Cinco De Mayo Fiesta - Food, Fun and Friends!
By TVT Staff


For millions of Americans, the unofficial start of summer begins with a margarita, Mexican food and a toast to Cinco de Mayo (May 5th). But, contrary to the widely held belief, Cinco de Mayo, The Fifth of May, is not the celebration of Mexico's Independence Day.

The holiday of Cinco de Mayo, the fifth of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla, but is also celebrated in other parts of the country and in U.S. cities with a significant Mexican population. It is not, as many people think, Mexico's Independence Day, which is actually September 16.

We decided to share some of our favorite Mexican food and drink recipes showcasing some of the best in Margaritas, tequilas, and other spirits. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Salud! (Cheers!)

Food Recipes:

Camarones Borrachos (Drunken Shrimp) Courtesy of Chef Salvador Martinez from Casa Cocina, Las Vegas

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15 Jumbo shrimp
1 1/2 oz. butter
1 Tbs. onion
2 tsp. fresh Cilantro
1/2 tsp. Chipotle Chile
2 oz. Anejo Tequila
to taste Salt & Pepper

1. Peel and devein the shrimp.
2. Chop onion finely
3. Wash the cilantro in several changes of water, dry it by squeezing it in a towel, and then chop in finely.
4. Mash the chiptole chile (a smoked jalapeno packed in small cans with adobo sauce. Available at most groceries).
5. Heat a saute pan or frying pan over a high flame. Add butter and onions.
6. Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
7. When pan begins to sizzle, add the shrimp. Stir fry until shrimp are almost cooked, approximately 3 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the heat, add the tequila and return it to the flame. Be careful when adding the tequila because it may flame up.
9. Cook the shrimp for another 2 minutes, add the cilantro, and remove the pan from the fire.
10. Taste the juice in the pan and season it with a salt and pepper. Enjoy.

Fruits of the Sea Stewed w/ Chili Peppers Courtesy of Casamangna Marriott Puerto Vallarta

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Ingredients - one portion

2 oz of olive oil
2 oz of onion, chopped
1 oz of julienne fresh red Chile guajillo
2 julienne scallions
2 oz of Coconut milk
½ oz wheat flour
6 mussels
6 clams in the shell
8 oz of Red Snapper, cut into pieces
6 shrimp

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large pan on low, add the onion and chili peppers and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the mussels, shrimp, clams and Red Snapper. Cook lightly on both sides. Add coconut milk. Simmer for eight minutes until the clams and mussels open, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove unopened clams and mussels.

To serve:

In a large plate, arrange the mussels around the rim of serving plate. Place the clams and fish in center and top with the shrimp. Decorate with remaining chili peppers. Add sauce and a dash of fresh basil.

Carnitas Caseras (Tender braised pork) Chef Alfredo Tolalin from Casa Cocina, Las Vegas

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3 lbs Boneless Pork Butt
1/2 lb. Lard or vegetable shortening
2 Fresh Oranges
1/2 cup Milk
3/4 cup Coca Cola
1/4 cup Honey
to taste Salt & Pepper

1. Cut pork into 2 inch cubes
2. Combine pork, lard (or vegetable shortening)and milk in a large pot.
3. Cut oranges in half, squeeze the juice into the pot, then put the oranges into the pot as well.
4. Bring the up to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and slowly simmer it until meat is tender, approximately 2 hours.
5. Add the Coca Cola and the honey to the pot and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
6. Serve with warm tortillas, rice and beans

Beef Fajitas Courtesy of Casamagna Marriott Cancun Resorts

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3 lb flank (or skirt) steak, trimmed
10 ounces ¼” julienne green pepper
10 ounces yellow onion, cut into fourths
1 tbsp peanut oil
30 6” flour tortillas
2 ½ cups of Mexican salsa
2 ½ cups of guacamole
2 ½ cups of sour cream
1 ½ lb of refried beans
5 oz of jack cheese, shredded

Preparation:

Cut well-trimmed flanks lengthwise into 4-5” widths. If skirt steak, trim well, but leave whole. To prepare marinade, combine soy sauce, fresh lime juice and garlic powder. Place trimmed meat into shallow pan(s). Add marinade, using a ratio of 2 ½ cups to every 3 lbs of meat. Let set, then refrigerate for 1 to 1 ½ hours (if longer, meat will be very salty). Remove meat and drain on a rack. If not for immediate cooking, cover and refrigerate for same day’s use. Cook flank or skirt steak on a medium broiler until rare to medium rare. Remove to a cutting surface. Slice meat across the grain at a slight angle into ¼” strips. Heat peanut oil, then lightly sauté julienne green pepper and onion, add beef strips, and continue to sauté over high heat until partially brown, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Use 4 ounces of beef, 1 ounce green pepper and 1 ounce of the onion portion. Meanwhile, warm tortillas on a grill until softened.

