Diana Davila's Tuetano Con Sabores De Caldo De Res
Chef Diana Davila
Chef Diana Davila
Diana Davila owns Mi Tocaya in Chicago. The restaurant is a personal, spirited expression of Mexican food with a particular connection to the feminine. “I pay homage to the women who have created Mexican cuisine,” she says. “Our dishes are based on tradition and history through my lens of learning. It’s an art form in a story that you get to taste and experience with your five senses.”
The name of this dish translates as ‘bone marrow with flavours of beef stew’ and the components - the marrow, the short rib, the vegetables - are inspired by Diana Davila’s grandmother. “The food at Mi Tocaya is based on tradition and history,” she says. “I pay homage to the women who have created Mexican cuisine.”
The tortillas in this recipe are made with lard or tallow, the beef is served with pan-roasted vegetables, all based on family dishes, including her father’s caldo. “Every dish I do is around a memory,” says Diana. “There’s research, there’s skill, but the most important part is that I feel like we capture the spirit.”
Ingredients
Components
Components
flour tortillas
roasted bone marrow (15cm / 6 in canoe cut)
braised short rib (recipe below)
salsa verde, of choice
white onion, sliced
coriander (cilantro) leaves, picked
lime wedges
Flour Tortilla
Flour Tortilla
280g (10 oz) butter
250g (9 oz) manteca (lard or tallow)
1.4kg (51 oz) all-purpose flour
30g (1 oz) sea salt
30g (1 oz) baking powder
700ml (24 oz) water
Braised Short Rib
Braised Short Rib
4.5kg (10 lb) Westholme boneless chuck flap or boneless short rib
beef fat, as needed
salt & black pepper, to taste
6 white onions, quartered
10 cloves garlic, crushed
12 poblano chillies, halved
19L (20 qt) water
115g (4 oz) fresh thyme
60g (2 oz) fresh oregano
20 fresh bay leaves
900g (2 lb) carrot, in large dice
900g (2 lb) chayote (choko), in large dice
900g (2 lb) calabacitas, in large dice
900g (2 lb) potato, in large dice
Method
Flour Tortilla
Whip butter and lard together to aerate.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix.
Let rest for an hour.
Roll.
Braised Short Rib
Season short rib. Brown in beef fat in a braising pan. Set aside.
In a large pot, add beef fat, onion, garlic and poblano and brown all well.
Add water and bring to a boil.
Tie herbs and add to pot.
Set to a high simmer.
Add browned short rib. Cover and cook until tender.
When cool, remove meat and cut into large dice.
While meat is cooking, pan-roast carrot, chayote and potato in a little more beef fat until golden and tender.
Assembly
Cook tortilla.
Roast bone marrow and place on tortilla.
Add pan-roasted vegetables (carrot, chayote, potatoes) and short rib.
Add salsa.
Add sliced onions and coriander (cilantro).
Serve with lime wedges.
To eat, scrape bone marrow from the bone and roll up with other ingredients.
“Every dish I do is around a memory,” says Diana. “There’s research, there’s skill, but the most important part is that I feel like we capture the spirit.” - Diana Davila
