Pastel Azteca – Aztec Cake

 

Since I was a girl until my early twenties I lived in Chihuahua, Mexico.  And every Saturday of all those years, my family and I used to have dinner in my Aunt Nena´s house, her specialty was Mexican food: Enchiladas, Chile Colorado, Picadillo (her version of ground beef with potatoes) served with fluffy handmade tortillas de harina (flour tortillas), Caldillo de res ( Northern version of beef soup) and Pastel Azteca. Sitting at her table was more than sharing a meal. It was a rite to share wisdom, laughter and the anecdotes. Those gatherings shaped my personality, my points of view and my taste for homemade food.  Sadly those times are gone. My aunt, my grandma and other members of the family are no longer here. I live far away and have my own family. However those old Saturday nights will always live inside me and my memories.  When I am yearning to have one of those family dinners back, then I cook one of the dishes that my smart and witty Aunt Nena would cook. One of her best dishes was this Pastel Azteca or Aztec Cake. This meal is made of layers of fried corn tortillas soaked in red chili sauce, topped with meat, cheese, and sliced green chilies.   These ingredients melt into each other after the “cake” is baked for 30 minutes, creating an exquisite truly Mexican flavor. I have made some adaptations to the original recipe, for example I have used chicken instead of beef, added some spice like the cumin, added corn kennel, and the Mexican cream to garnish.  The results are great! It is a tasty, crunchy and warm dish that brings satisfaction to the palate and the soul.

 Ingredients

15 corn tortillas        

½ Kg shredded chicken breast or beef skirt steak (about 1 pound)

2 cups of enchilada sauce (store bought or home recipe)

½ cup of canola or vegetable oil, plus 2 tbs. for the sauce

½ kg shredded Chihuahua (substitute with Muenster)

3 big Poblano peppers toasted, peeled, shredded

1 cup of white or yellow corn kernel

½ cup of diced white onions

1 clove of garlic

Salt, black pepper and ground cumin for seasoning

Mexican cream for garnish

GETTING THE LAYERS READY

TORTILLAS -First warm the oil in a skillet at medium heat for about 5 minutes until it is really hot.  Fry the tortillas one by one, and set them apart.  You can wipe the excess of oil with a napkin in between each tortilla.

CHILES- In another skillet or grilling pan roast the Poblano Chiles.  This process can be long, since the pepper has to be charred all over. Once the skin of the chile looks burnt, they are put inside a plastic bag for about 10 minutes. Once the chiles are removed of the plastic bag they have sweated and the skin is very easy to peel off. You can peel then off under running water.  I particularly peel them off first and then wash the remaining skin and seeds away with the help of the water.  In some Mexican supermarkets you may find the frozen peeled Poblano Chiles, however the flavor is never the same.  When the chiles are clean you slice them in strips. *The original recipe calls for Anaheim Chiles, however Poblano are very tasty and easier to find.

 

CORN -You can use frozen white  or yellow corn kernel or boil the corn and then cut and separate the kernel.

SAUCE - In a Mexican supermarket you can buy Enchilada Sauce or prepare the sauce with Chile Ancho (look for a separate recipe in another post).  For this recipe you will have to buy the big 29oz can.  In a medium pot warm 2 tbs. of canola or vegetable oil at medium heat and sauté one clove of garlic. Once the clove is fried, you have to remove it and then add the content of the can to the pot.  Add a dash of cumin, pepper and salt. Stir the mix occasionally until it boils. Remove it from the heat.

CHEESE -Grate the cheese, either Chihuahua or Muenster.

MEAT -Shred 1 kg of cooked chicken breast or beef skirt.  Mix it with the diced onions and season it with a dash of cumin, salt and pepper.

Once all the ingredients are in line, divide them in two, except for the chicken which has to be divided in 3 parts.  Soak the tortillas in the sauce and line them in a rectangular baking pan 11” x 14” like the one used for lasagna.  Place the first 6 tortillas at the bottom, then on top spread the meat with the onions, add a layer of the chile strips and corn kernel, and sprinkle the grate cheese covering the ingredients. 

 

 Repeat this operation one more time. For the last spread of tortillas, don’t add meat, just the cheese and whatever is left of the enchilada sauce (about ½ cup).  Preheat the oven at 35O F and then bake for 25 minutes or until the enchilada sauce has been absorbed and the cheese is melted. Now is ready to enjoy and melt in the mouth.