MOLCAJETE CHEESE RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• Start by rinsing and stemming 7-8 plum tomatoes.  Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes.
• For the chicken, add the seasoning ingredients to a bowl:  2 tablespoons crushed New Mexican chile (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and a dollop of oil.  Chop up two chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and combine well with the seasoning.
• For the rice, start by adding a dollop of oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 cup of rice and saute until the rice is turning opaque and golden brown.   Meanwhile, add 1-2 of the roasted tomatoes to a blender along with 1/2 onion and a single garlic clove.  Combine well and add this puree to the rice, cooking for a few minutes.  Add 2 cups of stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Set aside and cover, letting it sit its own steam for a few minutes.  Salt to taste.  (Note:  it's okay to pull the roasting tomatoes from the oven a bit early when you need them for the rice.)
• When the tomatoes are done roasting add six of them to a blender for the Salsa along with 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 jalapeno, and a pinch of salt (optional).  Pulse blend, leaving it a bit chunky.  Taste for seasoning and for heat level.  You can always add more jalapeno if you want a more fiery Salsa.
• To cook the chicken, I usually saute 3-4 tablespoons of chopped onion in some oil until tender (over medium-high heat) and then add the seasoned chicken.  Form a single layer as much as possible and let the first side cook through all the way, then flipping and briefly cooking the second side.  When done, add the chicken to a bowl and cover with foil until serving. 
• For the guacamole, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3-4 tablespoons of finely chopped onion, and the juice of 1 lime to a bowl.  Combine with the flesh of two ripe avocados.  Taste for seasoning.  I added another pinch of salt and another squeeze of lime to this batch.  (I usually crush the chopped onion with the back of fork to mimic a molcajete and release some additional oils.)
• I recommend half-assembling the tacos for your family and friends, i.e. crisping them up on a comal or skillet before serving.  First, put the chicken, guacamole, and salsa on the table in serving bowls.  Then add 4-5 corn tortillas to the comal or skillet over mediumish heat (or as many as you can fit).  Add a layer of refried beans, cheese, and rice to each tortilla.  Cook until the cheese is melted or the bottom of the tortilla is turning golden brown, approx. 1-2 minutes.  Serve immediately and let your peeps add the chicken, guacamole, and salsa themselves.

Steps:

• Pull off the husks of the tomatillos and give them a good rinse.   I usually de-stem them but this is optional.  Add the tomatillos to a roasting pan along with the rinsed poblanos and roast them in the oven at 400F.  I usually flip the poblanos over after 15-20 minutes, and if the tomatillos are disintegrating you can take them out of the oven at this point.  The poblanos will need about 30 minutes total to fully roast. 
• Once the poblanos and tomatillos are in the oven I usually start working on the meat, but here are the remaining green sauce instructions that you can do while the meat is browning:
• Add the remaining green sauce ingredients to a blender:  2 peeled onions, 3 de-stemmed jalapenos, 4 peeled garlic cloves, and 1/2 bunch of rinsed cilantro.  I usually just twist off and discard the bottom, thicker portions of the cilantro but use the upper stems that hold the leaves together.
• Once the poblanos have fully roasted, remove them from the oven and let them cool down for a few minutes.  Pull off and discard as much of the skin as you can.  De-stem and de-seed them.  I find it easiest to cut off the tops and then make a slit lengthwise.  Open up the pepper and use the knife to scrape out the veins and seeds. 
• Add the poblanos and tomatillos to the blender and combine well with the other ingredients.  You might have to blend half first to get all of it to fit into a single blender. 
• Cut the pork shoulder into 1.5-2" chunks.  I usually cut off any thick pieces of fat but I do try to leave some fat on each of the chunks.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Add a thin layer of oil to a Dutch oven or saucepot over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot add the pork and try to create a single layer so that it browns evenly.  You can do it in batches if you have to.  Cook until well browned on both sides, approximately 3-4 minutes per side.   Once browned, you can drain any fat if you want but I usually leave most of it in. 
• Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the pot along with 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional).  It will simmer quickly and this gives you a chance to scrape up any bits of fond that are stuck to the pan.
• Add the blended green sauce to the browned pork along with a final cup of stock.  I usually add the final cup of stock to the blender and swish it around to get all the leftover green bits.  
• Bring the Chile Verde to boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, which was medium-low on my stove.  Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours.   
• I usually test the pork after 2 hours.  If it's tender and pulls apart easily then it's ready to serve.  If it's tough then give it some more time on the stove.  This batch simmered for about 2 1/2 hours.  
• Take a final taste for seasoning.  I added generous pinches of salt and Mexican oregano at this point, but keep in mind this will depend on which stock you're using. 
• Serve over rice and optionally garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.   Be sure to serve plenty of the sauce in each bowl as that's the key to Chile Verde.  Buen Provecho!
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.