Cinco de Mayo may come and go but our love for Mexican food will never go away. One day is definitely not enough to celebrate the Mexican holiday, especially if that means enjoying different Cinco de Mayo recipes.
Since people are stuck in their homes nowadays, it would be a good idea to prepare Mexican meals for you and your family to commemorate the Battle of Puebla. This important piece of Mexican history saw General Ignacio Zaragoza and his courageous men defeat the French army despite being outnumbered. This happened in 1862 and Americans have been celebrating Cinco de Mayo since 1863.
Ree Drummond’s Beef Taco
LeBron James tried to get exclusive rights to the phrase “Taco Tuesday” but was denied. He also got called out for doing an offensive and stereotypical Mexican accent reminiscent of Speedy Gonzales. Despite these issues, it can’t be denied that tacos are one of the best things that our Mexican brothers and sisters introduced to the country.
Despite the current coronavirus lockdown, people will also not be denied from enjoying their own versions of this delectable Mexican dish on Cinco de Mayo, which happens to fall on a Tuesday this year.
The version we have here is courtesy of blogger Ree Drummond. She first preheated the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit then sautéed 1/2 diced yellow onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. She then added 2 pounds ground beef and cooked it until brown. For your ground beef, you can opt for American Wagyu Ground Beef from Snake River Farms.
Drain the fat then add half teaspoons each of chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper along with 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Stir to combine then add 1/2 cup hot water. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Warm your fajita-sized flour tortillas in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes while prepare the “toppings” for your tacos. Dice 15 Roma tomatoes, shred 1 head green leaf lettuce, and grate 1 pound Cheddar Jack cheese. Warm the taco shells in the oven right before serving to make them crisp.
Mexican Spice-Rubbed Rib Eyes with Lime Butter
You can’t have a feast without a juicy Ribeye steak. Give yours a Cinco de Mayo twist by peppering it with Mexican spice. For this recipe, you’ll need four 12-ounce, boneless rib eye steaks that are one inch thick each.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtxEE_npsoY
Preheat a grill then prepare two small bowls for the ingredients. In one bowl, mix 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, and a pinch of Kosher salt. In the other bowl, mix 1 1/2 teaspoons each of sweet paprika, ground cumin, and chipotle powder. Rub the mixture all over the steaks.
Add a bit of vegetable oil on the grate then grill the steaks. Grill over moderately high heat for about 12 minutes or until slightly charred making sure you turn the meat over once. This should give you medium-rare steaks. Top with the lime butter and let stand for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
Barefoot Contessa’s Guacamole
Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, shared her version of the classic Mexican dish and Cinco de Mayo staple – guacamole. As seen in the video below, the Food Network star simply mixed all the ingredients in a large wooden bowl. She first sliced 4 ripe Haas avocados in half then took the pit out before scooping the flesh into the bowl. Next, Garten added 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice to the bowl. The handheld wooden reamer she used to get the juice out of the lemon is similar to the OXO 1064758 Good Grips Wooden Reamer.
Garten then added 8 dashes hot pepper sauce, 1 diced small red onion, 1 minced large garlic clove, and a teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. She tossed the ingredients in a large bowl with her hands, which were washed thoroughly, of course. After finely dicing the avocados, she then added 1 seeded and small-diced medium tomato. Finally, she mixed the ingredients one more time before adding salt and pepper to taste.
Crispy Corn Tortillas with Chicken and Cheddar
This Cinco de Mayo recipe from food expert Grace Parisi puts a lot more crunch to your favorite corn tortillas. It starts with 2 jalapenos skewered and roasted over flame for 3 minutes or until blackened. Wrap in foil to allow them to cool slightly and then remove the skins and seeds. Chop the jalapenos finely then place in a bowl. Add 2 cups finely shredded roast chicken, 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds. Season with salt and pepper then toss everything well.
Next, wrap the tortillas in a towel and place in microwave. Heat them at high power for a minute. Pack half of the chicken filling on the tortillas then roll tightly into cylinders. Use toothpicks to secure the rolls. Deep fry the flautas over moderate heat for 4 minutes or until golden and crisp.
This popular Cinco de Mayo will not be complete without a dip. This one calls for sour cream. A side of vegetable salad completes this Mexican meal. Simply toss 4 thinly sliced radishes, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion, a teaspoon of fresh lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks before serving everything. Below is a video of a recipe of chicken taquitos, which is similar to this one.
Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip
Who doesn’t love cheese? Make the most of this dairy goodness by incorporating it even more to your Cinco de Mayo recipes. This time, we’re putting more cheesiness to our dips.
In a large bowl, whisk together 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, juice of 1 lime, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and a pinch of kosher salt. Then add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 minced jalapeño, a couple of 15-ounce cans of corn, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, 1/4 cup crumbled feta, 2 chopped green onions, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Mix well with your spatula.
Place everything in a baking dish then add another 1/4 cup of Monterey Jack. Bake in a preheated oven for up to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Finish with a drizzle of hot sauce and add a bit more cilantro. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips or the crispy corn tortillas above.
Margarita Cocktail
Cinco de Mayo has become synonymous with partying and alcohol. Sadly, you can’t go out right now to celebrate the Mexican holiday by getting sloshed with your friends. What you can do is bring the party home. Of course, you can’t invite anyone over because of the social distancing guidelines but you can enjoy some fancy beverages at home by yourself or with your lockdown mates.
Fortunately for you, margarita is quite easy to make as long as you have everything you need. It also goes well with most Cinco de Mayo recipes.
To make your cocktail, you’ll need 1 1/2 ounces tequila, 1/2 ounce triple sec 1 ounce lime juice, and lime wedge. You may also use salt or sugar for rimming. Choose high quality tequila and triple sec to make the best cocktail drink possible. For the tequila, go for a blanco or reposado tequila. Cointreau is the recommended triple sec. Use fresh lime, as well.
Chill the cocktail glass in the refrigerator first. Once they’re chilled enough, take them out and slide the lime wedge along the rim of the glass. Dip or roll the rim in salt or sugar. You can skip this part if you don’t like that salty or sugary first few sips.
For the actual drink, pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker then fill it with ice cubes. Channel your inner Brian Flanagan and shake that shaker. Pour the drink into the cocktail glass. You may add ice if you prefer. Finally, garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy. Below is another way of making the popular margarita drink.
You don’t have to stick to the classic Cinco de Mayo recipes. Let your imaginative juices flow and give these traditional Mexican dishes your own flair. The ones we listed down here are a mix of traditional recipes and versions of some well-known food connoisseurs. Check out more recipes at Gentleman Pirate Club.
