5 Recipes to Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

This September, we celebrate the rich and beautiful culture of our Hispanic neighbors from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America. They have come to our shores and contributed a heritage unlike no other. 

From the language to the cultural dances, up to the delectable cuisine originating from their uniquely Hispanic taste, they have enriched the world. Their love for food and family gatherings are one of the most cherished experiences they share with us.

We are privileged to honor their tradition by bringing you these 5 delicious Hispanic recipes for cooking in your authentic pizza oven.

1. Wood fired Mexican Corn on the Cobb

Ingredients

• 4 Ears of Corn, husk peeled back, and silk removed
• 2 Tbsp Sour Cream
• 2 Tbsp Mayo
• 1 Clove of Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp of Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tsp Chili Flakes
• 50g Feta Cheese
• 25g Parmesan
• Pinch Cayenne (optional)
• Lime wedges to serve

Directions

1. Heat your woodfired pizza oven to 177 degrees Celsius.

2. Wrap the corn in tin foil and cook for around 15 minutes.

3. While the corn is cooking, mix the sour cream, mayo, and garlic and set to the side.

4. When the corn is finished cooking, remove the foil wrapping and brush generous with the sour cream mix.

5. Smother the corn with the Feta cheese and Parmesan cheese before mixing the spices.

6. Sprinkle the spices over the top of the corn.

2. Taco Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ pound 90% lean ground sirloin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ cup refried beans
• 1/3 cup salsa
• 1 (12 ounces) choice of pizza dough, at room temperature
• 4 ounces (About 1 cup) Colby Jack Cheese, shredded *For best results, shred your own cheese)
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Cilantro sprigs and sliced jalapeno (optional)

Directions

1. Heat your woodfired pizza oven to approximately 370 degrees Celsius.

2. Place your skillet in your oven until it is warm. Add beef, stirring it until it has crumbled. Sprinkle the beef with chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, and garlic powder; cook until done, and continue stirring until the beef is crumbled to the desired texture.

3. Combine refried beans and salsa, stirring well

4. Roll or stretch the dough into the desired size on a lightly floured pizza peel. Spread the refried beans mixture over the dough, leaving a 1" border around the edge. Top evenly with beef; sprinkle beef evenly with cheese. Sprinkle evenly with tomatoes and green onions.

5. Mash avocado in a small bowl; stir in cilantro, lime juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set guacamole aside until the pizza is done.

6. Carefully slide the dough into your oven using a pizza peel. Close the oven door. Cook pizza until dough is browned and blistered on edges and pizza is done, carefully rotating pizza for between 1½ and 3 minutes total. Remove the pizza from the oven using a pizza peel. Cut into 8 slices.

Serve with cilantro wedges and jalapeño slices, if desired.

3. Mexican Chicken Chipotle

Image source: ourcookingjourney.com

Ingredients

• Salt. black pepper and vegetable oil
• 6 chicken drumsticks or thighs with skin on and bone in
• 5 red piquillo peppers
• 3 tsp of chipotle chilies paste
• 1 tsp of dried chili flakes
• 2 tsp of ground cumin
• 2 tsp of dried oregano
• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 400 g can of plum tomatoes
• 1tsp of caster sugar
• 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Bring your woodfired pizza oven to a temperature of around 200 degrees Celsius.

2. Roast the piquillo peppers until the skin gets a perfect char, nice and black all around.

3. Marinate the chicken while the pepper is roasting. In a deep tray, add a good bit of vegetable oil, a good pinch of salt and black pepper, chipotle, cumin, and oregano. Add the chicken and mix well so the chicken is fully coated from the spices and the chipotle paste.

4. Once the piquillo peppers are done, then transfer them to a bowl and cover them with cling film. Leave them to rest.

5. Add the marinated chicken to the oven and let it roast until nice and golden. Keep the temperature of the oven between 180 and 200 degrees Celsius with a small flame.

6. Prepare the tomato sauce while the chicken is cooking. In a bowl add the plum tomatoes, a pinch of salt and black pepper, red wine vinegar, sugar, chopped garlic, and chili flakes. Take the skin off from the pepper and remove the seeds, roughly chop them, and add them to the tomato sauce. Mix them all together and crush the plum tomatoes.

7. Once the chicken is nice and golden, remove it from the tray and rest on one side. Add the tomato sauce to the same tray where you cooked the chicken and place the chicken back on top.

8. Roast until the tomato sauce has thickened and the chicken looks nice and caramelized.

Enjoy with some Mexican rice or tortillas.

Recipe from: ourcookingjourney.com

4. Wood-Fired Pork Carnitas

Image source: cafedelites.com

Originally from Mexico, pork carnitas was introduced by the Spanish during their conquests. The Mexican word carnitas means small meat. It is a popular Mexican recipe that is made by slow cooking pork shoulder, then shredding and roasting it. This dish is similar to pulled pork, except it is oven roasted after slow cooking.

