How To Make 5 Mexican Inspired Meals By Jamie Oliver

I'm going to take you to hot, spicy Mexico. This time, it's all about crispy tacos. Salsa, stodgy, gorgeous beans, crispy pork and the lovely taco is going to be great. So first up, let's do the beans. Tasty, soft and spicy beans are at the heart of any truly great taco. To kick them off, fry some finely diced red onion with a big hit of mixed Cajun spice. Two tablespoons of that lovely stuff. It saves you having to muck about, sort of muddling your own. But we've got paprika, basil, fennel, salt, garlic, onion, black pepper, chilli, cumin, mustard seed, all in there. So that's a really nice beginning to the story. You know, look, we want the beans to have attitude, okay. So beans, I'm using black beans. You can get them in all the supermarkets. Go in with two cans of beans. There's no need to drain them. I'm going to turn the heat right up. That'll come to the boil. They're going to taste great. They look kind of quite nice now. But by the time I finish them, they will look horrible. But don't be put off by their ugliness because they will be full of character and full of flavour. Next, I want to reinvigorate the cold leftover pork. What I want to do is just slice it up. I'm just going to hack it up to like centimetre chunks. You really don't need a lot of meat, even if you're feeding six. That's about 300 grams of leftover pork here and this isn't horrible pig. This is proper free range pork. You know, I'm not compromising quality just because I want to get it cheap. I want to be clever and I want to cook clever. It's going to be a lovely, lovely little snack, a lovely dinner. The whole point of a taco was it was accessible, it was fast, it was cheap. You'd have vegetarian ones, you'd have meat ones, you know. It would always be about stretching meat a long way, so it's perfect. If you want to use frozen leftover meat from Sunday roasts, that will work really well too. The pork's going to be gorgeous. We'll put that straight in. I like to chop it up before I freeze it and then when I need it, I can just grab a handful and even cook it from frozen. But whether you're using frozen or fresh, that leftover pork will need a little pick me up. I want a little bit of paprika in there, just a little something. So I'm going to use a level teaspoon of smoked paprika, just a little bit. And that will be more than enough. That's what I love about cooking, you know. Even that much, level, that much is still going to rock that pan of pork. It's going to really just lift it. So a little scattering of that. Beautiful. Chop up any leftover crackling that you've got and that's going to be a gorgeous little treat on top of those tacos. So we've got the beans getting progressively uglier and tastier. I like that. We want it thick and stodgy. We've got the pork. It's starting to fry now. It's starting to shine now. And the smoked paprika smells gorgeous. Really, really good. I've made tacos before, many times, but never this cheaply. It's all about clever cooking and making the most out of those pantry ingredients that you've shelled out on and getting them to work for you. Lovely spicy tacos with a nice cold beer is a beautiful thing. The crispy tacos are warming in the oven and all that's left to make is a really humble salsa. Made out of one green pepper, a fiery jalapeno. In there we go as well. An onion, seasoning and a slush of red wine vinegar. Just a good lug in there is nice. For me, the point of a pickle is that it's crunchy, it's vibrant, it kind of slaps you around a bit. It cuts through kind of the frumpiness of lovely beans and the richness of lovely pork. But together there's a wonderful harmony that just works great. But I want a little surprise in there. I want a little like, what is that? What is that? Oh, what is that? And what is that today is ground clove. Okay, a nice pinch of ground clove and I'm just going to sprinkle that in. One nice pinch. So once you've done that, mix everything with the vinegar. Let's just try a little bit. Lovely. And that little pinch of clove is just brilliant. For very little money, that's your salsa sorted. So back to the beans. That moisture's pretty much cooked all the way. Once it kind of gets dry like this, you can keep the beans with a little shape or you can just smash the hell out of it so it's more like a puree. There's no right or wrong, just preference. But look at that. Dark, kind of ugly, but kind of beautiful. There's not many things that we eat that are black, but that's going to be so good with the pork. Look at this. The gorgeous pork. You can hear it. You know, really, really nice. That smoky flavour going on. Just put that onto the plate like this. Call your friends, call your kids, call your family around the table. Just going to get my tacos. And that's what I'm talking about. So I think it's time to make one up, yeah? Load up your warm taco. First, the gorgeously dark beans. That's going to kind of give a bit of stability to your taco. Some fresh, finely shredded iceberg. Whack in that humble salsa. Crunchy. A little bit of clove in there. It's going to be really, really good. And look at that leftover pork. Gone really crispy. You can see it's got gorgeous colour. A dollop of soothing