Leaving the Baja Peninsula, Rick explores the western mainland. He lands in the town that placed tequila – and probably Mexico – on the world map and the metropolis that gave us mariachis and dishes like carne con chile; a city so loved by its people that they insist on repeating its name twice – Guadalajara Guadalajara.
But Rick is no stranger to Mexico, and for family holidays he often flies to the tropical beaches of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Nothing matches the view from these picture postcard beaches as waiters create theatre with the famous Mexican flaming coffee, its flames blending with the evening sky as the sun sets over the Pacific. Being a hopeless romantic, Rick can’t resist a visit to Casa Kimberly, bought by Richard Burton for Elizabeth Taylor, where they still serve her favourite cocktail – a chocolate martini – as well as Mexico’s favourite celebratory dish, chiles en nogada.
In Rick Stein’s Road To Mexico ep.4:
1. Carne con chile
The classic ‘chilli con carne’ made with beans and minced beef is more of a Tex-Mex recipe. In Mexico, home cooks make carne con chilli for their families, using cubed beef or pork in a rich chilli sauce with or without tomatoes, with beans and or rice on the side. Serve this version with corn tortillas and any number of your favourite toppings. Carne con chile, commonly known in American English as simply “chili”, is a spicy stew containing chili peppers, meat, and often tomatoes and beans.
2. Buñuelos with spiced guava syrup
You will find them in many different forms all over Spain and Latin America and traditionally the flat ones were shaped over your knee. These days they arrive at the stands ready-fried. When you order, they’re crushed into a bowl and hot cinnamon and guava-flavoured syrup is poured over the top of buñuelos .
