- The fall season

Green is the color of spring ...

Patch #66

but I could be forgiven for thinking it's actually fall ...

as hundreds of live oak leaves turn brown and flutter down with the barest breath of wind. Fortunately, the leaves are being pushed off by the rapidly swelling buds of new leaves that will soon emerge ...

Green is also the color of dinner ... a soup recipe cobbled together from two sources. One called for boiling the aromatics, the other for sautéing, one called for stock, the other for water, one suggested chicken, the other pork, and on and on.

So I made up my own recipe and since Don liked it enough to ask for a repeat, I thought I'd best write it down.

Pozole Verde for two (no leftovers, but easily doubled)

1/2 medium onion

1 medium poblano pepper

1 large clove of garlic

4 small to medium tomatillos

1/4-1/2 tsp. each chipotle powder, smoked paprika, cumin and coriander

2-3 cups chicken stock

1 14-16 oz can white hominy, drained (or better yet, fresh corn cut off the cob)

2 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie leftovers) and/or leftover grilled pork cut into small bite size pieces

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Chop the onion and poblano, saute in olive oil with a whole peeled clove of garlic for 2 minutes.

Add roughly chopped tomatillos and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of mixed spices (add more if you like a lot of heat). Continue to saute 4-6 minutes until tomatillos are tender. Remove garlic clove, put through a garlic press, and add back to the pan.

Stir in 1 cup of stock and a handful of fresh cilantro leaves. Purée in a blender or food processor.

Return purée to pan, add more stock, chicken and drained hominy. Cook at medium heat until gently simmering, 5-10 minutes.

Saute pumpkin seeds in olive oil with a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of spice mixture. Stir until seeds toast and begin to pop, about 2 minutes.

Garnish soup with lime wedges,cilantro, chopped avocado, sautéed pumpkin seeds, radish slices, and sour cream added to taste.

- Random amusements

I don't obsess over horoscopes, but they are fun every so often, especially since Don and I share Gemini birthdays (one day apart). The Austin American Statesman publishes horoscopes by Holiday Mathis and I find hers to be more interesting than most. Take today's reading for Gemini:

The thing you do just to amuse yourself is more special than you know. It may seem random and arbitrary, but that's what's great about it. The importance of small, joyful acts cannot be underestimated. 

We've been amusing ourselves so much recently it's hard to know where to start. So I'm just going to troll through the pictures on my iPhone and comment along the way.

As noted earlier, my daughter and her family have moved into a new house, where almost-three-year-old Griffin is learning the joys of paved driveways and the perils of the streets beyond. So Don fashioned a sign ...

PopPop and G

the better to stop by ...

Our St Louis kin were not left out, as I had traced the outline of Baby Jace's high chair cover ...

when we were there to celebrate his first birthday last month ...

along with big brother Jackson's third ...

The pattern got transferred to an old pillow sham and quick stitched on the machine ...

I took further advantage of the machine being up and running by repurposing this thrifted cotton skirt and some placemats gifted by my mom many years ago ...

After cutting off the placemat borders and edging them in the cotton, I applied a coat of Grace's walnut dye to the center ...

Pre-wash color

I've also been experimenting with different ways of setting colors, having just gotten a set of the much-discussed Inktense pencils.  Thanks to Grace I was convinced the full set of 72 wasn't essential, so I got this set of 48 that came in a nifty wooden box instead (oooo, ahhhh) ...

I created a quick test strip to see how water, aloe vera gel and Golden GAC 900 fabric medium would work ...

Note, when I started stitching on the plain linen, I realized how addicted I've become to layers
so I basted on a backing of harem cloth, which made everything much, much better

then heat-set only half of each section (the left half of WATER, the right half of ALOE VERA, and the left half of MEDIUM) ...

The WATER and MEDIUM bled the most, leaving heat set half of the ALOE VERA (on the right) the clear winner in terms of blending, not bleeding into the white, and not washing out (so far)...

Note: only the ALOE letters were stitched

So now I'm doing a similar test on some patched linen touched up with Grace's walnut dye ...

Before laundering: top half aloe vera, bottom right fabric medium, bottom left untreated

After laundering: hmmmmm

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to accumulate linen patches ...

some of which I randomly laid out upside down, just to imagine how they might go ...

Since they are different heights, I turned the patches upside down to be sure they were oriented correctly

then deciding I needed more white, I pressed up lots more strips, now that I realize how quickly they can be stitched up ...

