Olive Oil Zucchini Bread

Olive Oil Zucchini Bread

This moist loaf, made with olive oil and yogurt, is less sweet and more complexly flavored than most zucchini breads. Grated lemon zest gives a gentle brightness, while brown sugar adds a caramel sweetness, and cinnamon makes it spicy and rich. Serve slices plain or buttered, or spread thickly with cream cheese for a more tangy and luscious variation.

Yield: One 8-inch loaf

Butter, for the pan

1½ cups/185 grams grated zucchini  

⅔ cup/140 grams light brown sugar

⅓ cup/80 milliliters olive oil (or other oil such as safflower or canola)

⅓ cup/80 milliliters plain Greek yogurt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon/5 milliliters vanilla extract

1½ cups/190 grams all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon/3 grams salt

½ teaspoon/3 grams baking soda

½ teaspoon/2 grams baking powder

1½ teaspoons/4 grams ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon/1 gram ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon/2 grams finely grated lemon zest

½ cup/55 grams chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to mix together the grated zucchini, sugar, olive oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest and spices in a separate bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the walnuts if using.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 to 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The bread will be done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a rack completely before cutting and serving.

TIP: I divided the batter in a 12-cup greased muffin pan so it's done faster at 18 minutes. Don't have walnuts, used choco chips instead. Perfection -moist and yummy.

I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup, and added 1/2 tsp each ginger and/or cardamom. It added a nice complexity to the flavor.

The $250 Cookie Recipe

The $250 Cookie Recipe

Almost everybody has heard the one about the woman lunching at the Neiman Marcus Cafe in Dallas, who enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies so much that she asked for the recipe. For "only two-fifty," the waitress said, it was hers. But when the credit card bill arrived, the woman found the total near $300. Turns out the recipe cost $250, the story goes. In 1997, after years of enduring the myth, Neiman Marcus came up with a recipe – and gave it out for free. It's a delicious variation on chocolate chip cookies, using ground oatmeal, nuts and adding extra chocolate with a grated Hershey bar (you can use any brand you love).

Yield: About 55 cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2½ cups oatmeal

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

12 ounces chocolate chips

14 -ounce milk chocolate bar

1½ cups chopped nuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter and both sugars. Stir in eggs and vanilla.

Finely grind oatmeal in a blender or food processor. Combine the oatmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and soda in a medium bowl, and slowly add it to the wet ingredients. Beat just until combined. Grate chocolate bar using a microplane grater and add it, along with chocolate chips and nuts to the batter. Mix just to combine.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Sheet-Pan Fish Tikka With Spinach

Sheet-Pan Fish Tikka With Spinach

Tikka marinade imbues meats and veggies with extreme flavor: Complex, layered heat comes from garam masala and red chiles, garlic adds a delicate depth and ginger a mellow freshness, while yogurt cools, tenderizes and extends flavors from the spices. Though traditionally anything with tikka marinade is cooked on coals for smokiness (see Tip), the flavors come together well in a home oven. This recipe calls for any fleshy white fish that can stand this mix of heady spices and maintain its structural integrity for 12 to 15 minutes in the oven. Lay the fish on a bed of spinach, and the marinade will flavor both. The preparation is simple for this recipe, but the flavorful results are anything but.

Yield: 4 servings

1½ pounds firm, white-fleshed fish (such as cod, basa or halibut, cut into chunks)

¼ cup olive oil or any neutral oil

2 tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder

1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Fine sea salt

1 pound baby spinach (about 14 packed cups)

Rice or roti, for serving

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the fish dry and set aside.

Combine the oil, yogurt, garam masala, chile powder, ginger, garlic, coriander, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and stir until the marinade is smooth.

Add the fish and coat evenly.

Arrange the spinach in an even layer on a large sheet pan. Place the fish on the spinach, dispersing it evenly.

Bake on the top rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish starts to turn golden.

Set the oven to broil and broil on high just until the fish turns golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt. Serve with rice or roti, if desired.

