llustrated with stunning photography, this book includes recipes for stews, soups, and side dishes, along with famous dishes like mole, enchiladas, picadillo, and milanesa, and is rounded out with delicious salsas, drinks, and desserts.

For Mely Martínez, Mexican cooking has always been about family, community, and tradition. Born and raised in Tampico, Mely started helping in the kitchen at a very young age, since she was the oldest daughter of eight children, and spent summers at her grandmother’s farm in the state of Veracruz, where part of the daily activities included helping grind the corn to make masa.

Mely started her popular blog, Mexico in My Kitchen, to share the recipes and memories of her home so that her son can someday recreate and share these dishes with his own family. In the meantime, it has become the go-to source for those looking for authentic home-style Mexican cooking.

Recreate these favourite comfort foods using inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients:

• Caldo de Pollo (Mexican chicken soup)
• Tacos de Bistec (steak tacos)
• Carnitas (tender, crispy pork)
• Albondigas (Mexican meatballs)
• Tamales (both savoury and sweet)
• Enchiladas (both red and green sauces)
• Mole Poblano (one of the most classic and popular moles)
• Nopales (recipes made with cactus paddles)
• Empanadas (beef and cheese-filled)
• Chiles Rellenos (stuffed and fried poblano peppers)
• Pozole (both red and green versions)
• Camarones en Chipotle (deviled shrimp)
• Salsa Taquera (salsa for tacos)
• Pastel de Tres Leches (a luscious and moist cake that’s a Mexican favourite)
• Buñuelos (crispy dough fritters coated in sugar)
• Aguas Frescas (horchata, hibiscus, and tamarind flavours)
• and much more!

Complete with easy-to-follow instructions, beautiful images, and stories from Mexico, along with recipes for making corn and flour tortillas and tips for stocking your pantry, The Mexican Home Kitchen will have you enjoying this delicious cooking right in your own home.

The Mexican Home Kitchen: Traditional Home-Style Recipes That Capture the Flavors and Memories of Mexico is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.

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Steak Tacos

If I had to confess to one weakness, it would be tacos. I love them, especially the ones that are sold at taquerias, which contain only meat, a topping of fresh cilantro and chopped onion, and, in my case, a very spicy salsa. If you have visited Mexico, you have probably seen these taco stands at night, with the lights hanging from the roof and lots of people gathered around. This recipe for street-style steak tacos does not disappoint.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes | COOK TIME: 20 minutes | YIELD: 12 tacos

1 tablespoon lard (15 g) or vegetable oil (15 ml) (lard is better for an authentic taste), plus more if needed

2 pounds (900 g) thinly sliced rib-eye or chuck steaks

Salt, to taste

12 corn tortillas

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped

TO SERVE

Spicy salsa of your choice

1. Add the lard to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the meat with the salt. Add the steaks to the skillet. Cook the steaks for about 2 minutes per side. If you are making several steaks, wrap the cooked ones in aluminum foil and keep them in a warm oven or near the heat while you finish cooking the remainder of the steaks. Make sure not to overcook them.
2. While the meat is cooking, start warming the tortillas in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Wrap the warmed tortillas in a cloth kitchen towel.
3. Once all the meat is partially cooked, chop it into pieces that are 1/3 inch (8 mm) or smaller, then return it to the skillet to warm it again. Stir the meat to ensure it thoroughly heats through. If you want, you can add an extra dab of lard (or drizzle of oil) to the skillet.
4. Assemble the tacos by placing a portion of the meat onto each warm tortilla. Some taco stands warm their tortillas in the same skillet as the meat; this way they absorb some of the flavor (some also add more oil or lard to the skillet while warming the tortillas). Top each taco with the chopped onion and cilantro.
5. Serve with the salsa.

NOTAS

In certain Latin markets, you may be able to find meat already sliced thinly.

A variation of this dish is tacos campechanos, in which the chopped steak is mixed with chorizo. Simply fry up some chorizo in the same skillet you cooked the steaks, then warm it with the chopped steak in step 3.

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Quatro Group.