I daresay I can't wait to take Jude Hill's new workshop in October!

Last, but not least, I concocted a new recipe with the very seasonal Hatch, New Mexico chili peppers I picked up at the store ...

Okay, not the prettiest picture, but "taste over presentation" is my motto

After blessing the Hatch peppers with a little olive oil, Don charred them on the grill along with a sweet yellow onion. I peeled and seeded the peppers, then laid them in the bottom of a Pyrex dish that had been rubbed with olive oil. Leftover rotisserie chicken, grilled onions, and a combination of cheddar, Monterey Jack and Cotija cheeses got layered on. 15-20 minutes in a 350 oven was all it took to reach toothsome goodness. The peppers still had a bit of crunch and weren't overwhelmed by added seasoning, although the dish was definitely enhanced by the addition of tomatillo salsa. Next time I think I'll try it over rice, but tortilla chips served as a welcome accompaniment this time around.

- Eating Texican

Wow ... I haven't posted in forever and now come to find out there have been over 5000 views of the rain chain post.  So, I've put an addendum on the post and belatedly answered those who were kind enough to leave a comment.

Now back to why we're here: a new recipe.  The back story is that we had some pork loin chops in the freezer and I wasn't quite sure what to do with them because they looked really lean (I usually get pork sirloin). After a fair bit of Googling on "green chile pork loin" (which is what I had in mind), I discovered a dichotomy of opinion on how long to braise pork loin.

So, nothing ventured, etc etc ... I cut the meat into cubes, salted and seared it in olive oil two minutes to a side and dumped it into a Pyrex dish.  Then I diced and sauteed some sweet onion, deglazed the pan with a slug of Lobo Negro beer, poured it all over the meat along with a pack of Rick Bayless' Frontera Green Chile Enchilada sauce (I don't usually go for packaged stuff, but this is pretty "clean" with tomatillos, poblano chiles, and no chemicals), a spoonful of cumin, and cup of homemade chicken stock.

After 45 minutes with the lid on at 325 (the time many recipes recommended as an end point), I opened up the door of a fragrant oven only to find very unappealing stew ... the meat was tough beyond prodding and there was a gumbo-like oil slick floating on top. Yuck.

I took off the lid and let it go for another hour ... which made for some significant improvement.  Good thing, as the only other realistic option for dinner was pancakes.  So I put the lid back on, stuck the dish back in the oven to cook some more, and started researching Mexican rice.

Rice Select Royal Blend is a standard in my pantry ... which isn't exactly what you find in most Tex-Mex joints. But I took a chance, sauteed some onion in olive oil, then added in the rice as one would for a pileau. After a couple of minutes, I stirred in some chicken stock, chopped grape tomatoes and finely diced jalapeno, slapped a lid on the pan and left it to simmer. After 15 minutes, I removed the lid and raised the heat, stirring until the excess liquid evaporated.

The stew came out of the oven after about 2.5 hours at 325.  It still wasn't pretty, but the meat fell apart at the nudge of a spoon.  I raided the fridge for some avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and lime ... then pulled a handful of good tortilla chips from the pantry.

A bed of rice, stew on top, liberally dosed with the aforementioned condiments made for a great meal. No picture ... honestly, it didn't look like much.  But with Shiner Bock to help it down, we agreed that it was worth recording ... for the next time.

- Babies R Them: Baby shower recipes

Imagine a baby shower where more than half the attendees are pregnant ... fun beyond words. Better yet, I got to cook all morning with Meg. A few of the recipes are already on the blog (granola, cinnamon knots, and waffles 4 ways ... although this time I tried a new topping: mascarpone cheese with maple, vanilla, and bacon), but there are two new recipes to share. Pictures? I hope some will come my way ... in which case I'll be sure to share those, too.

Southwest Mini-Quiche
  
3 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 ounces diced cream cheese (tricky)
8 ounces diced Monterey Jack cheese
4 ounces small curd cottage cheese
Fine shreds of dried chorizo 
Finely diced jalapeno, to taste (I removed seeds)
  
Spray Baker's Joy into a 12-cup muffin tin and place a single On the Border tortilla round chip in the bottom of each cup.  Sprinkle chorizo and jalapeno on top.
  
Whisk the eggs and salt together, then lightly whisk in the flour and baking powder. Fold in the cheeses and spoon into the muffin cups.
  