Tip: If the smokiness of tikka is nonnegotiable, heat a hot coal on the stove top for 3 to 5 minutes using tongs, loosely wrap it in foil and stick in the oven either on a separate rack or on the sheet pan alongside the fish and spinach. Though hookah charcoal works best for this, you can use a 1-inch cube of any charcoal.

*This turned out really quite good. I used cod, and I was worried it would be bland, as NYT recipes can sometimes be, but it's got a nice little kick to it. We find that fish alone tends to lead to 2 hour later munchies, so I added in half a chopped sweet onion and a can of chickpeas to the marinating fish and it's great. This will go on the regular household rotation for when we have cod available.

*This was delicious. Made exactly as instructed with fresh halibut. The fish came out so moist and tender.

Tip: make sure all spinach sits directly below fish pieces to soak up fish/sauce moisture. Loose spinach pieces on edge will dry out and crisp.

*Made exactly as written with half tilapia and half pacific rockfish. AMAZING! Just the right amount of kick to the spice and absolutely delicious flavour. Spinach was cooked to perfection and paired so well. It had absorbed just the right amount of the marinade. Served with jasmine rice. Our 8 year old found it a little bit too spicy, but ate it easily with a cup of chocolate milk : ) Will be a regular in the house!

Pineapple-Marinated Chicken Breasts

Pineapple-Marinated Chicken Breasts

Bromelain, the group of enzymes in fresh pineapple, is excellent at breaking down the connective tissues in thick, fibrous chicken breasts. In this simple marinade, grated pineapple completely alters the texture of the breast meat, resulting in something that’s akin to luscious dark meat. Briefly marinating here is important: Leave it too long and the chicken will fall apart during cooking, becoming shreddy and a little gluey. Fifteen minutes is the sweet spot. The accompanying pineapple salsa is a bright topping for the juicy morsels of aromatic chicken and rice.

Yield: 4 servings

3 packed tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking

1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cayenne

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup diced fresh pineapple (½-inch chunks)

¼ cup finely diced red onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons finely grated fresh pineapple, including accumulated juices

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch chunks

Cooked white rice, for serving

In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic powder, ground cayenne and black pepper. Transfer 1 tablespoon of this marinade mixture to a separate medium bowl and add the diced pineapple, red onion and cilantro. This is your salsa; toss until well mixed and set aside.

Add the grated pineapple and its juices to the marinade mixture in the large bowl, then add the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes (and no longer).

Once the chicken is done marinating, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken pieces, leaving any marinade behind, in a single layer so that they don’t touch and let cook until the bottoms are browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides and no longer pink on the inside, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Serve the chicken over rice and top with the reserved pineapple salsa.

TIP: 

Step 1 is hard to parse. Rewritten below by me (a professional writer of technical instructions):

Step 1a: Marinade base

In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic powder, ground cayenne and black pepper.

Step 1b: Salsa

Transfer 1 tablespoon of the marinade base to a medium bowl and add the diced pineapple, red onion and cilantro. Toss until well mixed and set aside.

*The large bowl with the GRATED pineapple is the marinade. The medium bowl with 1 Tbsp, DICED pineapple, red onion, and cilantro is the salsa.

*Step 1a: Marinade base In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic powder, ground cayenne and black pepper.

Step 1b: Salsa Transfer 1 tablespoon of the marinade base to a medium bowl and add the diced pineapple, red onion and cilantro. Toss until well mixed and set aside.

The salsa has 1 CUP of diced pineapple, not 1 Tbsp, according to the recipe.

*No, the salsa is the diced pineapple with red onion and cilantro and 1 tablespoon of the liquid you made in step one. The marinade is all the rest of that liquid and the grated pineapple.

