Pork in verdolagas and green salsa shows that
Mexican food need not be high-fat to be tasty.
Photo by S.M. Bata
In the coming weeks, I am going to tackle 10 such myths. I may not be able to provide absolution from sins, but at least I can set the record straight about Mexican food.
Myth no. 1: Mexican food is fattening.
The most influential aspect of Mexican cuisine, indeed its foundation, is the pre-Hispanic culture. So, let’s return to its roots and forget about the Tex-Mex-deep-fried-in-lard-giant-portion-chimichanga for a moment.
The Indians in Mexico never used animal fat or vegetable oil to cook their food. They boiled their meats and vegetables or roasted them directly on the flame or with a comal -- a clay or metal plate. They would bury meat underground in hot embers to cook it, or wrap fish and meats in banana leaves, avocado leaves or corn husks to bake in a wood-burning oven.
Perhaps the apex of this cuisine came under the rule of Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II. History tells us that there were as many as 300 braceros (clay plates with lids) at his table. Among the options to savor were all kind of birds, turkey, vegetables, oysters, flowers, roots, fruits and many other Indian delicacies such as gusanos de maguey (cactus worms), cactus, romeritos (edible greens), huautzontles (flavorful herbs) cactus flowers and fruits, epazote (another pungent herb), chayotes and chilacayotes (vegetables). It was not until the Spaniards conquered Mexico in the 16th century that frying, lard and grease-heavy foods such as chorizo were introduced into the Mexican diet.
But even with the Spanish influence, one can easily make healthy and traditional Mexican food. One of my favorites is a classic Mestizo dish called verdolagas y puerco en salsa verde. This stewed dish of purslane, pork and salsa verde is a typical example of the meshing of the Spanish influence (they introduced pork to the Indians) with traditional vegetables and sauces. Not only is it delicious -- it also happens to be one of the healthiest stews you can eat.
The traditional recipe calls only for pork neck, but I suggest you use the pork neck only for flavoring the broth since the meat is fatty and meager. I like to cube pork loin, which is heavy on protein.
Purslane gives this pork stew a sweet-sour flavor and lots
of nutrients. Photo by S.M. Bata
Hopefully, by tackling one myth at a time, Mexican food’s reputation can be restored to its traditional and sumptuous glory.
Pork in Verdolagas and Green Salsa
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 large bunch of purslane, cleaned with the stems cut
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into rounds
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 7-ounce can of Herdez green salsa, medium heat or if you have the time, 1 cup of homemade green salsa
½ pound of pork neck
1 pork loin, cubed
1 32-ounce carton of chicken or vegetable stock
Directions
Heat some olive oil in a stewing pot and toss in the pork loin cubes to sear. Once they are browned but not cooked, add in the onion and garlic. Once the vegetables are soft, add the purslane and mix it in. Add the salsa, pork neck and stock. Add salt to taste. Cover and, ideally, let it cook for about 2 hours, until the pork loin is soft to the touch of a fork. Serve like a stew with tortillas and sprinkle a little cotija cheese on top.
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