To serve, transfer 6 ounces of sautéed beef/vegetable mixture to a very hot serving dish or skillet (possibly sizzling). Present 3 warm tortillas, rolled, folded or flat in a covered manner. In appropriate size containers, serve 2 ounces of sour cream, 2 ounces of guacamole and 2 ounces of Mexican salsa. Add 3 ounces of hot refried beans

topped with a ½ ounce of shredded cheese. Serve immediately.

Makes 10 servings.

FAJITA MARINADE Courtesy of Casamagna Marriott Cancun Resorts

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1 ½ cups of pineapple juice, canned
1½ cups of fresh orange juice
1 ½ cups of wine
1 ½ cups of soy sauce
2 ½ tbsp of white pepper
5 tsp of garlic clove, minced
10 red chili peppers, dried
½ cup of peanut oil
2 tbsp of orange rind
5 tbsp of lemon rind
3 oz cilantro, fresh

Combine all ingredients.

Makes 10 servings.

Sonoran Enchiladas Courtesy of Aunt Chilada's,Pointe South Mountain Resort, Phoenix

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Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds Masa
3 ounces Shredded cheese
1/4 cup Yellow onions
1/2 tablespoon Salt
3/4 cup Water

Procedure:

In a large mixing bowl, add masa, cheese, onions, salt and water. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. On a floured cutting board, form mixture into round masa balls, top with a little flour and press down evenly to form flat patties. Deep fry in vegetable oil on both sides until golden brown. Top with enchilada sauce and cheese.

Guacamole Courtesy of Cancun Marriott Resort & Spa

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Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
2 tsp of white onion, diced
2 tbsp of tomato, diced
1 tbsp of cilantro, chopped
2 tsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of sour cream

Place avocado in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the onion, cilantro, lemon juice and sour cream. Finally, add the tomato and mix well.

Salsa Botanera Courtesy of Cancun Marriott Resort & Spa

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1 cup of water, hot
1 lb of green tomato
3 tbsp of white onion, diced
2 tsp of Serrano chili, chopped
1 tsp of garlic, chopped
2 tbsp of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 ripe avocados

Sauté green tomato, white onion, Serrano chili and garlic for one minute on low heat. Add the water and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Let mixture cool down to room temperature before adding half of the cilantro and one avocado. Mix ingredients. Add diced avocado and the rest of the ingredients.

Salsa de Olivo (Olive Salsa) Courtesy of Aunt Chilada's, Pointe South Mountain Resort, Phoenix

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Ingredients:

4 12 ounce cans tomatoes, diced
1 8- ounce can olives, chopped and drained
1 10-ounce can green chilies, diced
2 Yellow onion, julienned
2 ounces Green onions, chopped coarse
2 ounces Cilantro, chopped coarse
1 1/2 ounces Jalapeños, pureed
1/2 cup Fresh yellow hot peppers, pureed
1 ounce Lime juice
1 teaspoon Salt

Procedure:

Crush whole tomato into a two-gallon container. Take special cared to remove skin and cores. Remove stems of jalapeños and yellow hots with a little water in a blender cup. Combine all ingredients. Makes 1 gallon.

Lime – Cilantro – Tequila Sorbet Courtesy of Gotham Bar and Grill

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Ingredients
1 ¼ cup Milk
1 ¼ cup Water
1 1/8 cup Sugar
1 cup Fresh Squeezed lime juice
1 cup Coarsely chopped cilantro (loose)
¼ cup “Silver or White” Tequila
Pinch of salt

Place milk, water, sugar and cilantro in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil.Place the mixture in a container and into an ice bath so it can cool.Once the mixture is cooled, strain over the lime juice. Put all the ingredients in the blender until smooth. Strain the mixture one more time and than add the tequila and salt.

Chill well and freeze according to ice machine instructions.

Drink Recipes