Sheet-Pan Japchae

Sheet-Pan Japchae

Though readily available at restaurants today, japchae — the royal Korean stir-fried glass noodle dish — is traditionally a banquet affair, eaten just a few times a year at holidays and special occasions because the labor to produce it is so high. Each vegetable, among a rainbowed array, is ordinarily stir-fried individually, but in this variation, all of the vegetables roast together on the same sheet pan in color-blocked sections for ease and deliciousness. The roasted vegetables caramelize with less effort, and then need only to be tossed with the noodles and sauce, making japchae a dish within reach for any night of the week. The spinach, mushrooms and bell pepper recall key flavors of typical japchae, but you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand or prefer. Frozen spinach might not be a conventional ingredient, but it roasts beautifully and ends up tasting almost like umami-rich kale chips or roasted seaweed. You can add a drop of toasted sesame oil, if you’d like, but the toasted sesame seeds here lend enough of that quintessential aromatic nuttiness that makes japchae taste so regal.

Yield: 4 servings

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

1 orange or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

Olive oil

Salt and black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, plus more to taste

1 packed tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving

6 ounces dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles; see Tip)

Position a rack in the top third of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees.

On a large sheet pan, arrange the spinach, mushrooms and bell pepper in three separate sections. Generously drizzle all with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Roast until charred in spots, gently stirring the vegetable sections one by one and rotating the pan halfway through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, maple syrup and sesame seeds and set aside.

When the vegetables are almost done roasting, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions, then drain and add directly to the sheet pan with the roasted vegetables. Using kitchen shears, cut the noodles once or twice directly on the sheet pan for easier handling.

Pour the sauce over and toss until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, soy sauce and sesame seeds if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: Dangmyeon (pronounced DAHNG-myun) are wonderfully bouncy, chewy, translucent noodles made from sweet potato starch. Available online and in any Korean grocery store, they come in large plastic bags, as the dried noodles are long and stiff until they’re cooked. Often labeled as glass noodles or Korean vermicelli, starchy dangmyeon become slack, slippery and beautifully shiny once boiled.

*This was great. Made (almost) to the recipe. Added a pile of slivered carrots to the sheet pan and sprinkled all with sesame seeds for the last 5 minutes. I also added 1 tsp of sesame oil to the sauce. I tossed everything together in the pot where I had cooked the noodles, which seemed easier than doing all on the sheet pan. Served with chili crisp and a fried egg on top. Delicious and easy.

*A great easy way to make Japchae. The only thing I changed is the oil. Using olive oil doesn't work that well with asian cooking as the flavour stands out too much. Use canola, vegetable or any other neutral oil. I'm not sure why the NYTimes recos olive oil in asian food. Yes, you can taste the difference.

Beef Biryani With Cumin Raita

Beef Biryani With Cumin Raita

This cheater version of biryani allows you to enjoy the wonderfully fragrant and complex dish on a busy weeknight. The shortcut method here gives the rice a head start in a Dutch oven, while a ground beef mixture comes together quickly in a skillet. Don’t be deterred by the long ingredient list, as most of the ingredients are dried spices that don’t require any prep work. Aromatic garlic, ginger and spices are bloomed in ghee to extract as much flavor as possible, and there’s a nice hit of heat from the chile powder (so use half the amount if a milder dish is desired). A tangy cumin raita is a lovely finishing drizzle that brightens the meal.

Yield: 4 servings

1 ½ cups basmati rice, rinsed

5 cardamom pods

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Kosher salt and pepper

3 tablespoons ghee

½ large white onion, thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups)

1 tablespoon tomato paste 

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons garam masala

½ teaspoon ground Kashmiri chile powder or ¼ teaspoon cayenne

¼ teaspoon ground fennel

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 star anise

½ teaspoon cumin seeds, divided

1 pound ground beef (preferably 20 percent fat)

¾ cup Greek-style plain yogurt, divided

¼ cup whole milk

½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided

In a large Dutch oven, combine rice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, broth and ½ teaspoon of salt over medium-high heat; cover and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant and well blended, 2 minutes. 

