Mission Impossible: Finding Mexican Food in Mexico??

When we were deciding where to go for our family vacation, we had just 3 simple criteria:

1. It had to be warm
2. There had to be a beach or other swimmable body of water free of crocodiles or flesh-eating fish
3. We had to be able to get cocktail service near said body of water

Hubby pushed for Hawaii, but I have an intensely irrational fear of 4-legged reptiles and convinced him to go to Cancun instead. Yes, I know there are lizards and geckos and iguanas in Cancun, but I had a feeling I would see less of them. I realize this makes no sense to any normal person, but this is my irrational fear, and it makes perfect sense to me.

Most people think of Cancun as a spring break party town, and rightly so, but it’s also a wonderful place to take a family beach vacation during the off season. We got exactly what we asked for...mostly. We stayed here (the link will take you to my review) and I would happily recommend it to anyone. Our room had a spacious balcony with a gorgeous view of the pool and the ocean beyond. The pool had a bar where we could get yummy margaritas (or juice for Sonny). The ocean water was warm and clear (and we could get our drinks there too). We spent most of our days outdoors, basking in the sun. What more could we really ask for...?

How about some Mexican food? Who knew it would be so hard to find? Sonny was asking for enchiladas for 3 days before we could find a restaurant that served them. In the Hotel Zone, which is where most tourists stay, there are more American chain restaurants than Mexican restaurants. For heaven’s sake, who wants to travel all the way to Cancun just to eat at TGI Friday’s, Chilli’s or The Hardrock Cafe? The few Mexican restaurants in the Hotel Zone jacked up their prices so much, it cost more to eat out there than back home. Of course we could have ventured out of the Hotel Zone more often, but that would have cut into our beach time.

We did venture out of the more touristy areas a couple of times though. Guess where we went?? To Super Walmart! We meant to go to a more locals shopping area we had read about, called Mercado 28, but we got caught in a hellacious downpour and decided to take shelter in the Walmart.

Now, I normally dislike Walmarts and avoid them like the plague because they are so messy, with narrow isles so shopping is more of a pain than a pleasure. Oh, but not so in Cancun! I have to say this is probably the best Walmart I’ve ever been in and did I mention they have a kick-ass liquor section, with prices about 30-50% less than in the Hotel Zone? While hubby spent his time choosing which liquors to purchase, I spent a considerable amount of time roaming the deli/cafeteria section drooling over the different offerings (also at a fraction of the cost). We got 3 pork el pastor tacos for $1.25!!! Two delicious empanadas filled with carne molida (ground beef), served with chimichurri sauce cost us $3.00!!! They also have a very good bakery, which was probably Sonny's favorite part. Hubby and I were joking that if we hadn’t been staying so far from the Walmart we could eat breakfast and lunch (and probably dinner) there everyday.

Now it’s back to reality and cooking our own food again. I’m actually very happy to be back in a kitchen. Eating out every single day for every single meal gets old fast. And since we didn’t get our fill of Mexican food while we were in Mexico, I’ll need to get down to business here at home. First up is chicken stewed in red sauce. This dish is similar to mole, but without any seeds and chocolate. BTW, this sauce is also a great enchilada sauce.

Chicken Stewed in Red Sauce
Feeds 3-4 adults

• 3 dried chilies (such as ancho or New Mexico), seeds and membranes removed
• 4 cloves garlic (not peeled)
• ½ large onion, cut in half into 2 wedges
• 1 tsp ground cumin, toasted
• 1 x 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 6-8 chicken thighs (or whichever cuts you prefer)

In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the garlic, onion and chilies until they begin to brown, about 15-20 minutes (the chilies will take less time). Re-hydrate the chilies by soaking them in boiling water until they are soft, maybe 15 minutes. Peel the roasted garlic and chop the onion. Put the garlic, onion, cumin, re-hydrated chilies and the tomatoes into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add salt to taste. You can run the sauce through a sieve to make it smoother or use it as is (which is how I like it). Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups sauce.

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the chicken pieces until well browned on all sides (may need to be done in batches). Add the red sauce and bay leaves. When the stew comes to a boil, cover, turn down the heat and simmer until chicken is tender (about 1 hour 15 minutes).

Serve with warmed tortillas, rice, cornbread or any crusty bread of your choice. I like to put out jalapenos, pico de gallo, sour cream, chopped cilantro and avocado for people to garnish as they like. Tastes even better the following day.