Mole, Cactus and…Zumba

Oaxaca was fabulous with mid-day temps about eighty degrees, wonderful food and a variety of things to do and see. We stayed at Casa Ollin, a charming B&B on a lovely, quiet street, with other guests who were fun and interesting and breakfasts that were truly terrific. The coffee was a miracle, the fresh fruit delicious, the breads wonderful and each day brought a different,  Mexican-inspired main dish like Oaxacan tamales, rich with mole, or tortillas served with a spicy sauce and long, skinny nopales (a kind of cactus) on the side. (One day we had omelets stuffed with chopped chapulines– that’s grasshopper to you. Can’t say they taste like chicken but they’re good.)

Woman selling fried chapulines at market

Early on during the week’s stay, we went to the Botanical Gardens for the docent-led tour in English. For two and a half hours we looked at plants arranged by ecological and cultural themes, almost all indigenous to the area. There’s a section for plants that are foods and an area for many kinds of cacti including the nopali that host the parasitic cochineal bug — when squeezed this produces the prized crimson color. It’s used to dye yarn and, per our docent, is also in  Starbuck’s Strawberry Frappe and a

squeeze cochineal for brilliant natural red color

Dole fruit cup product.)

Our B & B was very near what we’d call a shopping plaza.. The plaza houses ATMs, a laundry (many people come to Oaxaca for several months to get away from winter) a small, very well stocked mini-market and… a space devoted to zumba. Classes were held several times a day most days–the only reason I didn’t dive in was that I’d neglected to bring the right workout clothes.
Wandering through town, I saw zumba advertised in several other spots. Apparently this fitness boomlet is doing big biz in Mexico with classes and instructor training all over. Every class I saw was packed with people having a great time, loving the music and working off some of that terrific food. Mole ole!

I’m not crazy enough to suggest chapulines (even if we could get them here–who knows?) or even mole (takes too long and has far too many ingredients) but this comes close to an actual beef fajita. Yes, there are a few cheats here and there but it will taste good.

Beef Fajitas

3 small yellow onions, peeled and halved lengthwise
3⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1⁄4 tsp. liquid smoke (how Mexican!)
1 bay leaf
1 1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1  2-lb. skirt steak, cut into 3″ pieces
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and thickly sliced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and thickly sliced
12 scallions, trimmed
1 tomato, cored and quartered
6″ homemade or store-bought flour tortillas (home made? Not in my home.)

Finely chop 1 of the onion halves and put into a large deep glass or ceramic dish. Add 3⁄4 cup of the oil, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, bay leaf, black pepper, and salt to taste and mix well. Add meat to dish and turn in marinade until well coated. Cover dish with plastic wrap and marinate meat in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.

After steak has marinated, heat a charcoal grill until coals are hot. Remove meat from dish, discarding marinade. Grill meat over hot coals, turning once, 4–6 minutes for medium rare. (You may also cook meat in a grill pan on the stove over high heat.) Transfer meat to a cutting board and set aside.

Thickly slice the remaining 2 onions lengthwise and set aside. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add onions and bell peppers, season to taste with salt, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are lightly charred but still crunchy, 3–4 minutes.

Thinly slice meat against the grain, add to skillet with vegetables, and stir until heated through, 1–2 minutes. Divide fajitas equally among four  large heated plates; garnish with scallions and tomato wedges. Serve with warm tortillas, if you want to make it seem more authentic.

You should start with a shot or two of mezcal (more on that later.) Tequila makes a good sub. Beer, especially a Mexican brand, would also be excellent.