Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Most people like to celebrate the 5^th of May, but have little idea what the holiday represents. 

Some believe that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day, but that isn’t the case at all.  Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated on Sept. 16^;  Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the battle of Puebla. (ref. abcnews.com) 

So, why do we as Americans participate in a Mexican holiday? Well, for the food and drink. There’s also a large contingency of Mexican-Americans strewn about the United States, with the highest population concentrations in the southwest and west coast. Besides having a rich cultural history, Mexico is also known for it's exceptional culinary fare.

If you’re a fan of good Mexican food, you probably also are familiar with my friend Jose Cuervo.  There are other, more expensive brands of tequila available, but in my opinion, this particular liquor makes the perfect blended or shaken margarita.

Everyone has their own secrets when it comes to preparing a good margarita.  Some people use sours mix, some use Sprite (yuck!), and I even had a colleague of mine tell me that he makes his margaritas with marmalade. In my humble opinion, there is only one way to make a truly authentic margarita; one that holds true to rich Mexican heritage, and doesn’t deviate by using domestic flavor enhancers.  The recipe is as follows:

Margaritas

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 ounces Jose Cuervo Tequila

2 ounces lime juice

2 ounces Cointreau

1 ounce simple syrup

Preparation:

Place all of the above ingredients in a pitcher, or drink shaker and combine.  Shake or stir until the ingredients are combined, and ice cold.  Serve in a margarita glass with a salted rim.

You can’t enjoy your delicious margarita without some Mexican food right?  Besides homemade rice and beans, some of my favorite Mexican fare is, rolled tacos, enchiladas (with red or green sauce), tostadas, and chimichangas.

Of all of the Mexican food, carne asada, in my opinion, is the most flavorful.  Carne asada is defined as spicy, marinated strips of steak, usually served in tacos or burritos.  If you prefer, carne asada can also be eaten as is. It’s a scrumptious meal that can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner, and goes especially well with an ice cold cerveza.

Here is an easy-to-prepare recipe for carne asada:

Carne Asada

Serves 2

Ingredients:

8-10 ounces skirt or flank steak

4 cloves of garlic

Juice of 2 limes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 bunch of chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Place the flank steak in a bowl.  Rough-chop the garlic, add to the meat.  Next, add all of the remaining ingredients to them meat in the bowl, the season with salt and pepper.  Let marinate for at least 1 hour.

For best results, place on a hot grill, and cook for five minutes on both sides.

Let the meat stand for at least 10 minutes, then slice thin. 

Enjoy by itself, or with rice and beans.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Chef Kerber of Swissvale is the owner and executive chef of Chaz Catering LLC, and specializes in all types of gatherings as well as nutritional coaching. His clients include private individuals, professional sports figures, and corporate entities.

Check out his personal blog and website at www.pittsburghhotplate.com.