yoghurt. And then the crispy, crunchy crackling on top. And there you go, my friend. That is some really tasty, fun food. The only thing you've got to do now is embarrassingly eat it. Personally, I like to put a tea towel over my head and have a bit of privacy. But for the sake of you today, I'm going to have to put you through it. Tough job. Stuff does start falling apart. There's no polite way to do it. But that is a very, very tasty mouthful. And it's time to cook some incredible steak. Not like you've ever seen before. This is inspired by Mexico. We're going to do steak cooked with two sauces. Gnarly on the outside, blushing on the inside. Tender, juicy, perfectly cooked. And these sauces, they're going to take your flavour sensations to the next level. Right, it all starts here with the steak. One of the things that we all fall into the trap of is buying the pre-cut steak. Which is always too thin. And that means it's almost impossible to get that colour on the outside and cook it blushing and juicy on the inside. Even for a chef, that's a challenge. So we can fix that straight away by buying one steak for two people. Slicing it, sharing it. A double steak. Oh my lord, the difference will blow your mind, I promise you. So get to a butcher to evenly remove this fat. Then get him to cut you a double steak. And then we've got the fat. And that is incredible flavour. But underneath it is the sinew. It is tough. But the fat itself is amazing. And what we can do, once we've got rid of the sinew, is slice up the fat. And that, you can put in a pan. It will render the fat. So we require no other fat at all. And also, it will go crispy. As that's happening, I want a little side of some potatoes. I'm using a crinkle cutter for that kind of retro, fun take. Just because deep down, we're all kids. So if you take this potato and put it in and around the fat, it's going to make a brilliant little potato garnish. It's going to be delicious. Chuck in two large chillies and cook the potatoes until they're golden and crispy. I want to make a salsa now. So I'm going to have a little clean down. Put this steak to the side. The salsa I'm making is with tomatoes. So we can just squeeze the seeds out. And I'm going to chop it up. And of course, you can do this with standard red tomatoes. But look at the colours that are out there and available. That's what it's all about. That's really fun. Then slice up four spring onions and a handful each of fresh mint and coriander. Get yourself two or three limes. Give them a good roll. Get all those little capsules inside. Busting and breaking. Lime is so integral to the flavours of Mexico. It's like a little dinner that's taking us on holiday. And then I add a little extra virgin olive oil. We'll hit it up with seasoning of salt. And a little chilli to get those taste buds going. In with the herbs. Onions and tomatoes. So have a little taste. Woo! That's what you want. Really fresh, really crunchy. Job done. So look at this guys. Hot, crispy and gorgeous. Let's just remove these potatoes now to a little plate. So we haven't even started cooking the steak yet. And I'm really getting excited. So look, in the pan, can you see we've got that fat? That fat is the gold that we're going to cook this. Season this. Don't take it from the fridge and put it in a hot pan. It's going to go tense, right? Take it out at least an hour before. So our job as the steak cooks is really to amplify tenderness and retain moisture, juiciness. And we're going to do that by turning every minute until it's cooked to your liking. So by turning it regularly, the moisture will be kind of trapped in the middle of the steak. And that's what you want to do. Fight to keep the moisture. I also like to get the steak and almost clean the pan, all the sticky bits. The last kind of care protocol is resting. And it's almost like when you squeeze a sponge and then you let go and it just kind of lets the moisture go back. A little hint of extra virgin olive oil will keep the steak succulent as it rests for a few minutes. In this pan with meat juices, I want to do the last sauce. And it's so exciting. Again, we said flavours of Mexico. So we're making a beautiful Mexican style peanut sauce. So toast up 100 grams of unsalted peanuts. 50 grams of sesame seeds. 3 cloves of sliced garlic. And a teaspoon of cumin seeds. So I'm now tearing in some dried chilli peppers. You could use a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Essentially what we're after is sweet and smoky. Herb wise, I'm using some oregano. A little fresh thyme goes in. So fragrant, nutty. This is getting smoky, can you see? I do not want to burn this, but I don't want it to be beige. I want to get smokiness and flavour going. So in with all of those ingredients. Now I'm going to put in a little bit of booze. Tequila, I love tequila. Cover with water, add a couple of fresh chillies, a squeeze of lime and blend it up. Right, it's now quite smooth. And it will surprise you and shock you. It's very addictive. So the only thing to do now, let's serve it up. Start off with this peanut sauce. Rich, got attitude, love it. And then we'll take our steak, the brightness of the salsa. Throw in a few chips. Crispy bits, it's all about the crispy bits. The steak