SALTY RECIPE
By: María Elvira Rodríguez
Pacholas guanajuatenses
Pacholas are a classic Guanajuato recipe because every housewife has a family recipe. For its perfect preparation, the metate is an indispensable utensil, because the flavors of the spices, the chiles and the meat, when completely integrated, acquire a unique flavor with the second grinding that results from flattening them when lowering the steaks with the metlapil. It requires some dexterity to handle this ancestral volcanic stone utensil, but it is well worth a try because the flavor is unforgettable.
- 1 kg ground beef
- 6 ancho chiles, deseeded and soaked in hot water
- 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cloves
- 1⁄2 tsp. ground oregano
- 2 bolillos soaked in milk and squeezed
- salt to taste
- corn oil for frying
Directions:
Take a portion of the meat together with the spices and the chiles, and form the steaks by lowering them with the metlapil in the metate. Heat the oil and fry them carefully so they do not fall apart. Serve with mashed potatoes or beans and lettuce salad.