Bake at 350 and check after 20 minutes ... they should just be starting to brown, but be careful not to leave them in too long.  You can vary it by adding other cheeses, veggies, and/or proteins (gruyere, mushrooms, bacon, sausage) ... and flour tortillas split into two layers and cut to fit into the muffin cups can be a good alternative to the corn chip base.

Tomatillo Salsa
  
4-8 tomatillos (depending on size)
A handful of cilantro
1/2 to 1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 to 1 avocado, peeled and chunked

Put the first three ingredients into a food processor and pulse until chopped, but definitely not pureed. Add the avocado and pulse just until the avocado is rough chopped. Add a pinch of salt to taste.

- A walk on the wild side: Hill Country fliers

Generally speaking, we much prefer two- and four-legged critters, but we have exempted the moths and the butterflies from our current campaign to discourage visits from anything with six or more legs ... or worse, anything with no legs at all. Besides, with wingspans in excess of four inches, these guys are more like birds than insects anyway.

Of course, we have deer in abundance, though fortunately they're far more skittish than their Garrison Trail kin. And one of our first drives into the neighborhood revealed what we thought to be a grey fox, but we've since decided it was more likely a coyote. Turkeys roost in the trees as the sun slips below the horizon and one late-night return from Gruene Hall featured a skunk, very much alive and well. I also got my first good look at an armadillo as I drove slowly through the low water crossing. It looked like nothing so much as an armored opossum and judging by his (or her) rather casual saunter across the road, it's no wonder that most of them end up rigor mortised.

Food continues to be a revelation ... and we're fortunate that the Sol de Mexico right up the road has local eggs for $3 a dozen. I've learned a thing or two about eggs since my clueless postings a year ago, not the least of which is that bright yellow yolks are not necessarily a good sign. Indeed, chickens that are able to eat what they can scratch out of the ground (grubs and bugs for the most part) produce pale yellow yolks. And the thin watery egg whites that surround the yolks are an equally good sign. When they're this fresh, the end products are exceptional: light airy popovers, tender cookies, and creamy scrambled eggs are givens. Not to mention the recent news of salmonella in factory farms which pretty much clinches the case for locavore eggs, IMHO.

Since I ran out of eggs yet again, Don picked up some more this afternoon. So in addition to the usual New York Times and Austin American Statesman, my morning-off breakfast tomorrow will feature leftover steak, scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa, and fresh grated Cotija on flour tortillas. Tomatillo salsa? Another revelation.

Tomatillo Salsa (see April 29, 2012 post for a better version)

• 6-8 tomatillos 
• 1 small onion 
• 2-3 garlic cloves 

Remove the tomatillo husks, rinse and quarter. Peel and quarter the onion. Leave the garlic cloves in their paper skins.

Place the vegetables in a small baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Oven roast at 400 degrees until the onions begin to brown around the edges.
Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes.
Squeeze garlic out of skins and  place with onions in a food processor. Pulse several times until roughly chopped.
Add the tomatillos, skins and all, to the food processor and finish with 2-3 more pulses.
Serve warm over whatever leftovers you choose to wrap in tortillas and serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

- Corn on the 4th of July: Melting pot hot dogs

We've been enjoying a rolling feast of corn this year.  The first batch arrived fresh from Mexico in May, followed by east coast corn on the Outer Banks in June, Texas corn from Fredricksburg in July, and Briermere corn on Shelter Island in August. Me a locavore? Not when it comes to corn ... I'm forever in search of the tiniest, sweetest kernels that come with the season's first ears, wherever they may be. 

Fresh corn on the cob is best savored by boiling it for a few minutes, slathering on butter and then adding a  sprinkling of salt. But when it's more than a day old, corn just isn't the same. So to help out store-bought ears, I've become a fan of Mexican-style grilled corn which is coated with a thin sheen of chili-spiced mayo, a sprinkling of grated Cotija cheese and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. 

Which brings me to the past 4th of July. Now the 4th is one of three All-American holidays calling for burgers and hot dogs on the grill, the other two being the summer bookends: Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Of course, a proper cookout must have the full cast of supporting sides: deviled eggs, cole slaw, sweet pickles, and potato salad. Which is to say, lots of time in the kitchen. But with only two of us in the house, I couldn't muster the requisite energy for preparing a full cookout spread.  Thus was born the Mexican Corn Dog: a kosher hot dog topped with savory corn-off-the-cob and wrapped in a flour tortilla. Now if that's not melting pot Americana, I don't know what is.

Last I checked, there was fresh sweet corn from Colorado at Brookshire Brothers and Labor Day approaches. Let the feasting begin ...

