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Sánchez sees grilling as a perfect fit for both Latin culture, which thrives on gatherings of family and friends, and Latin flavor, which starts with meats accented with marinades, rubs and salsas.
“When I was a kid, we had a 50-gallon drum dug into the backyard. We’d heat rocks and pit-cook big cuts of meat. We’d also grill thinly sliced meat marinated in garlic, pickled jalapeno and cilantro for tacos and carne asada,” says Sánchez.
His mother, Zarela Martinez, is a well-known chef who instilled in him a love of cooking and eating. She also put him to work; he started cooking in restaurant kitchens when he was 11. After training with Paul Prudhomme in New Orleans and studying at Johnson and Wales in Providence, R.I., he focused on bringing Mexican flavors to American diners.
As a Mexican food ambassador, he beats Taco Bell’s talking Chihuahua hands down. “I’m a culinary crusader,” says Sánchez, who opened Paladar on New York’s Lower East Side in 2001 and Centrico in Tribeca in 2004. “My food comes from a cultural context. It’s rooted in tradition; it’s from an honest, sincere place.”
His mission reaches all the way to your patio. Sánchez wants to expand your barbecue horizons. Don’t worry—you won’t need a 50-gallon drum. To Latinize your pork, beef or chicken, you need just a few basic ingredients: chipotle peppers, fresh and dried chiles, and Mexican oregano.
“It’s as simple as processing a couple of these ingredients in a food processor with some olive oil and garlic, and you have a marinade,” says Sánchez. For something a little more complex, try one of the recipes here or in Sánchez’ book, La Comida Del Barrio (Clarkson Potter, 2003).
Even though he cooks for a living, he still grills at home. “Sunday is a precious day, and we grill at my mother’s house because she has the space, which is unusual in New York. My mom chooses the meats and makes the marinades, and I do the grilling. Even though I have my own restaurants now, I’m allowed to do only the grunt work at her house. She’s head chef.”
Smoky Dry Mole-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons cumin seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano or marjoram
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cocoa
½ tablespoon ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) pork tenderloin
2. Toast cumin, fennel and mustard seeds in a dry cast-iron skillet until they begin to smoke, about 5 minutes.
3. Combine seeds and remaining ingredients (except pork), in a spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or food processor. Grind to a powder.
4. Coat pork with spice mixture. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
5. Prepare charcoal grill. When coals have turned amber and become ashy on the outside, push them to one side. Remove hardwood chips from water and pile them on top of coals. Position grate on grill and heat until chips begin to smoke, about 10 minutes.
6. Sear tenderloin over coals on each side 3 minutes, then move to the side of grill with no coals, cover grill, and cook 5 to 10 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 4.
Recipe courtesy of Aaron Sanchez, Relish Who You Know, "Fire and Spice," July 2008.
New Mexican Tomatillo Salsa
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Ingredients
3 fresh tomatillos, husked and very finely chopped
2 shallots, minced, or 1/2 small white onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Per (1/4-cup) serving: 20 calories, 1g prot., 5g carbs., 0g fat, 0g fiber, 170mg sodium.
Recipe by David Feder, "Relish Festivals and Fun," September 2007.
Grilled Shrimp with Orange and Habanero Mojo
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Ingredients
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh or pickled habanero chile, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
Shrimp:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
8 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 wooden skewers, soaked in water 2 hours
2. To prepare shrimp, combine olive oil and garlic. Thread 2 shrimp on each skewer, and brush both sides with oil mixture.
3. Prepare grill. Grill shrimp on a hot grill 2 minutes on each side, brushing with the remaining oil mixture. Serve with a drizzle of Habanero Mojo. Serves 4 as an appetizer.
Recipe courtesy of Aaron Sanchez, Relish Who You Know," Fire and Spice, July 2008
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