Esquites are a Mexican snack or antojito sold in shops and street stalls which often also prepare elotes – the on-the-cobb cousin of esquites. Also known as “vasito de elotes” or cup of corn, classic esquites begin with onion and green chile sauteed in lots of butter to which corn kernels, chicken consommé, and salt are added. Placed hot in a cup, the mound of maiz is seasoned with lime, mayonnaise or crema, grated aged cheese, chile powder and salt.
Smoking – refers to cooking at temperatures less than 250 degrees with the addition of smoke from various hardwoods. There are two smoking techniques. Cold smoking uses very low temperatures (70F-90F) so as to smoke the meat without necessarily cooking it. With hot smoking, the goal is to cook the meat while also flavoring it with smoke using temperatures ranging 170F and 250F degrees.
Cueritos refers to a pig skin preparation commonly prepared in Mexican, Venezuelan, and Spanish cuisine. However, this is not the crispy pork rind you’ve seen stocked at the 7-Eleven known as chicarrones. Rather, in their most common form, cueritos are thin strips of uncooked pig skin pickled in vinegar and seasoned with regional flavors. These can be used as garnish beans, tostadas, and tacos. They also star in the iconic Mexican street food known as “tostilocos” in which nacho-flavored tostito chips are topped with cucumber, cueritos, lime juice, Valentina hot sauce, chamoy, tajín seasoning, chile powder, salt and Japanese peanuts encased in a crunchy brown flour shell. Crazy as it sounds, this antojito has addictive properties generally seen only in illicit narcotics. Raw uncured cueritos are combined with mixed pork meat or “maciza” in deep fat fried carnitas to add extra rich, stick-in-your-teeth goodness to your tacos.
Brine – Brining is a process in which fish, meat or poultry is soaked in a salt water solution before cooking. Salt is added to cold water in a container, where the meat is soaked for six to twelve hours – depending on the size of the meat. Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking and allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked. It is also possible to “dry brine” meat. In dry brining, you cover the surface of the meat with salt and seasonings as with a rub. The advantage of dry brining is that the meat maintains more natural flavor because its juices have not been diluted with water. In essence, a dry brine seals in the meat’s own juices and because the skin hasn’t been soaked, it creates a crispy golden effect in the oven or in a confit.
Comal is a large, flat or concave griddle used in Mexico, Central and South America to cook tortillas and arepas, toast spices, sauté vegetables, and sear meat. They are generally made of metal, although the indigenous people of Mexico and Central America have long used a clay (barro) version coveted for is slow heat distribution and retention.
Chorizo is a sausage that uniquely reflects its region of origin. Spanish chorizo is seasoned with garlic, pimentón – a smoked paprika – and salt. It is sold as picante (spicy) or dulce (sweet), depending upon the type of pimentón used. It is fermented, cured, and smoked so that it can be sliced and eaten without cooking, or used to flavor other dishes such as fabada or potaje de garbanzo. In Mexico, chorizo is a fresh product that requires cooking and may be made from pork, beef, venison, chicken, and turkey and generally is spicier than its Spanish cousin. Mexicans also enjoy a green chorizo from Toluca made with tomatillo, cilantro, chili peppers, and garlic. Further South in Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela, chorizo is the generic name for any fresh coarse meat sausage while Spanish-style chorizo is called “chorizo español.”
Vacuum Sealer – A vacuum sealer is a reduced oxygen packaging device that keeps food fresh in the freezer by creating an airtight Mylar wrap around products. This process creates an anaerobic environment that limits the growth of aerobic bacteria or fungi, and prevents the evaporation of volatile components (no more freezer burn!), extending the safe storage times and quality of refrigerated foods, dried foods and frozen foods. Vacuum sealers have recently become a popular tool for home cooks as well who are exploring the world of sous vide cooking in which food is sealed in plastic and submerged in a hot water bath for gentle, even cooking. However, a vacuum sealer is not necessary for sous vide cooking. Less technological sealing techniques work equally well. Learn more here.
Chiffonade is a cut made by stacking and rolling up leaves of herbs or leafy greens and then cutting them into fine threads.
Smoker or Smokehouse – a smoker is generally an outbuilding designed to hold racks of brined meat while low temperature and smoke from wood chips slowly cooks the product. The structure needs only to have a door for access, vents to regulate the intensity of the smoke, and a means to hold multiple wire racks. The smoker is generally powered by a heat source, often an electric burner, that offers an internal temperature between 70 F and 170 F degrees depending on whether you are using a cold or hot smoking method. Some smokers will also include fans to help the meat dry thoroughly before smoking begins.
Pimentón (or Paprika) is one of the most ubiquitously used spices of Spanish cooking. Made from ground, dried red chile peppers, Pimentón is used in making sausages, soups, stews and is generously sprinkled on top of eggs, octopus, and even French fries (seriously, try it!) The spice is categorized by its heat: Pimentón Dulce (Sweet); Pimentón Agridulce (Medium Hot) and Pimentón Picante (Hot.)