Push onion mixture to one side of the skillet and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee in the empty side. To the melted ghee, add garlic, ginger, garam masala, chile powder, fennel, turmeric, star anise and ¼ teaspoon of the cumin; stir until well blended, 30 seconds. 

Mix the spices into the onion mixture until well combined, then add beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes (it will finish cooking with the rice). Turn off heat and stir in ¼ cup of the yogurt until well incorporated.

Drizzle milk evenly over the rice, then add the beef mixture on top in an even layer. Scatter over half of the cilantro, cover and cook until the beef is tender and rice is cooked through, 8 minutes longer. 

Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup yogurt, ¼ teaspoon cumin and 2 tablespoons of water and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. 

Gently fluff the rice with a fork and discard star anise and any other visible whole spices. Divide biryani among 4 bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro. Serve warm, with the cumin raita on the side.

TIP: I have spent a lot of time making biryanis over the years. This recipe results in an excellent version in a quarter of the time (assuming you have the spices on hand).

*This was lovely. Cut recipe in half because there are just two of us but kept spices for full recipe.

Changes I made beside the spices were to infuse the milk with some saffron treads ( warm the milk and add 1/4 teaspoon or so of threads and let sit for 10 min)

I also sauted some Chopped cashews and currents ( you could use raisins) in some ghee until well browned/reddish and added it to the top before serving

*Small changes I made:

- I used ground lamb as this is closer to my old fashioned lamb biryani.

- I doubled the spices. I’ll admit to loving spice-filled biryanis.

- I doubled the garlic and ginger. To save a lot of time, you can buy garlic / ginger paste from Amazon (I like Rani brand). It keeps forever and is useful in many recipes.

- it’s an extravagance, but to add a little crumbled roasted saffron in the milk that’s poured over the rice at the end makes it even more authentic

Tacos al Pastor

Tacos al Pastor

Tacos al pastor, a Mexican street-food staple, are a perfect synthesis of local flavors (pineapple, chiles, annatto), Spanish influence (pork, adobo), and Middle Eastern technique (a spinning, shawarma-style vertical rotisserie). The synthesis comes from Mexico’s history, but perfection comes from the combination of sweet pineapple, spicy meat and fragrant corn. This recipe, from the chef Gabriela Cámara, provides an easy way to make it at home; try boneless chicken thighs if you don’t want pork. Either way, make sure to blot the meat until very dry before cooking it so you get a hard sear that mimics the char of a grill. —Julia Moskin

Yield: 12 tacos (3 to 4 servings)

For the Adobo (marinade)

2 dried cascabel chiles

1 dried ancho or guajillo chile

2 plum tomatoes, halved and cored

¼ small white onion

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 to 2 chiles de árbol (depending on how much heat you like), stems removed

3 garlic cloves

1 whole clove or ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground achiote (annatto) seeds

Pinch of ground cumin

Pinch of dried oregano

1 tablespoon kosher salt

For the Tacos

2 pounds pork tenderloin, thinly sliced crosswise then cut into bite-size slices and shreds

Kosher salt

1 cup small chunks fresh pineapple

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

12 corn tortillas

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed

Minced white onion and chopped fresh cilantro, in separate bowls, for topping

Hot sauce and lime wedges, for topping

Make the marinade: Break off the stem ends of the cascabel and ancho (or guajillo) chiles and shake out and discard the seeds. Place chiles in a saucepan and pour over cold water to just cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and let the chiles soak, 15 minutes.

In a blender, combine tomatoes, onion, oil, citrus juices, stemmed chile de árbol, garlic, clove, achiote seeds, cumin, oregano and salt. Add the soaked chiles and a few tablespoons of the soaking water and purée until smooth. Add more of the soaking water if needed to make a thin paste. Set aside about ½ cup of the marinade for cooking.

Sprinkle the meat with salt. Place in a container, add remaining marinade, and mix until well coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. (The recipe can be made up to this point up to 1 day in advance.) Bring to room temperature before cooking.

