Mexican cuisine is highly subjective, and the ingredients/methods used in any dish vary wildly. One can go to 100 different Mexican restaurants, and each one will have its own version of the same dish. Chefs add their own twist to traditional recipes to get a taste they like. As long as it tastes great and is enjoyed, its “correct”.
Similarly, we do many things our way:
Traditionally, chiles rellenos are made with Poblano peppers, stuffed with cheese, dipped in egg batter, and fried.
But because no two peppers are similar in shape and size, consistency, and portion control are nearly impossible. So we cut the Poblanos down to the size of our mini-loaf pans, layer them above and below a thick slice of Jalapeno-Jack cheese, cover them with our buttermilk-egg batter, and bake them until golden-brown. The result is flavourful and consistent without oil-laden fried batter.
Traditional Tamales are made with lard, which can be heavy to digest. We use a blend of butter and peanut oil for a lighter and healthier result.
Over the past several years, it has become common for many establishments to offer “Mongo” or “Huge” Burritos, including a large portion of rice. We believe rice has no place inside a Burrito. We see it as a cheap filler that dilutes the flavours and texture of the main ingredients.
Grated cheese has cellulose (wood powder) to keep the shavings from clumping together. We grate our own blend of Mozzarella and Edam cheeses in small batches to avoid clumps.
Commercially available Tortilla Chips are fried days or weeks before you eat them. We fry our tortillas fresh in peanut oil to order. The flavour and crunch are unbeatable.
All of our baked items (Enchiladas, chiles rellenos, and Wet Burritos) are laid on a bed of rice and baked in a foil pan. If we were a brick-and-mortar restaurant, we would bake directly on china, which stays hot for a time to enjoy the meal. Baking on rice offers an element of heat insulation and allows your fork to capture the sauce and cheese that would otherwise be stuck on the pan.
Glossary
Here is our Glossary of the menu ingredients we use as Las Chimi’s:
3D Cup – A 2 oz cup with 3 Dips: Guacamole, Sour Cream & Salsa. Included w/ Chimichangas and Fajita Burritos.
Beans – Pinto beans, cooked and mashed on-board. Beef – Stewed Sirloin, hand-pulled.
Canola Oil – Will never be used in this food truck.
Cheese – Our blend of Mozzarella and Edam, grated on-board, cellulose-free.
Chicken – Oven-roasted chicken breast.
Chorizo – Ground Pork, with hot chiles, garlic and spices.
Consomé – Our beef broth with red chiles, cilantro & onion.
Extra-Hot Sauce – Our Salsa, fired-up with more fresh blended jalapeño peppers.
En Molé – Molé Poblano is a rich and complex sauce consisting of Mulato and Pasilla chiles, sesame, garlic, onion, thyme, Cinnamon, raisin, peanut, unsweetened cocoa, seeds and spices.
Peanut Oil – Used exclusively in all recipes and fryers.
Pico (Pico-de-gallo) – A fresh Mexican relish of diced tomato, white onion, cilantro, a touch of Jalapeño, lime juice and salt.
Pork – Slow-cooked and pulled shoulder (butt) roast.
Rice – Mexican style, with tomato juice and a bit of corn. Brushed with sauce to add flavour, and to prevent drying-out in the baking process.
Salsa – Taco sauce made from scratch (as are all sauces), with fresh tomato, onion, cilantro and jalapeños.
Salsa Amarilla – An aromatic YELLOW sauce featuring green pepper, green chile and tomato. Used in Chicken, Seafood items, and Chile Rellenos.
Salsa Roja – A spicy RED sauce with four varieties of red chiles, tomato and spices. Used in Beef items, Cheese Enchiladas, Salsa Ámber and Chilima sauce.
Salsa Verde – A zesty GREEN sauce with imported Mexican Salsa Verde, Tomatillos and Poblano peppers.
Seafood – Wild-caught: Ling Cod and Argentine prawns.
We shall never serve any farmed seafood in this food truck.
Soybean Oil – Will never be used in this food truck.