is like butter, it's so tender. This peanut sauce, I'd like to make a thousand times that and fill a bath with it and jump in. It is delicious. But as annoying as it is watching me enjoy this, you can do it this weekend. What are you waiting for? I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful veggie enchilada. This is a great Mexican inspired dish. It's a great way to get veggies into your life in a cool contemporary way that makes you feel happy. So let's start off with the tomato sauce. Very, very simple. Get yourself a large casserole pan. We are going to prep in this and we're going to cook in this and we're going to serve in this. So one thing to wash up. We like that. I am going to blacken and score vegetables. So let's get flavour happening. So this tomato sauce happens using peppers. Four tomatoes, as ripe as possible. A handful of spring onions. I'll nick one out for the salsa later. A couple of garlic cloves. It is simple as that. So let me show you a cool way to de-seed the peppers. Use one thumb and shove it in there. And then you can crack it open. Right. Tap out the seeds. We'll put the peppers into our pan. So thumb in. Tear. Tap. Squash. Spring onions. If you've got a gas hob, you might not. But if you have, you can just put these onions on the gas and scald them up. So let's just jiggle those about. Same thing with the tomatoes. But I'll do that in the pan. Two garlic cloves can go in. There's no oil in this pan. It's dry. You're dry frying. You're scalding. You're charring. Chilli. You take your choice. Right. But what I would suggest is just take the little green bits off the end. And I would probably advise removing the seeds just because that's where the heat is. If you don't like hot food, that's fine. Use a little bit of chilli in the background. It doesn't have to blow your mind or even be registered. It can just be there supporting all the other flavours. This little bit of blackening here is just what I wanted. If you just have a look here. Can you see we've just steamed it and charred it. See how that's just soft now. So that's what we want. We're going to take our liquidiser. A lot of parents talking about the trouble and strife of getting the good stuff in their kids. And the reality and the true answer is, is there's no one silver bullet. It is a life long battle. And if you get it right half the time, you're extraordinary. So don't beat yourself up parents. But in here, I'm going to add just a kiss of olive oil. I'm going to put a little bit of coriander in there. I love using herbs. I just think it's a beautiful thing. So I'll just take a little wodge of this. Let's just put the stalks in there. Don't waste those. Beautiful flavour. I might take a little cup of water in there just to get it going. Definitely a pinch of salt and pepper. Secret ingredient for me is either lime or vinegar. As we are trying to salute our Mexican brothers and sisters. Lime is such a brilliant fruit. Lime skin has gone in. We've rolled it and that kind of breaks all the little capsules. Look at that, these are nice and juicy. Let's say one and a half limes goes in. Whizz this up. Right, 30 seconds. How many recipes around the world just have a basic tomato sauce? So it's not hot chili hot, it's just full of flavour. So I'm going to put half of this on here now. That will actually start softening all the caramelisation off the bottom of that pan. And now let's do the filling. It's really, really simple. Black beans, I'm going to drain it like that. Look, have a look at that. They're really amazing, they're the most beautiful colour. Really nutritious, great source of protein. Really, really cheap. We'll season it with salt and pepper. If you want to give a little kind of twang, the chipotle chili sauces have a smokiness and a deliciousness. You could use the smoked paprika, really, really nice. In here as well, I'm going to put a little bit of feta. So feta is not Mexican, but I can't get any Mexican cheeses. But actually feta, which is normally over salads raw, is brilliant cooked. So what I'm going to do is get a fork and fork it up. I like to go half mushy, like mashed potato, and half semi-chunky, just for texture. You can dress this with some nice heart-healthy fats. Olive oil, cold-pressed olive oil, to give you flavour, to give you that shine. Let's see how I'm just mushing up the feta, some big, some small. And you can put a little bit of herb in there as well, just a bit. Go chunky, go fine, there's no right or wrong. That is the filling. We're going to wrap that in this. So I'm using tortilla. If you want it to be more traditional, use the corn tortilla. We've got eight, right, so two each. So lay out your eight tortilla. Let's stuff these bad boys. Let's just do a good spoon on each one. Okay, filling done. So I'm going to turn that pan on, just to get it going. Why not? I'm going to cook it straight away. So I'm going to get that sizzling. And I'm just going to squeeze it and roll it. So that's coming up to a simmer. Let's place in our beautiful little wraps of black beans. Snug them in there. And the sauce goes in and around them. I'm going to pour on the rest of this sauce. As it bakes, some of this sauce will disappear. Everyone's pan is a little bit different, but ultimately our job is to cover these tortillas, right? If you want to cover it in some cheddar cheese, you can. I'm just going to put a little bit of this feta on top, like this. I quite like some of the tortillas showing themselves. The edges are quite like crispy bits. So this goes in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, which is 350 Fahrenheit. When is it ready? When it's golden and blipping and looking gorgeous. 