Combine the pineapple and sugar in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir often until the sugar is melted and the pineapple is caramelized, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 225 degrees. Prepare a tortilla basket or slightly damp clean dish towel. On a griddle or in a heavy skillet, warm the tortillas on both sides until hot and blistered, stacking them in the basket or wrapped in the towel. Transfer to the oven until ready to serve.

Place a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Drain off all excess liquid from the meat and blot between layers of paper towels. Add the oil to the hot skillet, swirl to heat through, then add 2 tablespoons marinade. Let sizzle for a moment, then add the meat, spreading it out in a single layer. (If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, cook in batches to avoid crowding the pan.) Let meat cook undisturbed over high heat until browned on the bottom, then sauté over high heat, stirring often, until cooked through but still moist, about 5 minutes. After 3 minutes, taste and stir in more reserved marinade as needed. When cooked, transfer to a serving bowl.

Place everything on the table, including the toppings, and serve at once.

TIP: Like Gyros or Doner Kebab, Al Pastor refers to meat stacked onto a vertical spit, which is then sliced off the outside as it cooks. Put the pork loin in the freezer for 20 minutes or so to firm it up. You'll have an easier time slicing it thin, then put it in the marinade. A dash of liquid smoke in the marinade is a nice cheat, if you like smoky meat.

*I was too lazy to pat mine dry but cooking it in a 12" cast iron pan created the char I was looking for that reminded me of when I had Al Pastor in Puerto Vallarta. As long as you have a searing hot pan and don't overcrowd it, it should do the trick. :)

*Marinate before and sauce after. Marinate >> Cook >> Sauce. Marinate the meat reserving a small portion (this recipe says 1/2c) to help additionally flavor the meat during cooking. Using the marinade after cooking would do very little in getting flavor penetration and also ruining the crispiness that you're trying to achieve on the meat.

*I make this similarly but pound the pork after slicing the disks. Then cut two 1-inch slices of pineapple for the top and bottom supports. I set 3-4 skewers through a pineapple and then layer the pork, finishing off with the final slice of pineapple to hold the skewers together. I cook at 275F for two to three hours. It doesn't have to be cooked all the way. Let it rest until manageably cool. Slice thinly and mix with pineapple then saute on high in cast iron until crisp/cooked.

*Excellent recipe. Here’s the lazy version with what I had at home. Instead of the dried peppers, I used gochugang powder, Aleppo pepper flakes, plenty of smoked pimentón de la vera and a splash of La Morena chipotle sauce. I am a purist from Mexico City and the pastor flavor came through. You gotta use corn tortillas and all the trimmings for real al pastor delight. Also excellent for fish al pastor tacos, like Chef Camara serves at Contramar, her fabulous restaurant in Mexico City.

*Delicious and pleasing. Marinade is similar to a homemade adobo sauce; used 2 pasilla chilis instead of cascabel, 1 tsp ancho chili powder instead of dried ancho chili (this all is what was available locally). A little extra fresh orange juice for the sweetness to cut down spiciness of the red chilis de arbol. Pineapple takes longer to caramelize (20 minutes). Used red onion instead of white. Didn't add marinade when sauteeing the meat, but people used the reserved marinade as sauce on tacos.

Birria de Res (Beef Birria)

Birria de Res (Beef Birria)

Birria took off in the United States as a soupy style made with beef and as birria tacos, popularized by birria vendors in Tijuana. The chef Josef Centeno, who grew up eating beef and goat birria in Texas, makes a delicious, thickly sauced version based on his grandma Alice’s recipe, mixing up the proteins by using oxtail, lamb on the bone and even tofu (you can, too). Preparing the adobo takes time, as does browning the meat, but it’s worth it for the deep flavors in the final dish. The best way to serve birria is immediately and simply, in a bowl, with some warm corn tortillas, which can be used to wrap the meat for tacos. But make sure to put any leftovers to work: Extra meat, pulled from the bones, can be shredded for crisp quesabirria tacos, fried in the birria fat for cheesy, lacy edges. And the leftover broth, or consomé, is ideal for a comforting bowl of birria ramen, with an egg and some fresh herbs on top. —Tejal Rao

