tomatillo | Mastication Monologues

Absolute Cero

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Mark T

Hola a todos and welcome to Mastication Monologues! This really has been a post that has been long in the making, but it is not short on quality by any means. Today’s restaurant in question is De Cero on the Near West side of Chicago. It is a modern version of a taqueria or taco shop for y’all who don’t habla espanol. It takes the ingredients from the Pilsen and Little Village Mexican strongholds and presents it in a more Rick Bayless upper echelon Latin cuisine fashion.

Sharing the block with other famous dining establishments like Le Chevre and Girl and the Goat (post coming soon), De Cero is a simple restaurant with open patio dining and indoor dining. It’s simply furnished with wooden chairs and a soft lit interior. When I went with my girlfriend and her party posse, we hung out on the bumpin patio that was occasionally ruined by spontaneous drizzle storms. Being the Midwesterners that we are, we just sat through it and enjoyed the wonderful food and drinks.

First, there were the libations. They have non-alcoholic selections like the classic Jarritos that can be found in every corner store stocked with Latin goods, but we came for the more adult beverages. I started by wetting my whistle with a mango con chile margarita ($9.75). Not only did it come with chile, but our waitress indulged my thirst for spicy food by letting me know I can put habanero chili powder on the edge. When it came out, it checked all the boxes for me for a bebida perfecta (perfect drink). It was the perfect blend of the natural sweetness of the sunny yellow mango with the occasional hint of tequila and a bold punch of smoldering chile with each sip. Later on in the night, I tried the jicama margarita, but it was the blander of the two options.

As for appetizers, we got the chips and salsa entrada ($6.75) where we chose the pico de gallo, red picante, and tomatillo lime verde salsas. A side of guacamole was thrown in there for good measure. Out of the trio of super salsas, my favorite was the pico de gallo. All of the different elements like the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and tangy lime juice were in perfect harmony which I couldn’t say the same for its compadres. The red picante was pedestrian but a bit heavy on the smoky chile element, and the key lime green tomatillo salsa was more sour than savory which didn’t really catch my fancy. However, the guacamole made me think “Holy moly” with each ravenous bite of the tortilla chips. Even though it was the same color as toothpaste, it tread the line between chunky and smooth excellently and the cilantro pepped up this potentially bland side. My girlfriend also tried the spicy goat cheese tamale ($3.75).

Duck confit taco and tamale

It was nothing special. The mild masa of the tamale drowned out the flamboyantly tasty goat cheese which left me muy triste. After munching on these appetizers, the main course came out.

I got four different tacos: spicy applewood chorizo, rajas, al pastor, and chicken mole ($3.75 each). Surprisingly, I thought the best one of the four was the rajas. This doesn’t mean that the other ones were huge let downs, but I felt that I tried better versions in cheaper restaurants. Especially with the al pastor that had plenty of spiced pork shoulder but not enough pineapple. The chorizo was not as spicy as I was anticipating which left me crestfallen since I’m used to Mexican sausage bringing the heat. The chicken mole was more of an experiment for me since I’ve never really been a big fan of mole. Even though I love chocolate, this cocoa infused sauce never really jived with my palate. At De Cero, it was no different, but I’m sure many other people love it. The black beans that came with the tacos, however, were a nice change of pace compared to the typical brown refried bean goo they serve at every tex-mex eatery. They were served whole, simmered in a pork based broth with a chunk of pork thrown in for good measure. It was food for the soul.

By the end of the meal, I felt like a stuffed gordita, but the overall quality of the ingredients in the tacos and the zesty margaritas made De Cero a taqueria experience without equal, especially with lovely company.

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Posted in Alcoholic, Beverages, Latin American Cuisine, Mexico, Mixed Drinks and tagged Bar, Chicago, fusion, margaritas, masa, pico de gallo, salsa, tacos, tamale, taqueria, tequila, Tex-Mex, tomatillo. Bookmark the permalink.