20-30 minutes is more than enough to make a delicious salsa. And this one is a little bit different than your standard one. Let me show you. It is so fast. So fast. I think you're going to love it. So I'm going to take like four sweet corn. You can use a pan or a griddle pan if you wish. Can you see how quickly it's just scalding? I'm just trying to get that smokiness happening. So all I have to do is literally just turn it. Let's turn that into a cool little contemporary salsa. So look, turn that gas stove off. Obviously, these are quite hot now. Get a little bowl. Put your cob or cobette in there. Hold it with your finger at the top. Get your knife and just very simply run it down like that. Turn it. Run it. Turn it. Run it. Very simple to do this. There is your sweet corn. The juice of your lime goes in for that acidity. Let's try and go quite delicate with the spring onions. Go as fine as you can. So just a little onion, just to give it a little hum. Herbs. Use any herb you like. I'm using coriander. Seasoning for sure. Pepper. Yeah, you can join the party. Chilli. A little or a lot. It's your vibe. And then just mix it up. Sweet, smoky, fresh, crunchy. Really, really delicious. Okay, so the enchilada has had 25 minutes. Let's have a little look. It smells amazing in here. Come on! Look at that. That is proper. That is comfort food. Look at that. Imagine that. Putting that in front of your friends or your family. Delicious. And all I would do is finish that with a little fresh coriander for a punch of colour. Look at that. Exciting food. Right, so let's put it together. I've got a little sour cream here. Got the salsa. Take it to the table. Let's get a little plate. Just get in there. Look how it gets crispy around the edge. It just is beautiful. Hopefully I can get it out in one. Sometimes it wants to fall off. Scrape up a load of that lovely sauce. Look at that. Let's put it down there. I love to have that contrast with the sour cream. You could use yoghurt if you haven't got sour cream. And some of that beautiful salsa just lobbed on one side. Maybe a little shake. Chilli sauce. Let's have a little try. Wow. Just look at it. Look at that lovely little mouthful. It's crispy. It's got sort of spiciness. But then it's fresh with that salsa and that sour cream. So there you go guys. That is a one pound wonder and a family favourite. So guys, what are you waiting for? Take care, happy cooking and lots of love. My Mexican chilli omelette is filled with oozy cheese and an amazing guacamole style slaw. It all starts in here in the liquidiser. I'm going to make a gorgeous avocado dressing. Silky green and literally anything you pour it on, it turns into a heavenly thing. This dressing is bursting with Mexican flavours. Go in with a good handful of coriander. Stalks and all. Whack in a nice ripe avocado and season. Add a good dollop of plain yoghurt. And the zest and juice of two limes. No more boring omelettes. No, no, no, no, no. This is going to be a new level. Makes a lovely lunch, a lovely dinner. So in with the juice. Whazz it up. Loosen with a tablespoon of olive oil and a splash of water. And you've got an amazing guacamole style dressing. This could sit in your fridge for four or five days as a salad dressing. Absolutely gorgeous. But I want to sort of put it around a slaw. There's no magic to this slaw. You just want crunchy fresh veg. I've got some savoy cabbage, an onion, a little bit of white cabbage. Along with one grated carrot and something a bit more unusual. Before we had potatoes or tomatoes or even onions, the only thing we really had was kale. You can get it in all the supermarkets. It grows beautifully. You get different colour kales, purple kales, this, that and the other. And it's incredibly good for you. But people don't really know what to do with it. Well you can just steam it or boil it. But raw in salads, unbelievable. Now you might have heard of people sort of talking about raw food diets and stuff like that. And before you think they're all crazy, this, that and the other. By cooking food, you know, obviously you're losing some of those lovely gorgeous things that fill us up with energy and make our nails and hair and eyes and everything work. Well, by finding wonderful ways to have raw food, you know, like coleslaw, this is a really good way of getting the good stuff in you. Spoon over the dressing and get your hands straight in there to make sure every strand of veg is coated with that silky avocado. So to hold that beautiful slaw, I'm going to make a lovely large comforting big Mexican omelette with a little cheese. It's going to make me feel good. It's going to fill me up. And for that, I need two large eggs per person. Crack into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Then whisk together with a little splash of water.