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

2 poblano chiles

5 guajillo chiles, seeded, stemmed and halved lengthwise

5 pounds bone-in beef shoulder, cut into large pieces, or goat or lamb stew cuts on the bone

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

¼ cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

6 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds

½ teaspoon ground cumin

4 cloves

Fresh black pepper

1 cinnamon stick

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 limes, quartered

Corn tortillas, warmed

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare the chiles: Use tongs to place the poblano chiles directly over the open flame of a gas burner set to high. Cook the poblanos until totally charred all over, turning as needed, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap so the poblanos can steam. After 10 minutes, use your fingers to pull the blackened skins away from the poblanos, then remove the stems and seeds. Roughly chop the poblanos and set aside.

While the poblano chiles steam, place a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches to cook the guajillo chiles evenly in one layer, flatten the chile halves on the hot skillet and toast them for about 15 seconds, turning once. Put the chiles in a bowl and add 2 cups hot water to help soften them. Set aside.

Prepare the meat: Season the meat all over with the salt. Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof pot over medium-high. Working in batches, sear the meat on all sides until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side, transferring the browned meat to a large bowl as you work.

After you’ve seared all the meat, add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Return all the meat to the pot.

Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oregano, sesame seeds, cumin, cloves and a few grinds of black pepper to a blender, along with the chopped poblanos, toasted guajillos and the chile soaking liquid. Purée until smooth, scraping down the edges of the blender as needed.

Pour the blended mixture into the pot with the meat. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, along with about 4 to 6 cups of water, enough to amply cover the meat.

Cover and cook in the oven until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

Divide among bowls and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top, and a side of warm tortillas.

TIP: a fine way to toast chiles without dirtying dishes or worrying about burning them, is to put them on a paper towel and just microwave them for fifteen to twenty seconds. (this is a kenji lopez-alt method and it really works! just, if you're toasting spicy chiles, resist any urge to deeply inhale as you open the microwave ;))

*This is almost exactly what I have been doing to make birria, which I kind of pieced together from a few different recipes online. I like to add a couple anchos or pasillas and a couple chiles de arbol, as well as some coriander and a couple allspice berries. A mix of oxtail, short rib and chuck roast works great if you can't get bone-in beef shoulder

*Instant pot recipe:

3 1/2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast cut into 2 inch chunks. Season w/ 2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 dried ancho chiles

no poblanos

2 tomatoes, not 28 oz canned

apple cider vinegar not distilled white

1 tsp black peppercorns: toast

1 tsp cumin seed: toast

Pressure 1 hour. quick release

Tinga de Pollo (Chicken with Chipotle and Onions)

Tinga de Pollo (Chicken with Chipotle and Onions)

Guadalupe Moreno runs Mi Morena, a tacos de guisado business in the Bay Area, where a number of saucy fillings and toppings are used to mix and match tacos to order. She shared her recipe for tinga de pollo with Leticia Landa and Caleb Zigas for their cookbook "We Are La Cocina." Ms. Moreno's tinga de pollo works perfectly in tacos and also on top of crisp tostadas with lettuce and salsa, inside quesadillas or as a tamal filling. It’s a great way to use up any leftover cooked chicken (just skip straight to step 2), whether pulled from a roast or poached bird, or grocery-store rotisserie. —Tejal Rao

Yield: 4 servings (about 3 cups)

For the Chicken

2 pounds bone-in chicken legs, breasts or a combination

½ medium white onion

1 celery stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 small carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

For the Sauce

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced

¾ cup canned crushed tomatoes

3 chipotles in adobo with sauce (⅓ cup)

2 garlic cloves, peeled

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the chicken: Combine the chicken, onion, celery and carrots in a large saucepan and add 4 cups cold water. Add more water if needed to cover the solids. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bones, about 45 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a bowl. When cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, then pull the meat into very fine shreds. Strain the broth and reserve for Tamales de Pollo or another use.

