Last week, England played in the final 16 match of the FIFA World Cup at the Estadio Azteca, and the media was full of all things Mexican. Now, if asked to come up with Mexican food, most people, and I include myself, could probably manage chilli, tortillas, maybe enchiladas, but Mexican cuisine is far more varied with lots of interesting regional specialities. From the complex flavours of mole, a sauce that is served with beef or turkey at weddings and festivals, to today’s recipe Discada Norteña, Mexican cooking is well worth exploring.
Discada Norteña is a mixed meat stew that is slowly braised in beer. Popular in the northern states, it was said to have been originally prepared in tractor plough discs that were adapted for cooking. The result is rather like a large, shallow wok used to cook over an open fire and the dish is popular at large social gatherings. Discada, as it is popularly known, is a meat lover's dream.
Every family has its own recipe, but they can contain a combination of beef, pork, bacon, sausages and chorizo. The dish is flavoured principally by the chorizo which in Mexico is not cured and crumbles into the dish and contains ancho chillies, cumin, paprika and cinnamon. The finished dish is served scooped into tacos or with beans and bread.
There are several authentic Mexican beers available in the UK and many of these are based originally on Vienna pilsner-style lagers. They have light, crisp flavour profiles with a low bitterness. Obviously, I wanted to use something that is brewed a little closer to home and chose Thornbridge’s Favorito (4.5 per cent ABV). Brewed with flaked maize for a smooth mouth feel and with added lime for a zesty hit, this lager is a great summer beer to take to the beach and is perfect to use in the recipe and to drink with the finished dish.
Favorito also contains a little sea salt so be careful when seasoning the dish and only add salt if needed at the end of cooking. There is a tradition in northern Mexico that is better to lack salt than to have leftover food and to leave the seasoning to each diner. This recipe will be sufficient to serve around eight people with tortillas, beans, guacamole and a few chilled beers.
Discada Norteña
1kg pork shoulder, diced
500g braising steak, diced
400g Mexican chorizo
350g smoked bacon
300g smoked sausage
3 large white onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 red peppers, diced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tins Thornbridge Favorito
2 serrano peppers
A generous glug of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 bunch fresh coriander
2tsp smoked paprika
1tsp oregano
Half tsp thyme
Half tsp ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pour the olive oil into a wide, heavy-bottomed pan and add the bacon. Place over a medium heat and cook until the bacon is nice and brown. This part of the cooking is very important as it helps build up the layers of flavours. Remove the bacon and set aside.
Crumble in the chorizo and cook slowly, releasing the highly flavoured fat until it too is browned. Remove and set aside with the bacon. Now separately brown the pork and beef, then set them aside too.
In the remaining oil, soften the onion and garlic then add the chilli pepper, herbs and spices and return all of the meat to the pan. Pour in the tomatoes and beer and stir together. Bring to a simmer and cook, allowing the liquid to slowly reduce as the meat tenderises.
After 50 minutes add the sliced sausage and diced peppers, and continue cooking until the pork and beef are cooked. Before serving, remove from the heat and add the chopped coriander and check the seasoning.