Mexican Corn Dogs

Grill or boil some corn.  Cool, then cut the kernels off the cob.  Depending on how much you have, spoon in a little mayo (I use Hellman's), squeeze in some fresh lime juice, then sprinkle on grated Cotija cheese and a dash of chipotle chile powder (optional, but it adds a wonderful smoky heat). Taste and adjust seasonings to suit.

Grill kosher hot dogs (Nathan's if you can find them, or Hebrew National) until gently charred.

Nuke a stack of flour tortillas in the microwave (freshly made if you can find them, or even make your own).

Assemble hot dogs, Mexican corn-off-the-cob and shredded jack cheese on warm tortillas. Best served with Fat Tire or Skinny Dip (but you'll have to go to the Outer Banks or come out to Texas to find those).

- Let's do brunch ... Hill Country style

The breakfast taco is a wonderfully civilized way to put a lot of great flavors and textures together. The palate is as varied as you choose to make it, and with a little advance planning, can make for a simple brunch where you actually get to sit down and enjoy your company.

Of course, in Texas we have the distinct advantage of having access to amazingly fresh food, even in the middle of winter. It’s one of the things I hoped would be true when we headed west, and we’re endlessly delighted by what makes it onto the table every day.

Freshly made flour tortillas are readily available at some of our grocery stores and are the basis for any good taco. However, refrigerated flour tortillas come close, with shelf-stable tortillas a distant third. Or you can make your own (just check the blog index for the recipe).

Fresh chorizo sausage is another Texas joy, found at the HEB (they don’t lie when they say “Here Everything’s Better”). Dried chorizo is a reasonable substitute, just remove the casings and dice it fine. Then there’s the Cotija cheese, (pronounced co-tee-ah). We found a "vaca rica" version that translates as “rich cow.” Ha! Wonder how much fat that has in it? It’s a lick better than the Cotija I used to buy at the Food Lion in Williamsburg, but that will do in a pinch.

Of course my favorite ingredients are the green, tan, and brown eggs from the Dripping Springs Farmers Market. Lucky us, even though the market has closed for the winter, the farmer gives us a call every couple of weeks asking if we want some eggs. It has a slightly illicit feel to it, but we happily go to pick up our stash whenever the opportunity presents itself.

By the way, the eggs were so beautiful that I couldn’t bear to crack them open and throw out the shells. So I carefully blew the insides out and several dozen ended up as Christmas ornaments on our tree this year.

Last, but not least, the produce doesn’t have to travel far to reach us, so Campari tomatoes, jalapenos, organic cilantro, and blissfully ripe avocados are standard occupants in the fridge. Life is good indeed.

Sadly, no pictures were taken the day we had everyone over for breakfast tacos, but since Meliss requested the frittata recipe I figured it was worth a blog. We regret that the Walkers are currently shivering through 6 degree weather in St. Louis. Maybe a Sunday brunch will banish the chilblains and bring back warm memories of the day we played Bagg-o and got sunburned … in December!

Pico de Gallo

Diced Campari tomatoes (or grape tomatoes if you can’t find Camparis)

Finely diced jalapeno (remove seeds and inner membrane with a spoon if you want to lessen the fire)

Finely diced red onion

Chopped cilantro

Lime juice

Kosher salt

I know … no amounts here, but you really can’t do this wrong,

Chorizo Frittata

8 oz. cream cheese (low fat works, ‘though it's sorta pointless here)
8-12 oz. Cotija
Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (canned)
9 large eggs
¾ cup flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup shredded cheese (Mexican mix, Colby, Monterey Jack, whatever)
12 oz. small curd cottage cheese (I used low fat, also sorta pointless)
¼ lb. chorizo sausage (bulk, or taken out of casings and diced)

The night before, melt cream cheese and shredded Cotija together with a couple of diced chipotle chilies and some adobo sauce. This will not make good queso (which is what I was originally trying to make), although it won’t hurt to dunk a few chips in to be sure it tastes okay. Put in a bowl and refrigerate overnight. Cut into cubes once it's firmed up.

Pan fry chorizo until cooked through and set aside.

Beat eggs, then whisk in flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in cottage cheese, shredded cheese, cubed Cotija/cream cheese, and chorizo. Pour into a 9” x 13” casserole sprayed with Baker’s Joy. Bake at 350 … start watching after 30 minutes and take out when set in the middle.

