(Chileajo)
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Zarela Martinez's book The Food and Life of Oaxaca. Martinez also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.
To read more about Martinez and Oaxacan cuisine, click here.
Despite the name, this is unrelated to chileajo con puerco except for the presence of the chile and garlic that give it its name. It is one of the classic Oaxacan street snacks, especially at fiesta time, when food stands are crowded all around the beautiful Oaxaca City Zócalo (town square). Here you find women selling this wonderful specialty — a garlicky, spicy vegetable melange on a crisp fried corn tortilla, topped with a delicious combination of crumbled cheese, thinly sliced onion, and oregano. It's inspired.
If you can find amarillo chiles, use a combination of them and the less characteristic, more available guajillos. Do not griddle-dry the amarillos, as they scorch easily. The tortillas used for chileajo are very small, about 3 inches in diameter. If you cannot find such a thing, cut out 3-inch rounds from larger commercial corn tortillas.
•Guajillos are large, dark-red, dried chiles with a nutty flavor and not too much heat. Amarillos are a small, hot, yellow-red variety with a citrusy flavor. A wide variety of chiles are available at www.kitchenmarket.com/.
•Canela, also called true, Mexican, Ceylon, or Sri Lanka cinnamon, is a less pungent variety than the cassia cinnamon commonly used in the U.S.. It's available at www.adrianascaravan.com.
•Queso Fresco is a young, crumbly, mild cow's milk cheese. Queso Añejo is the Mexican name for any aged cheese, the most common of which is cotija, a hard, salty variety. Both are available by mail order from the Specialty Cheese Company at (800) 873-1710 x41.
•Mexican oregano has a more assertive flavor than the Mediterranean oregano common in the U.S.. Mexican oregano is sold in Latin American groceries and in many supermarkets under the McCormick brand.
•In Mexico, chiles are traditionally dry-roasted on clay implements called comals, which impart the perfect seared flavor. A large, heavy griddle or skillet, ideally cast iron, makes a good substitute, but Martinez warns against those with nonstick coatings, which may peel over high heat.