A standard version of this dish is prepared by slow cooking pork fat in a spiced braising liquid and searing it just before serving. As a result, you get a tender and crispy delicacy. It depends on what you prefer, whether you want it tender or crisp.

It can be cooked in any oven, but a woodfired pizza oven is recommended for the best results. By using a woodfired oven, your pork will cook faster and retain its flavorful internal juiciness. Your pork carnitas will also have a distinct flavor from the smoke from the wood. Keep in mind, that a woodfired pizza oven cooks faster. You may want to keep an eye on your cooking to avoid your food drying out.

Here is a recipe specifically prepared to be cooked in a wood-fired oven.

Ingredients

• 2.5 kg of pork tenderloin or pork shoulder. Remove the skin.
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 large onion minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons mild chili powder
• 3 teaspoons of salt
• 5 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice; this should be 3 to 4
• 2 lemons in juice
• 1 cup chicken broth and a little more for more liquid for braising (about 3 cups total)
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. While preparing the rest of the ingredients, light your woodfired pizza oven and let it heat to approximately 340 degrees Celsius.

2. Rinse the pork shoulder, then pat it dry. In a small bowl, combine salt, oregano, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and olive oil. Work the spice mix all over the pork to cover it well. After that, place the pork in a small roasting pan. To prevent toughening before the pork is cooked, make sure the fatty side is up.

3. Add the chopped onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, orange, and lime juices to the chicken stock and mix well. Prepare a puree by blending the ingredients and then pour it over the pork. The tightened pan should be covered with foil and placed in your wood-fired pizza oven. 

4. Make sure all sides cook evenly by rotating the pan every half hour. It takes about 4 hours to cook through. Make sure the temperature does not fall below 340 degrees Celsius. About two or three hours into the cooking process, check how much liquid is left in the braising pot. You can add a cup or two of liquid if you feel there is not enough liquid left and cook for the remaining time.

5. After the time is up, the pork will be done when the internal temperature reaches 65 degrees Celsius. Remove it from the pan slowly and let it cool. Don't discard leftover braising liquid.

6. Pull the pork apart with your fingers or shred it finely using forks once it has cooled.

7. Ensure you have 1-2 cups of braising liquid left over after cooking. Once the pork has finished cooking, reduce any excess liquid on the stove. As soon as the braising liquid cools, skim off any fat.

8. Preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.

9. The pulled pork should be seared in two-minute batches. Keep the skillet from being crowded. It can be layered and divided into batches as needed. You can add some of the braising liquid to keep the pork from drying out.

The purpose of searing on one side only is to enhance the flavor and texture of the meat, so do not stir the pork while it is searing. Mixing it will lose its tender-crisp quality.

The versatility of pork carnitas cannot be overstated. This dish can be eaten in many ways. You can use it as filling for burritos or tacos or topping for burgers or nachos as well as in salads.

5. Beef Empanadas

Image Source: amigofoods.com

Ingredients

• Empanada Dough (La Saltena & Goya are both good brands)
• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 2 Onions, diced
• 4 tbsp. Butter
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup Green Olives, pitted & diced
• 2 Hard Boiled Eggs, diced
• 1 Egg with water for egg wash

Directions

1. Heat your woodfired pizza oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place a large cast iron skillet just inside the oven to heat up. Melt the butter in the skillet, add the onions, and move the skillet inside the oven close to the fire. Sauté until just before they begin to turn golden, stirring occasionally.

3.  Add the beef to the skillet and season with the paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, breaking up the beef, and place inside the oven close to the fire, stirring occasionally.

4. Once the beef has been browned, remove it from the oven, allow the fire to die down, and allow the meat mixture to cool. Stir in the chopped olives and hard-boiled eggs and refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Separate the empanada shells and place them on a lightly floured surface. Place a spoonful of the meat mixture on each round. Avoid reaching the edges of the pastry with the filling because its oiliness will prevent good sealing.

6. Slightly wet the edge of the pastry, fold in two, and stick the edges together. Seal by twisting the edge between the thumb and index finger, making sure to add pressure before releasing the pinch and moving on to the next curl.

7. Once the fire has completely died and the temperature has reached 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then remove the ashes and sweep the floor. Place empanadas on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Be sure to prick each empanada with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking. *At this point, you can cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. *

8. Once you are ready to bake, simply glaze the empanadas with the egg wash and place the baking sheets inside your oven and close the oven door to maintain a steady temperature and moisture. Bake until golden, about 10-12 minutes.

Cooking with your Authentic Pizza Oven

We are grateful to our friends from the Hispanic world as they brought along flavorful and memorable recipes we can all share with our own families like they do. It becomes even more delightful when you cook using your wood-fired, old tradition, authentic pizza oven as it brings out that distinct, smoky taste like no other.

For more recipes, follow the Authentic Pizza Oven blog.

Contact us:

We ship daily out of *Houston, USA    *Toronto, Canada  *Sydney, Australia

602-482-1000

info@authenticpizzaovens.com

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