Breakfast Tacos

Flour tortillas (figure on two 6-8” tortillas per person, more if you’re really hungry)
Frittata sliced into tortilla-long fingers (or scrambled eggs if you want to keep it simple)
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Pico de gallo
Avocado wedges
Optional: scallions, potatoes, bacon, sausage, leftover grilled meat or veggies, shrimp … the list is limited only by your imagination

Alternate tortillas with damp paper towels. Nuke in the microwave for 20 seconds on high to warm the tortillas. Flip the stack and repeat if necessary.

Put out the ingredients and let everyone build their own tacos to taste.

- The Dancing Bear: A Love Song in Two Parts

When I was growing up, family drives were pretty much limited to the 80 mile stretch from East Williston to Shelter Island, with the exception of one vacation to Mystic and Sturbridge which covered 350 miles. So it was significant that my folks drove 400 miles to deposit me at the College of William and Mary in 1974, and then returned six weeks later with my brother Art in tow for Parents’ Day.

October 5, 1974 was a classic Williamsburg fall day. The sun was strong, as it had been the year before when I first visited the campus with my dad, but even so the first leaves were starting to drift onto the brick walks around the Sunken Gardens. We went to watch the Indians beat the Citadel in football (no, I don’t actually remember that … I just looked it up in the Flat Hat). Then we headed out to dinner at the King’s Arms, notable only for my first, and last, bowl of peanut soup.

Heading back to my room in DuPont, I passed by the hall telephone (yes, back in the day there was only one phone for a hall of 30 women). Robin was on the phone and called out as I walked by, “What are you doing tonight? Theta Delt is having a band and Andy’s friend needs a date.”

Being a young woman who truly valued the essential goodness in people, I asked, “What does he look like?”  And finally agreed to go only after determining that “Don” was “tall and not bad looking.” An hour later, Andy, Don, and a bottle of Gallo Hearty Burgundy showed up and we were off to Theta Delta Chi to dance the night away. Don, wearing a stylish wide-wale couduroy jacket, had a signature dance move he called the “Dancing Bear." That was all it took; we continued to see each other for weeks, then months, then years ... thirty-five years as of today.

* * * *

When Don suggested we go back to Gruene to listen to music this past weekend, I said yes, since I had an ulterior motive: I wanted to get a picture of the Dancing Bear sign I had spotted a couple of weeks before. We went to the Gristmill for lunch, entering just as Brown Eyed Girl began to play. I asked if Don could remember when Brown Eyed Girl was first recorded, and he replied that it must have been in the early 70s since it was a standard at fraternity parties.  Of course.

Turning to the menus, I settled on tortilla soup (much better than peanut soup at the Kings Arms) and Don opted for grilled trout, washed down with Shiner Bock and Dos Equis respectively. The rains came as we ate, and continued as we walked over to Gruene Hall to hear the McKay Brothers. The rain picked up, drumming a tattoo on the roof of Gruene Hall as it ran down the corrugated tin and and splashed to the ground in beaded-curtain streams. The McKays played on while I danced in my seat to the Beatitudes of Heat, Disappearing Texas and The Pawnee Waltz.

Every so often the weather would let up and we’d debate whether or not to leave. Then the thunder would rumble and we’d reconsider. When the show ended, we were finally forced to brave the rain and found ourselves shin-deep in running water as we crossed the street to the car. After twenty months of drought, it wouldn’t do for the Texas Hill Country to ease into the rainy season I guess.

As we pulled onto Hunter Road I reminded Don that I needed a picture of the Dancing Bears. “Not really,” he said. Yes, really. I rolled down the window as he angled for a shot, then we continued on to I-35, figuring that the low-water crossings on Purgatory Road would surely be flooded, blocking the shorter way home. As we turned onto the interstate, the sun broke through behind us, painting a rainbow onto the clouds and then, with the water flying off the cars ahead of us, the end of the rainbow bent down right in front of us, until we were the end of the rainbow.

Magic happens … (head over the 3/17/2018 post to see how it still does)

Tortilla Soup (revised 1/2015)

Soup:

2-4 cups rotisserie chicken stock

1 sweet yellow onion, diced
2-3 ears of fresh corn sliced off the cob (or a cup of frozen white corn)

1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup or more of fresh tomatoes, diced

2 cups leftover chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

Salt, black pepper, and Chipotle chile powder to taste

Toppings:

Corn tortilla chips (I’m partial to On the Border)

Grated cheese (Monterey Jack and a bit of Cotilla)

Fresh cilantro leaves

Avocado slices

Lime wedges

Heat the chicken stock over medium heat, add the diced onion and corn, simmer for 10 minutes or so while you chop the peppers and dice the chicken. Add the peppers, chicken and roux (optional, add if you want the soup to be more stew-like), then cook gently while you chop and then add the tomatoes. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve once everything is well heated through, being careful not to overcook.

