

Once again someone from the national media cannot resist the adjective "gritty" when saying the word "Southside." Anthony Bourdain braved our mean streets in a rented caddie for last week's episode of No Reservations. Apparently he made is back North with all his hubcaps in tact. But nobody told him he was parked in the dead guy's spot.

On the episode he visited Calumet Fisheries. I wrote about this place back in November, and last Saturday I had the chance to spend most of the day there taking pictures, talking to the people who work there and observing first hand the power of cable TV.

"I have no idea how they picked us, but this is great." That's Mark Kotlick, one of the owners of Calumet Fisheries. He spent the day gladly talking to inquisitive new customers, discussing the history of the place and showing off the fish that are smoked right outside. "We smoked a week's worth of fish and we might run out today."

Thank you Tony.



Oh yeah about the dead guy: The manager, Carlos, (who has worked there on and off since 1995, and has a Culinary Certificate from CHIC) told me his story: "I come in one morning and there's a car parked out front, there's usually no cars here, and I notice there's a guy in there. Sleeping. After a few minutes I decide it's time for him to move along and I tap on the window. Nothing. I beat on the window, and I yell and still nothing. Now I'm starting to get a bad feeling. I call 911. A cop shows up, I don't know his name but I recognize him, he opens the door, put his fingers on the guy's neck, then closes the door. The cop says "Yep he's dead. You got any smoked chubs?"



To the guys at Calumet, thanks for letting me spend the day with you, I'll get the photos to you soon.

A different kind of Southside, Pilsen.

If Tony had been a really lucky travelling TV personality, he would have ended up where I was on Sunday, Pilsen. This quarter at Kendall I have Cuisine of Mexico class, and Chef took us on a field trip.



We visited World Wide Produce at the Chicago International Produce Market Then we went to Cermak Produce Which is a beautiful store, not gritty at all.



Then Chef led us to El Milagro for fresh masa. We all got a turn feeding the masa machine.



Masa is used for making corn tortillas or tamales. El Milagro also offeres Chicharrones, chips and tortillas, It(1923 S Blue Island Ave, Chicago) was a fun stop.



But what Tony really missed out on was Carnerceria Don Pedro. As the name implies, they sell carnitas either to eat in or to go.



You don't really need a menu because all they serve is carnitas, or if you are not feeling porcine, barbacoa of goat.





We were served family style with sides chicharrones and jalapenoes escabeche. Chef showed us the proper taco: Some carnitas, crushed chicharrones, onion, cilantro, a squirt of sauce and a squeeze of lime. After lunch Don Pedro showed us the kitchen.





We saw huge kettles where they cook the pork in lard. That right, carnitas are pork confit. Recently I have been reading a lot about chefs getting whole hogs and breaking them down themselves, and making a menu of "nose to tail" dishes. Don Pedro said he goes though fifty whole hogs in a weekend.



He also makes head cheese and long ropes of sausage. It's nose to tail eating on the cheap. The business there is swift on the weekends with the carryout crowd jamming the front of the room, A man in behind the counter chops at the carnitas in a digit removing fashion, and packs to go orders by the pound. There are maybe ten tables for eating in. And don't show up late, at least not on Sunday. We got there at 1:15 and we got the last of the barbacoa, and they were down to their last tray of carnitas.



Carnerceria Don Pedro
1113 W 18th ST
Chicago
312-829-4757
Cash Only
Small parking lot just west of the building.

So come visit the Southside. We got more than just grit.

Cheers.