When we opened La Boca Loca in April 2011, we had a clear goal: to bring the freshest flavours of Mexico to Wellington. Our mission was to recreate and share the taste of our childhoods- in Sinaloa, Mexico and Napa, California- using fresh, locally available ingredients.
Since we opened, we’ve made it our priority to combine the very best local produce with carefully selected and sourced traditional ingredients like dried chillies, organic corn masa, and boutique tequilas and mezcals. We’ve insisted on making our food fresh and on choosing responsibly produced and sustainable ingredients: we hand-press corn tortillas daily for our tacos; our fish is line-caught off the coast of Wellington.
Fiery chillies, sweet tomatoes, sustaining corn and beans, buttery avocado and intoxicating cocoa – the flavours of Mexico are as rich, dramatic and varied as the country itself. These staple native ingredients have been essential since the time of the Mayan empire, and over the centuries invaders and immigrants have added to the country’s pantry, enhancing what we now know as Mexican cuisine. Geography and climate have also played a part in Mexico’s culinary evolution; each region has its own specialities, which are enjoying greater recognition and appreciation by food lovers as interest in traditional cooking surges globally. We hope you enjoy these authentic Mexican recipes.
Burrito de Res/Beef Burrito
Ingredients
- Spice Rub
- ¼ cup whole fennel seeds
- ¼ cup whole coriander seeds
- ¼ cup whole cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- ¼ cup dried thyme
- Beef
- 500 g beef brisket
- 1 small carrot
- 1 stick celery
- 3 brown onions divided use
- vegetable oil for the pan
- 3 cloves garlic
- 350 ml white wine
- 50 g dried chipotle chilli
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 200 g flat mushrooms
Instructions
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To make spice rub, toast all ingredients separately, then grind to fine powder in a spice grinder.
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Rub brisket with the spice rub and leave to sit for 1 hour.
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Roughly chop carrot, celery, and 1 onion. Heat about tablespoon of oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Saute onion, carrot and celery until onion starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Cut brisket into four pieces. Heat a fry pan until hot, add about 1 tablespoon of oil, and cook brisket on each side until lightly browned, around 1 minute. Remove the browned brisket to the casserole with the vegetables. Deglaze beef pan with white wine, then add the deglazing liquid to casserole with chipotle and bay leaf. Add enough stock to cover beef, then cover with baking paper and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer about 2 hours, or until meat can be pulled apart easily.
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Remove beef from heat and set aside. Strain the cooking liquid into another clean pan and reduce until a thickened gravy has formed. Meanwhile, off the heat, shred the beef and return it to the casserole.
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Slice remaining 2 onions and the flat mushrooms and saute in about 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat until golden brown. Add mushrooms to shredded beef. Add reduced gravy back to casserole and mix well with the meat.
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Wrap burritos and serve
Churros/Mexican Doughnuts
The history of churros begins in China, where Portuguese merchants first ate crispy fried pastry for breakfast. When they brought this treat home, they swapped the traditional salt for sugar and the churro was born. In Mexico today, churros and hot chocolate are sold for breakfast from many a roadside food stall. At La Boca Loca, we serve churros with individual small dishes of warm orange-chocolate sauce for maximum dipping pleasure.
