Q-Zine Digest Issue 021: Jam-Mex Fiesta

Hey Q-Crew!

Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines so I couldn’t resist finding a way to blend the spicy savory flavors with West Indian cooking. In conceptualizing these recipes I realized there’s already a ton of overlap in the seasonings both cultures use to make hearty filling dishes. So we’re making Jerk Birria Tacos and Jerk Chorizo & Black Bean Queso Dip!

Birria pro-tip: Freeze the leftover consomme in small servings and add them to your next taco night or use as an easy tasty marinade for shredded chicken or beef!

This month’s theme is You’re A Jerk! Well not you, I think you guys are fantastic. But we’re spending the next few weeks incorporating a single element into all of our dishes: jerk seasoning! The recipes run the gamut from mains to sides, Southern to Jamaican to Italian to Mexican, but every dish will feature jerk seasoning as a main ingredient. You can make your own jerk seasoning using the recipe here, or you can purchase a brand like Walkerswoood!

Jerk Birria Tacos

Prep time: 50 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

  • 3lb chuck roast
  • 1lb beef shank
  • 6 guajillo chilies
  • 4 California chilies
  • 3 cooking (plum) tomatoes halved
  • 32 oz. Beef stock
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/3 cup sour orange juice
  • 3 tbsp jerk seasoning
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Taco:
    • Flour tortilla
    • Lime slices
    • Oaxaca cheese
    • Diced onion
    • Cilantro

Step 1: Cut the chuck roast into large chunks.

Step 2: Mix the meat with 1 tbsp jerk seasoning and set aside.

Step 3: Bring 16oz of beef stock to a boil then remove from heat.

Step 4: Remove seeds and stems from all of the dried chilies.

Step 5: Toast the chilies for one minute in a dry skillet on medium high heat being careful to not burn them.

Step 6: Place the toasted chilies into the broth and let soak for 30 minutes.

Step 7: Pour broth and chilies into a blender and add tomatoes, onion, garlic, 3 bay leaves, jerk seasoning, sour orange juice, salt, and oregano.

Step 8: Blend until smooth.

Step 9: Brown the meat with the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.

Step 10: Pour the consomme mixture over the beef and add the remaining stock and water.

Step 11: Cover and simmer on medium low heat for 3 hours until the beef is fork tender.

Step 12: Remove the meat from the consomme and shred, discarding the bones.

Step 13: Dunk the Tortillas in the consomme and place in a frying pan or griddle over medium heat.

Step 14: Top with cheese and shredded beef and fold.

Step 15: Brown/crisp on both sides then remove.

Step 16: Serve with consomme topped with chopped onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice!

Jerk Chorizo & Black Bean Queso Dip

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Servings: 5-10 depending on serving size.

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz roasted red bell pepper chopped
  • 4 oz green chilies
  • 8 oz canned black beans drained
  • 16 oz fresh beef chorizo
  • 1 tbsp jerk seasoning
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar
  • 8 oz shredded oaxaca (or mozzarella)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro chopped

Step 1: Mix the shredded cheeses together.

Step 2: In a nonstick pan on medium high heat, cook and crumble the chorizo.

Step 3: Dab the chorizo with paper towel to remove excess grease. You may need a lot of paper towel depending on the chorizo.

Step 4: Stir in the black beans. After a few minutes, remove about 1/2 cup of the chorizo/bean mix and set aside.

Step 5: Stir in the red peppers, green chilies.

Step 6: Stir in the jerk seasoning, oregano, and cilantro.

Step 7: Stir in half of the shredded cheese until the cheese is melted.

Step 8: Top with the rest of the cheese blend and cover until all the cheese is melted.

Step 9: Uncover and put the saved the chorizo mix in the center for presentation.

Step 10: Serve with tortillas or tortilla chips.

Now on Ko-fi

For The (Food) Lovers E-Cookbook!

This PDF mobile cookbook is designed to be easily viewed on your phone so that you have all the recipes on hand exactly when you need them!

Grab an Extra Helping on Ko-fi

Let's Connect! Find Me On

Subscribe to Q-Zine Digest!

Contemporary and fusion West Indian cooking... or whatever else I think up #LetHerCook