Prep bowls with cheese and crushed corn chips, ladle on the soup, then top with cilantro leaves and avocado slices. Serve with wedges of lime and extra toppings, which can be added to taste.  Ice cold beer is also highly recommended ... Negra Modelo or Shiner Bock come to mind.

- Craving Mexican (well, Tex-Mex anyway)

Wannabe-Yankee that I am (I grew up on Long Island), I always thought that Mexican food was too hot and spicy to handle. Fortunately, Cindy Sedam invited us out to Fort Worth about ten years ago and took us to Joe T. Garcia’s.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history. I fell in love with fajitas, enchiladas, guacamole, and pico-de-gallo (aka salsa) … only to be cautioned that I wouldn’t find the same fare back in Williamsburg. Fortunately, that wasn’t entirely true. Casa Maya, and then Tequila Rose became my go-to haunts for all things Mexican. But they couldn’t hold a candle to Joe T’s … or to Matt’s El Rancho on South Lamar … or to Torchy’s Tacos in the South Austin Trailer Park (hold your fire Austinites … I’m sure there are others, I just haven’t had time to sample them all yet).

So while we were still on the East Coast, I developed my own take on Mexican-style food. I discovered that jalapenos could be tamed by removing the seeds, became adept at timing avocado ripeness, and stalked the local food stores for Cotija. I took a deep breath as I paid $12.99 a pound for skirt steak and $1.99 a bunch for organic cilantro. And I learned how to make my own flour tortillas, the core ingredients of which --flour, lard, salt and water-- are the same as my grandmother’s Depression-era bread recipe.

Now lard can be found in many grocery stores, but I share Michael Pollan’s dim view of animal fat that doesn't need to be refrigerated. Read the fine print on a lard box and you’re apt to find the dreaded word “hydrogenated.” I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to eat something that’s full of saturated fat, I want it to be unadulterated. Fortunately, you can find leaf lard online, which can be portioned and frozen for future use. I’ve also made tortillas with olive oil, and they’re actually pretty good, but there’s nothing like using lard in flour tortillas, absolutely nothing. So find yourself some good lard and make some tortillas. Then you’ll have enough lard leftover to try in your next apple pie crust. At which point you should be well and truly hooked.

East Coast Fajitas (serves 2)

1 lb. skirt steak
Hardwood charcoal for grilling if at all possible

Marinade
3 Tbs. soy sauce (I just eyeball this as it glugs out of the bottle)
3 Tbs. olive oil (ditto)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. cumin
Juice of ½ lime
2 Tbs. brown sugar

Salsa
1 ripe Haas avocado, chunked
½ small red onion, finely diced
½ cup diced ripe tomato
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
Juice of ½ lime
Kosher salt to taste

Tortillas
1 cup flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbs. lard (or olive oil)
1/3 cup water

Optional toppings
Grated Cotija cheese (or queso seco)
Sour cream
Onion and/or red peppers, lightly sautéed in olive oil

Make the tortilla dough at least two hours before you plan to start dinner
Put the water and lard (or olive oil) in the microwave just long enough to warm it
Add to the flour and salt and give them all a spin in the food processor
The resulting dough should come together in a ball without being too sticky or crumbly
Add water or flour as needed to make a nice elastic dough
Let it rest under a damp towel for at least an hour, more if possible

The salsa and marinade can be made about an hour before grilling time
Cut the skirt steak into two to four shorter strips before marinating
Assemble any other toppings as desired
Recruit your favorite grillmaster to get the grilled fired up and the meat cooked rare
Then carve the meat into thin strips just before serving

Try to cook the tortillas while the meat is grilling, so they’re hot when you serve them
You can hold them under a damp towel in a warm oven, but hot off the griddle is best
Divide the dough into 6-8 pieces
Roll into 6-8” circles, using as little flour as possible
Cook on a 400 degree griddle (or a hot frying pan) … do not grease the cooking surface
Flip several times, 20-30 seconds to a side, until each tortilla puffs
You’re aiming for light brown spots … if the pan/griddle starts smoking, turn it down a bit

To serve, layer ingredients onto tortillas, roll up as best you can (good luck with that) and enjoy