Traditional Xmas Mexican Foods
By: Maria Garcia Manzano, AEIC of the Quill
Christmas in my house has always been about two things – food and family. Like in many Mexican households, Christmas Eve is almost a bigger deal than actual Christmas day. On Christmas Eve, my whole family gets together to sing songs to celebrate, we open presents at midnight and most importantly, we eat a lot of food! From the moment we wake up until around 6pm, my parents and siblings are in the kitchen making goodies like tamales, empanadas, posole, menudo, bunuelos, ponche, and so much more!
Here are some of my favorite Mexican Christmas foods to celebrate the big day.
Red Posole Recipe
This Red Posole is a comforting Mexican stew filled with shredded pork and hominy in a warm red chile broth. It’s easy to make and full of authentic Mexican flavor!
Ingredients
For the sauce
5 dried guajillo chiles, seeds removed
3 dried ancho chiles, seeds removed
2 arbol chiles, seeds removed if you want a mild spice level
3 cups hot water
1 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 small portion Abuelita Mexican chocolate (about 1/8 of tablet – 8 grams)
For pork
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into large 4-inch chunks
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the stew
4 cups chicken broth (or beef or vegetable broth)
3 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed (about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the sauce
In a large bowl, combine the dried chiles and 3 cups of hot water. Cover the bowl with a large plate or aluminum foil, and let the chiles soak for about 5-10 minutes, until softened.
Transfer the softened chiles and the water they soaked in into a large blender. Add the salt, chili powder, cumin powder, minced garlic and Mexican chocolate. Blend until completely smooth.
Sear the pork
Season the pork with salt and black pepper. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add in the cooking oil and then the pork. Sear on all sides until nicely browned.
Add the red chile sauce and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen all the brown bits.
Make the stew
Add the chicken broth and stir until the red chile sauce and broth are fully mixed. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, until the pork falls apart tenderly.
Shred the pork with a fork or spatula (it should fall apart very easily). Add the hominy and dried oregano. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Taste and season with more salt, if necessary.
Serve with toppings such as finely shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, thinly sliced radishes, diced onions, dried oregano and red pepper flakes.
Champurrado
This Champurrado recipe is made with Mexican chocolate, masa harina, milk, water, cinnamon, and vanilla. Thick and creamy, this cozy drink is best enjoyed on a cold winter night during the holiday season.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups milk
2 ounces piloncillo, plus more to taste
2 (3-ounce) discs Mexican chocolate (I used Abuelita brand)
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup masa harina
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Add milk, piloncillo, Mexican chocolate, and cinnamon stick to a medium saucepan or pot. Heat over low-medium heat until the piloncillo and chocolate have completely dissolved. Stir frequently to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the saucepan.
Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, using a strainer if it has broken into pieces.
In a small bowl, add warm water and masa harina. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth.
Add the masa harina mixture, vanilla extract, and salt to the saucepan. Whisk to combine.
Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook, whisking frequently, for 25-30 minutes until thick, creamy, velvety, and smooth. The champurrado should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Serve and garnish with a touch of ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick.
Don’t have piloncillo? You can use 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar instead.
Mexican Ponche
Mexican Ponche is a warm and comforting fruit punch made with apples, pears, oranges and guavas and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, tamarind and hibiscus typically served at Christmas time.
INGREDIENTS
16 cups water
6 guavas, peeled and quartered
3 large red apples, cut into chunks
2 pears, cut into chunks
1 orange, sliced
1 pilloncillo cone (or 1 cup of dark brown sugar if you can't find piloncillo)
6 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers
1 dried tamarind pod, husked and seeded
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Mix and make sure the piloncillo/sugar has completely dissolved. Serve hot in mugs with a splash of rum or brandy if desired. Make sure each cup has some fruit in it - it's the best part!
Mexican Bunuelos
Often served during the Christmas and New Years holidays, this Mexican Bunuelos recipe makes the perfect fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar!
INGREDIENTS
For the bunuelos
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm water
4 tablespoons oil, plus 2 or more cups for frying
For the cinnamon sugar topping
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
For the bunuelos
Add all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix until combined.
Add warm water and 4 tablespoons oil. Mix with a spoon or your hands until the dough comes together.
Transfer the dough onto a clean working surface and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Roll the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, cover a large plate with paper towels, fill a large sauté pan with 1 to 2 inches of frying oil and make the cinnamon sugar topping. Set aside.
Divide the dough into 8 separate pieces and roll each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out each ball into an 8 to 10-inch circle. (I recommend laying the rolled-out dough onto a large kitchen towel in one single layer. Don't stack the rolled-out dough on top of each other or it may stick.)
Heat the frying oil to 350°F. Fry each dough circle for about 60 seconds, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to prepared plate to drain any excess oil. Sprinkle heavily with cinnamon sugar topping.
For the cinnamon sugar topping
Combine granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.