ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A chef from a Texas border town is bringing authentic Tex-Mex to Kissimmee.

“We’re trying to bring some great flavors of Mexico here to [the] Orlando [area],” says Chef Ivan Ruiz, Westgate Resorts’ executive vice president of culinary operations.

Located inside the Westgate Vacation Villas Resort is Los Amigos Mexican Grill & Tequila Bar. Chef takes tremendous pride in his mole, a traditional Mexican sauce known for its hint of Mexican chocolate. Mole usually has about 40 ingredients, he says, but he can do it with a few dozen. The key is to toast them methodically, one ingredient at a time — from peanuts to raisins.

He is also giving us a bonus recipe this week, sharing his Pork Carnitas.

Let’s cook!

Los Amigos Chicken and Mole

Ingredients for chicken

  • 1 chicken, cut into pieces
  • 8 cups of water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 white onion, cut in half

Ingredients for mole sauce

  • 6  garlic cloves  
  • 1 white onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 Chile anchos
  • 2 Chile pasillas
  • 3 dry chipotle
  • 1 corn tortilla, cut into strips
  • 1 slices of day-old bread
  • 2 Roma tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup almonds
  • 1/3 cup peanuts
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds/pepitas
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 5 black cloves
  • 3 peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp. anise seed  
  • 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp. sesame seeds
  • 1 each 4-ounce disk of Mexican chocolate
  • 1 tbsp, granulated sugar
  • 1 cup, chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp. salt
  • 3 tbsp. vegetable oil or lard

Directions for chicken

  1. Place chicken, onion, bay leaf and salt into a large cooking pot.
  2. Pour in water to cover the chicken about an inch.
  3. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  4. Then lower the heat, and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink inside.
  5. Set aside

For mole sauce

  1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil or lard in a pan over medium heat.
  2. Toast pasilla, chipotle, and ancho chiles, stirring constantly, until warm — about 3 minutes.
  3. Transfer to a blender. Your chili paste should be a deep red color with a nice, smooth consistency. Press the chilis down into the blender to ensure a smooth paste.
  4. In the same large pot over medium-high heat, add another tablespoon of lard. Once the lard melts, add almonds, peanuts and pumpkin seeds.
  5. After constantly mixing about 2 minutes in medium heat, the mixture of seeds will darken. Use a strainer to drain the nuts and seeds.
  6. Keep the juices that the nuts and seeds have released in the pot. Set the nuts aside.
  7. In the same pan, toast slice of bread and tortilla strips in a dry pan over medium heat, constantly stirring until browned darkly. That should take 3 to 4 minutes.
  8. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
  9. Again, in the same pan, cook on medium-high soft and blackened tomato halves, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  10. Remove tomatoes, and set aside.
  11. Repeat with the onion and then the garlic. Remove from the pan, and place tomatoes, onion, and garlic in the blender with the chile puree.
  12. In the same skillet over medium heat, stir in raisins and cook until plump, 30-40 seconds.
  13. Remove and add to blender.
  14. Add to the pan sesame seeds to toast for about 30 seconds.
  15. Add coriander seeds, anise seed, black cloves. and cinnamon sticks.
  16. Remove the cinnamon sticks and other whole spices, and add to the blender with the chile-tomato mixture and blend until smooth.
  17. Mix all the ingredients you have set aside in the blender. Recommend doing in separate batches, if needed, depending on the size of your blender.
  18. Add chicken broth to make a smooth paste.
  19. Pour paste into a large pan, and stir in 2 cups of chicken broth.
  20. Break in chocolate, sugar, and salt, and bring the mixture to a simmer until the chocolate is melted and the sauce is thickened.
  21. Add the chicken to the mix and simmer to reduce slightly, about 10-15 minutes.
  22. Season with salt to taste, a little at a time until you get just the right flavor. The flavors will change as it reduces, so be cautious.

 

Pork Carnitas with Spicy Tomatillo Sauce


Description:

Pork carnitas are traditionally made using the heavily marbled, rich "Boston butt" or "picnic ham" cuts of pork and are usually cut down to a workable size and seasoned heavily before slow braising or deep frying. At this stage, the collagen in the meat has broken down sufficiently to allow it to be pulled apart by hand or fork or chopped with a cleaver.

Ingredients for the carnitas

  • 4-5 pounds of pork butt, cut into 2-inch x 2-inch chucks
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced thin
  • 1 serrano pepper, sliced thin
  • 6 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 12 ounces Coca-Cola
  • 12 ounces orange juice
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp. black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. hot paprika
  • 2 tbsp. garlic powder

Ingredients for the spicy tomatillo sauce

  • 6 poblano peppers, diced
  • 6-8 tomatillos, husks removed and diced
  • Sauce reserved from the carnitas
  • 1 tbsp. of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Hand rub the pork on all sides with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
  3. In a preheated pan or Dutch oven on high heat, add the olive oil and thoroughly brown the pork on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  4. Remove and set aside.
  5. Reduce heat to medium, add the peppers, and cook until softened.
  6. Then add the smashed garlic, and cook 3-4 minutes.
  7. Add the orange juice, cola, and milk.
  8. Place the pork in the sauce, and add chicken broth until the pork is almost completely covered.
  9. Cover and place in the oven for 1.5 to 2 hours.
  10. Check for doneness by removing one piece of pork and pulling it apart with a fork. It should shred easily.
  11. Remove pork and set aside to rest.
  12. Skim off the excess great from the pan sauce.

Directions for spicy tomatillo pepper sauce

  1. In a preheated pan on medium to high heat, add the olive oil and cook the poblano peppers, tomatillos and garlic until softened.
  2. Place the tomatillo mixture in the Dutch oven with the carnitas sauce, and cook for 15 minutes at a low boil.
  3. Using a stick blender or blender, thoroughly puree the tomatillo mixture into the sauce. Add chicken broth as necessary. Be very careful with hot liquids.
  4. Cook until slightly reduced (about 4-5 minutes). Salt and Pepper to taste.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To finish

  1. Set the oven to broil.
  2. Place the pork chunks under the broiler to crisp on each side.
  3. Serve with the spicy tomatillo pepper sauce.