While the chicken cooks, make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. While the onion cooks, puree the tomatoes, chipotles and garlic in a blender until smooth. Add to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chicken to the sauce and gently fold to evenly coat and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately or cool to room temperature to use a filling for Tamales de Pollo.

TIP: This sauce is delicious. But use your Instant Pot for the chicken: I cooked bone-in thighs with the prescribed veggies and 3 bay leaves under pressure for 12 minutes 5 minutes natural release. Came out perfect. Served the tacos with 1:1 avocado & mango in a vinaigrette with lots of cilantro. Also served with queso casero. Huge hit.

*Easy and good! Instant pot for even easier chicken: half a cup of water, big squeeze of lime juice (acid helps keep chicken tender), chicken in pot for 12 min 5 natural release. Don’t bother with the extra veggies you won’t miss them. You can shred chicken in a stand mixer with with the paddle attachment (after deboning)! Sauce is easy, I noticed tastes best with some acid on the taco - squeeze a lime or similar

*I took the advice of nandu and cooked the chicken right in the sauce, skipping the whole broth step. It was excellent. Because I had a can of tomatoes with twice the volume called for in the recipe, I just doubled the sauce recipe, except for the chipotles -- but it was still quite spicy! And there wasn't excessive sauce, either, perhaps because the chicken breasts (all I had were boneless, skinless) absorbed some. A definite keeper.

*I made this using a rotisserie chicken to make it quicker and it came out perfect. I experimented with the chipotles as I didn’t want a really hot sauce. I used 2/3ds of what was called for and it still had some heat. I served with soft & hard tacos, and sides of avocados, queso fresco, lettuce & chopped tomatoes. This was a real hit. Stunningly simple but delicious.

Satay-Style Grilled Chicken Thighs

Satay-Style Grilled Chicken Thighs

A familiar sight on many Thai menus in the U.S., chicken satay typically involves grilled skewers of marinated chicken, charred and stained with spices, and served with peanut sauce and perhaps a cucumber relish on the side. This recipe gives the dish a one-plate remix by bringing all the same flavors together, in slightly different proportions, and placing them atop rice. Because of its sugar and fat content, the coconut milk in the chicken marinade chars up beautifully on the grill, while the chile in the cucumber relish — served as an abundant garnish here — balances out the sweetness of the dressing. Replacing the traditional peanut sauce, chopped peanuts add pops of crunch. Get ahead by putting together the salad and marinade the day before and storing them in the fridge until you’re ready to make the chicken.

Yield: 6 servings

For the Marinade and Chicken

½ cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon yellow curry powder (any kind)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6 large thighs)

For the Cucumber Salad

4 mini cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 medium shallot, halved and thinly sliced

¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 fresh Fresno, cayenne or serrano chile, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Cooked jasmine rice, for serving

⅓ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, fish sauce, vinegar, curry paste, brown sugar and curry powder. Transfer ⅔ cup of the marinade to a gallon-size resealable zip-top bag, along with the chicken. (Set aside the remaining marinade.)

Seal the bag, pushing out any excess air. Toss to coat the chicken. Place in a dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the cucumber salad: In a small bowl, combine the cucumbers, shallot, vinegar, fish sauce and chile. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.

Heat a grill to medium-high. Remove chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade in bag.

Place chicken on the hot grill grate. Cover and grill for 5 minutes per side. Brush tops of chicken with reserved marinade. Continue grilling, turning, and brushing on marinade until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more.

Thinly slice the chicken and serve atop the rice. Stir the cilantro into the cucumber salad, then spoon the salad and its dressing over the chicken. Garnish with the peanuts.

TIP: So delicious! I made with Ali Slagle's peanut sauce, which paired perfectly with this recipe.

