Skip to main content

Mexican Feast To Be Shared With Friends

Mexican Fiesta Table

I rarely think about doing holiday posts, well maybe except for Christmas or New Year and it wasn’t until last week that I was editing these pictures that I realized I was going to post close or on Cinco de Mayo. However, holiday aside, this is a feast with friends I would do over in a heartbeat!

 

Pork Tacos

Nathan and I got together for another Sunday Play Day in the kitchen and behind the camera. Our idea was to cook and shoot a big feast, a meal that we would both serve to friends or cook with them. I can’t recall how we got to the Mexican theme however but sure is pretty fitting now! 

Mojo marinated pork skewers in soft corn taco shells, salsa verde, pico de gallo, grilled baby onions, spicy pickled veggies, elote, rice and beans, grilled nopales were on the menu!

 

Elote

What I love about this meal is that each part comes together rather quickly even with its multicomponent aspect. Some elements can be bough ahead of time instead of trying to make them yourselves. For example, the soft tacos that we ended up grilling, as well as the chicharrones, were purchased at a local Mexican market, along with the tortilla chips and spicy pickled vegetables.

 

Watermelon Margarita

We got caught up in the festive mood of our shoot and added a Watermelon Margarita cocktail at the last minute. It was actually really nice to have an afternoon of nibbling and sipping cocktails while shooting and creating images with the light, colors and composition that we wanted. I think all of our play days so far have included a cocktail and we don’t plan on changing that!! 

Cinco de Mayo or not, this Mexican orientated spread will make an an appearance many times over on my table this summer. Round up the meal with the flourless chocolate cake I posted recently and you are sure to make people belly happy!!

Mojo Pork Tacos:

Serves 4 to 6

Marinade Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp dried oregano

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch pieces

Pico de Gallo Ingredients:

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed and finely chopped

1 lime, juiced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

salt to taste

Remaining ingredients:

4 to 6 soft corn or flour tortilla shells

Cilantro

Mix together the marinade ingredients. Place the pork in a zip top bag, pour marinade over and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (do not go over 24 hours)

Mix together pico de gallo ingedients and season to taste.

Light a gas grill over medium- high heat. Remove pork from marinade and thread on metal or soaked bamboo skewers.

Grill pork on lightly greased grill grates for roughly 4-6 minutes on both sides, depending on thickness, making sure there is some char and the pork is cooked through.

Grill the soft tortilla for about a minute on both sides so get some charring also. 

Serve pork with tortillas, pico de gallo, cilantro and desired accompaniments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elote (Mexican street corn), slightly adapted from Serious Eats.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder

6 ears shucked corn

3/4 cup finely crumbled cotija 

1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

Light a gas grill over medium high heat. While the gas gets hot,  mix together mayo combine mayonnaise, paprika, chili powder, in a large bowl. Stir until well incorporated and set aside.

Pull the husk back on each ear of corn and tie with some kitchen twine. When the grill is ready, place corn directly over and cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and charred on all sides, about 8 minutes total.

Transfer the corn to a platter and spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over each ear of corn, making sure to coat all sides. Sprinkle with cheese and serve with lime wedges. Dust with additional ancho chili powder or smoked paprika if desired.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watermelon Margarita:

Serve 6 (theoretically…)


Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups cubed and seeded watermelon

1/2 cup tequila

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Triple Sec

Directions:

Combine the watermelon and next 4 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Divide evenly among 6 glasses filled with ice. 

Related Posts

Similar Articles


Comments


ih May 10, 2015 um 12:45 am

thanks for sharing..


ratna June 1, 2015 um 3:23 am

I recently received your food photography book as a gift and enjoying it thoroughly.Thank you!


Marius @ Worktops.co June 2, 2015 um 9:21 am

I LOVE Mexican food but this list is out of this world! I'm making this ASAP!!


Write a Comment