As I stroll through the Mercado Central de Abastos, la madre of all Mexican markets, I am in awe. I see exotic fresh and dry chile varieties you just don’t see in the United States. There are fondas (small, street-side restaurants) serving amazing tacos al pastor (spicy marinated pork), tacos de buche (stomach), huaraches (similar to sopes and tostadas), elote (roasted corn-on-the-cob), and esquites (pan-fried or lightly sautéed corn, perhaps with onion, often accented with epazote). Vendors offer cheeses and sausages, as well as every domestic farm creature, including goats split in half from nose to tail. Raw meats, such as cabrito (baby goat), pork, veal, beef and poultry hang from meat hooks with no refrigerators in sight. The freshest seafood, produce of every kind, dried legumes and rice are all available. The list goes on and on…
I’m on a mission to find the next big thing in fresh Mexican food, to be translated for my employer in the form of a limited-time offer or a full-time menu addition.
So what did I take away? For one, I picked up the gold standard for tacos al pastor. I also noticed a recurring theme: bold flavor and tradition.
Setting a fine example
In an ongoing effort to take the pulse of Mexican cooking here in the United States, in addition to continued test kitchen experimentation, a chef has to get out of the kitchen and dine in restaurants—a lot. I’m a believer that food trends start at the fine-dining level and “trickle down,” so I try to pay special attention to the top of the Mexican food chain.
First on my list of chefs to watch is classically French trained, Mexico City native—and the culinary force behind upscale Mexican chain Rosa Mexicano—Roberto Santibanez. He also opened Fonda in Brooklyn, NY. He’s bringing an urban spin to classic regional Mexican cuisine that is widely held to be one of the contemporary gold standards in upscale Mexican dining.