How I Learned to Stop Wondering and Love the Bomb

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Mark T

Ah the sandwich. One of the most simple yet fluid concepts in food. Food has long been enveloped or contained in some sort of bread in various cultures across the world, but the actual word can be traced to 18th century England. Edward Gibbons states that John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich, would ask for his meat to be between slices of bread, so he could eat with his hands while playing cards and not get the cards dirty. Eventually, people began to ask for their meals, “The same as Sandwich”, and a new word entered the English language. Today, there are a million ways to put one together that range from the classic peanut butter and jelly to the straight up bizarre. Today’s edition of Mastication Monologues features a Mexican twist on the food staple in the form of Cemitas Puebla in Chicago.

This eatery in Humboldt Park has received its fair share of publicity after appearing on the Food Network, PBS’s Check Please, and the Hungry Hound a.k.a. Steve Dolinsky from ABC 7 news. Surprisingly, given that this establishment is located in the heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community, it is purely Mexican, specifically from the state of Puebla. The exterior blends into the neighborhood, and the interior is just as simple. I went there around lunch, and it was hopping. The line was moderately long, but the cooks knew how to hustle. Looking over the menu, the cemitas were dominant, but there were other dishes like tacos, enchiladas, chalupas, and quesadillas to name a few. I was determined to see what made these south-of-the-border super sandwiches were made of. I decided to speak in Spanish with the lady at the cash register to maybe get a bit of extra info that the gringos wouldn’t get. I was torn between the pata (cow foot) or the atomica (atomic) cemita, but the lady recommended the atomica because the cow foot wasn’t very popular and lower quality. Taking her word for it, I put down $9 for the atomica cemita and a small agua de jamaica to drink ($1.25).

While waiting for my meal, the cashier got my drink from the back freezer along with a couple of squeeze bottles. She set them down, and I asked about the different salsas in the bottles. While the two clear ones were filled with some sort of red and green sauces, the woman pointed out the bright yellow bottle of sauce would go the best with the cemita. I thanked her for the info started sipping on my drink. Agua de jamaica (literally: water of hibiscus) is a tea that can be served either hot or cold, the latter in this case, and is an infusion of hibiscus flowers and a bit of sugar. It’s a great drink for a hot day with a hint of sweetness in each sip, and it has anti-oxidant properties that can lessen the effects of hypertension. Finally, the star of the show emerged from the grill, and was brought to my table with minimal fanfare. I was taken aback by how large the sandwich was for the price I paid and then pondered how to tackle this monstrosity? The atomica consisted of breaded pieces of milanesa (breaded pork), carne enchilada (chili seasoned meat), and jamon (ham). This meat parade was further accented with adobo chipotle peppers, Oaxacan cheese, and fresh papalo or a green herb used for seasoning. I took my first bite that consisted me of unhinging my jaws like a reticulated python around a baby hippo, and it truly was a weapon of mass deliciousness. The bun was moderately toasted with a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds on top, and it was strong enough throughout the meal to keep these ingredients in check and not on my pants. Each layer of meat moved from strength to strength as the jamon was salty to compliment the milanesa breading while the breading provided a crunchy contrast to the soft carne enchilada. I loved the stretchy Oaxacan cheese that was plentiful along with the chunks of creamy avocado. The papalo was there, but I personally didn’t think it brought much to the table flavor and texture-wise. Once I was acquainted with my new sandwich friend, I decided to try some of the sauces on the table. I began with the recommended cemita sauce, and it was a peppery adobo that had a robust, peppery bite to add a savory dimension to the sandwich. I moved on to the green sauce that had an uncanny resemblance to boogers, but it thankfully didn’t taste the same. I’d liken it to a flavorful tomatillo salsa with hints of cilantro. As for the red sauce in the other clear bottle, it was nothing noteworthy. ‘Twas just another run of the mill tomato based salsa. Much to my dismay, I wasn’t overly stuffed even though the sandwich probably had over 3,000 calories and could choke a horse. It was a simple yet thoroughly satisfying lunch.