Tostadas de Salpicón

Of all the places that I have been in Mexico City, by far, my favorite is Coyoacan. Coyoacan is a town of legends inside Mexico City. It was the headquarters of Hernán Cortés as he completed his conquest of Mexico, it was home to the great Mexican artist Diego Rivera, and the birthplace of Frida Kahlo. The name Coyoacan comes from Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs) and most likely means “place of coyotes”.

Coyoacan

What makes this place so special to me is that it is inside the urban sprawl of Mexico City, yet it still keeps its small town charm and colonial architecture. Coyoacan provides one with a brief escape from the city, but still sits inside of the city! Walking along the cobblestone streets of the town center, or el centro, you can smell the cinnamon flavors of the buñuelos, the caramel and sweet doughnut-like churros. One of my favorites is the rich, beautiful, and delicious smells of the fresh roasted coffee beans as you pass by Café el Jarocho! Just a bit further down the street is the Mercado Coyoacan…

 Inside this market there is a place called Tostadas Coyoacan.  It is a must-stop destination everytime we go to Coyoacan. This stall has large platters of almost any topping for a tostada you could think of, seafood, beef, chicken, pork, they have it all. I usually get three of my favorties, one of pata de rés (pickled beef feet), one of tinga (chicken in a chipotle -tomato sauce), and one of salpicón de rés.

Tostadas Coyoacan

Salpicón is essentially a beef  “salad” that is great as a topping for tostadas and especially easy to prepare.  Salpicon is not uniquely a Mexican dish, as salpicón is served throughout Central and South America, but the Mexican version does have its own unique ingredients, mainly the chile jalepeños, you will even find different versions of salpicón in each region of Mexico. I love this version, which I have adapted from a version of pata de rés that my mother-in-law  taught me.

Tostadas de Salpicon

• 2 lbs. Skirt Steak
• ½ head of garlic
• ½ onion quartered
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp salt
• ½ red onion sliced
• 10-12 cilantro stems tied together with butchers twine.
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ cup of La Costena Green Pickled Jalepeno Peppers, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 tbsp oregano
• Salt to taste
• Tostadas Charras

Garnish

• Romaine Lettuce sliced
• Sour Cream
• Salsa Roja
• Queso Fresco or Queso Cotija
• Sliced Avocado

1. Fill a stockpot filled with about 3 quarts of water, take the skirt steak and cut into quarters and put in the pot with the garlic, onion, peppercorns, bay leaf, cilantro stems, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 40-45 minutes over low heat. Let meat cool in broth once done.
2. Once meat is cool, take from broth and shred by hand with the grain, so that the shredded meat is in long strands and place in a mixing bowl.
3. Slice the onion and put into the mixing bowl with the fresh cilantro, oregano, chiles, and salt to taste.
4. Whisk the olive oil and red wine vinegar together in a separate bowl, then dress over the meat.
5. Toss well to incorporate, cover and put in the fridge.
6. Prepare the garnishes and the salsa.
7. To make the tostada, spoon a bit of cream on a tostada, serve some of the salpicón on top of the cream, garnish with some shredded lettuce, salsa roja, and a few slices of avocado.

Salsa Roja

• 6-8 Fresno Chiles
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 clove garlic
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh cilanto (the leaves only)
• 1 peel of Onion
• Salt

1. Roast the chiles, garlic, and tomato on a comal or iron skillet until the tomato skins char slightly and begin to release their juices and the chiles are nicely charred and soft as well.
2. Remove the seeds, stems, and membranes from the chiles and place in a food processor or blender.
3. Quarter the tomato and place in with the chiles
4. Peel the garlic, wash the cilantro and place in with the tomatoes and chiles.
5. Finally, put the peel of onion (half an onion and take off a single layer of the onion) into the blender.
6. Pulse the blender or the food processor until the salsa is the desired consistency (I like a loose, paste-like salsa. If you want it with a bit more liquidity, try a squeeze of lime instead of water!)
7. Season with salt to taste.

Tostada de Salpicon

Tags: Mexican Food, Salpicon, Salsa Roja, Tostadas