The Southwest in Depth - American Southwest - page 28

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(p. 366). The English translation of this
dish (dry meat) may not sound too appe-
tizing, but, trust us, this stuff is great.
Because the Sonoran Desert extends all the
way to the Gulf of California, you'll also
find seafood dishes on the menus of many
Mexican restaurants in Arizona. Keep an
eye out for fat Guaymas shrimp. At the
other end of the Mexican spectrum are the
flavorful and creative dishes concocted by
Chef Suzana Davila at her Tucson restau-
rant Café Poca Cosa (p. 363).
New Mexico is renowned for its flavor-
ful chile sauces, whether brilliant red or
green and with various levels of spicy bite.
Chile forms the base for these sauces that
top most dishes such as enchiladas and
burritos. One is not necessarily hotter
than the other; spiciness depends on the
type, and where and during what kind of
season (dry or wet) the chiles were grown.
Any of the New Mexico restaurants rec-
ommended in this topic offer these sauces,.
Possibly the most renowned sauces are in
Santa Fe, at The Shed (p. 162) and its sis-
ter restaurant La Choza (p. 162).
Even if you're familiar with Mexican
cooking, the dishes you know and love are
likely to be prepared differently here. The
following is a rundown of some regional
dishes, a number of which aren't widely
known outside the Southwest:
albondigas

chorizo burrito (also called “breakfast
burrito”) Mexican sausage, scrambled
eggs, potatoes, and scallions wrapped in a
flour tortilla with red- or green-chile sauce
and melted Jack cheese.
elote Roasted corn on the cob sprinkled
with lime juice, salt, and white cheese, and
smeared with spicy mayonnaise.
empanada A fried turnover with nuts
and currants and sometimes meat.
enchiladas Tortillas either rolled or lay-
ered with chicken, beef, or cheese, topped
with chile sauce.
green-chile stew Locally grown chiles,
cooked in a stew, with chunks of meat,
beans, and potatoes.
huevos rancheros Fried eggs on corn
tortillas, topped with cheese and red or
green chile, served with pinto beans.
nopalitos Sliced prickly-pear cactus
pads, often pickled.
pan dulce A sweet Native American
bread.
posole A corn soup or stew (called
hominy in other parts of the south), some-
times prepared with pork and chile.
sopaipilla A lightly fried puff pastry,
served with honey as a dessert or stuffed
with meat and vegetables as a main dish.
Sopaipillas with honey have a cooling
effect on your palate after you've eaten a
spicy dish.
tacos Spiced chicken or beef served
either in soft tortillas or crispy shells.
tamales A dish made from cornmeal
dough stuffed with chile-seasoned meat,
and wrapped in husks and steamed.
DRINK
Margaritas are among the most popular
drinks in the region, and they come in a
wide range of flavors. Although you might
be a traditional on-the-rocks-with-salt per-
son, you might try a prickly-pear margar-
ita. These cocktails, prepared with syrup

2

Meatballs—often in a broth

soup.
biscochito A cookie made with anise.
carne adovada Tender pork marinated
in red-chile sauce, herbs, and spices, and
then baked.
ceviche Raw seafood marinated in lime
juice, usually with tomatoes, chiles, green
onions, garlic, and cilantro.
cheese crisp Basically a Mexican pizza
of cheese melted on top of a large flour
tortilla.
chile rellenos Peppers stuffed with
cheese, deep-fried, and then covered with
green chile sauce.