Ali Slagle's Peanut Sauce:

½ cup peanut butter (any kind)

2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons chili sauce to taste, such as sambal oelek or sriracha

1 teaspoon brown or granulated sugar

1 small garlic clove, finely grated

*YUM! This is delicious and comes together super fast. I made exactly as directed except for halving the amount of red curry paste in the chicken to cut the spice a bit for my kids. Everyone raved about this one!

*Next time I'd make sure to get the spicy Mae Ploy curry paste instead of the Ralph's Thai Kitchen stuff—wasn't as hot or flavorful as I wanted. Also, I'll triple the recipe so there's no leftover coconut milk and just freeze the extra chicken in the marinade. Oh! And double the cucumber salad. That stuff's great.

*I'm not an expert on this, but I would follow the chicken prep instructions, including patting it dry, and then put the chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at around 425, turning once, until the meat's at 165 degrees - probably 20-25 minutes. I suppose you could put it under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp it up, but I'd probably be too lazy to. Let us know how it goes!

Pork Satay With Thai Spices and Peanut Sauce

Pork Satay With Thai Spices and Peanut Sauce

Throughout Southeast Asia, little skewers of marinated meat, grilled over coals, are sold as street snacks. Sweetly fragrant with coconut milk and spices, they are perfect for barbecue parties served with steamed rice, or on their own with drinks, whether grilled indoors or out. You may use pork loin or tenderloin, but marbled sirloin or shoulder is more succulent.

Yield: 12 small skewers

For the Skewers

1½ pounds pork loin, tenderloin or shoulder, sliced into thin rectangles (¼ inch x 1 inch x 2 inches; you should have about 24 pieces)

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

3 tablespoons chopped lemongrass

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1½ teaspoons turmeric

¼ teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ cup coconut milk

Cilantro and basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

For the Cucumbers

1 pound Persian or Japanese cucumbers, peeled, halved and cut into ¼-inch slices

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 small shallots thinly sliced, about ¼ cup

2 fresh Thai or serrano chiles, sliced into rounds

For the Peanut Sauce

1 cup dry roasted peanuts, unsalted

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice, more to taste

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

½ cup coconut milk

Prepare the skewers: Put pork in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together shallot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and coconut milk, and pour over meat. Toss with your hands to coat well. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Meanwhile, soak 12 bamboo skewers in water.

Prepare the cucumbers: Put cucumbers in a mixing bowl and season with salt. Add lime juice, sugar, shallots and chiles and toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Check seasoning, then transfer to a serving dish.

Prepare the peanut sauce: Pulse the peanuts briefly in a food processor just until finely ground. Add the garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, cayenne and coconut milk, and process until well puréed. Transfer to a bowl, then taste and adjust seasoning. Thin a bit with lime juice or water as desired.

Thread 2 slices of pork onto each bamboo skewer, keeping the meat as flat as possible. Grill over hot coals, under the broiler or on a stovetop grill pan for 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a platter and garnish with cilantro and basil leaves. Serve with cucumber relish and peanut sauce.

TIP: Marinade would work just fine on chicken. Use tenders, thin slices of breast, or lightly pounded pieces of boneless thigh (to get to the proper thickness). In fact, that marinade would probably make cardboard taste good. (Although I don't think it needs the sugar. When I made something similar at Match restaurant, we used no sugar.)

*for the peanut sauce: Don't bother with the food processor, too much trouble. Just use peanut butter in a bowl with everything else.. Don't forget to add a little tamarind and a splash of rice vinegar. Maybe Sriracha instead of cayenne? Mix with a spoon for goodness sake. Then slather it on the sneaker.

*Made this with chicken thighs cut into strips. It was amazing. I also added avocado and sliced red onions to the cucumber salad (red onions sliced thin and soaked in ice water for 20 minutes). If the salad sits more than 15 minutes, you need to add a dose of lime juice to brighten the flavors. Will definitely make again and try pork.

*Suzanne F, I have to disagree on the sugar. Ideally, and authentically, one would use palm sugar, rather than conventional brown sugar (as David Tanis has indicated in other recipes). Palm sugar is so delicious it ought to be illegal.