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ArracheraMarinated grilled skirt steak

Arrachera is the star of the Sunday carne asada in Monterrey and across Nuevo León, where families gather round the grill in the backyard and eat it straight off the board in warm flour or corn tortillas with grilled onions, guacamole and salsa. Skirt steak is a thin, loose-grained cut full of flavour, and a marinade of orange, lime, garlic, soy and Worcestershire sauce seasons and tenderises it. Always marinate it in the fridge. The common mistake is slicing with the grain: the meat turns stringy and chewy. Cut it across the grain into thin strips. Cook it fast and hot to medium-rare or medium (57–63 °C in the centre) and rest it for 5 minutes. Chef's tip: dry the steak well with kitchen paper before it hits the grill; a wet steak steams instead of charring.

25 min

Mexican Meat

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Tamales verdes de polloChicken tamales in green salsa

In Mexico City, tamales verdes are breakfast: bought hot from bicycle carts outside metro stations, eaten with a cup of atole, or squeezed into a bolillo roll as a 'guajolota'. Families also make them by the dozen for Candelaria on 2 February and for Christmas. Fluffy corn masa is beaten with fat and broth, spread on soaked corn husks, filled with chicken in a sharp tomatillo and green chilli sauce, then steamed. Fondas often use pork lard; this version uses vegetable shortening. The common mistake is under-beating the masa: it should be light enough that a small ball floats in a glass of cold water. They are done when the husk peels away cleanly from the masa. Cook the chicken to 74 °C before filling. Chef's tip: let the steamed tamales rest in the pot off the heat for 15 minutes; they firm up and stop sticking to the husks.

160 min

Mexican Chicken

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Puerco en salsa verdePork in green tomatillo sauce

Puerco en salsa verde is a staple of Mexico City fondas and family kitchens, the kind of dish that turns up for a weekday comida with rice, beans and a stack of tortillas, and fills tacos the next day. Chunks of pork shoulder are browned, then braised in a sharp sauce of tomatillos, serrano chillies, garlic and coriander until the meat is spoon-tender and the sauce is thick and glossy. Some cooks add potatoes or nopales to stretch it. The common mistake is crowding the pan when browning: the pork releases water and boils grey instead of browning, which robs the sauce of depth. Brown it in two batches. It is ready when the pork breaks apart with a fork and has passed 71 °C. Chef's tip: boil the tomatillos only until they turn from bright to olive green; if they split, they go sour and watery.

110 min

Mexican Meat

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Pescado a lo machoFried fish in spicy seafood sauce

Pescado a lo macho is a classic of Lima's seafood restaurants, the dish people order for a long Sunday lunch near the sea in Chorrillos: a fillet of fried white fish smothered in a thick, spicy sauce of ají panca and ají amarillo packed with prawns, squid and mussels. The name boasts that you need to be brave for the chilli, but you can turn it down. The common mistake is overcooking the seafood while the sauce reduces; add it only when the sauce is already thick. Discard mussels that are open and do not close when tapped, and any that stay shut after cooking. Chef's tip: dust the fish in flour seasoned with cumin and fry it last, so it reaches the table crisp under the sauce.

55 min

Peruvian Fish

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MicheladaSpiced lime beer cocktail

The michelada is the weekend drink of Mexico, poured at beach bars in Mazatlán, cantinas in Mexico City and backyard carne asadas on Sunday afternoons, and it is a drink for adults only. A light Mexican-style lager is mixed with plenty of lime, a dash of hot sauce, a little soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, over ice in a glass rimmed with chilli salt, so it is sour, salty, savoury and very refreshing. Most Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, so buy a vegetarian Worcestershire sauce. For an alcohol-free version, use alcohol-free lager or sparkling water with a little tomato juice; it tastes almost the same. The common mistake is adding the beer too fast: it foams up over the seasoning and the glass overflows. Tilt the glass and pour slowly. Drink responsibly. Chef's tip: chill the glass in the freezer for 15 minutes; the rim sets crisply and the drink stays cold to the last sip.

5 min

Mexican Drinks

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Fresas con cremaStrawberries and cream

Fresas con crema is sold in plastic cups at juice stands, markets and park carts all over Mexico, especially in Irapuato, Guanajuato, the country's strawberry capital, and kids beg for it on hot afternoons and after school. Ripe strawberries are folded through a cold, silky cream sweetened with condensed milk and vanilla, so the juice bleeds pink into the cream. The usual mistake is mixing it too early: after an hour the berries weep and the cream turns thin and watery. Mix it up to 20 minutes before eating. Use the sweetest, reddest berries you can find; pale ones taste sour however much sugar you add. Chef's tip: chill the bowl and both creams for 30 minutes first, then whisk only briefly; cold cream thickens slightly on its own and clings to the fruit.

10 min

Mexican Desserts

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Tacos al pastorSpit-style marinated pork tacos

Tacos al pastor are Mexico City's late-night taco, carved from a spinning vertical spit (trompo) at taquerías from the Centro to Condesa, a dish born from the shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants in the 1900s. This recipe is made with pork shoulder, marinated in guajillo chilli, achiote, pineapple juice and spices, sliced thin, then roasted and seared at home, and served on small corn tortillas with pineapple, onion, coriander and salsa. Marinate the pork in the fridge, never on the counter. The usual mistake is cutting the meat thick: thick pieces stew instead of caramelising. Slice it about 5 mm thin. The pork is done when the edges are charred and crisp and the thickest pieces reach 71 °C. Chef's tip: freeze the pork for 40 minutes before slicing; firm meat cuts into even, thin sheets with no effort.

60 min

Mexican Meat

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Tamales peruanosChicken corn tamales in banana leaf

In Lima, tamales are a Sunday breakfast, bought warm from street vendors calling 'tamaleeeeros' or made at home for Christmas, and eaten with crusty bread and a pile of salsa criolla. Peruvian tamales are larger and softer than Mexican ones, made from corn dough coloured with ají and wrapped in banana leaves, hiding chicken, a black olive, a slice of egg and a peanut. Peanuts are an allergen, so leave them out if needed. The usual mistake is a dry dough: the tamales turn crumbly. Beat in enough warm stock to make a soft paste that just holds its shape. The chicken must reach 74 °C before it goes in. Chef's tip: fat makes the dough tender; beat the oil and dough for a full 5 minutes until light, as Lima cooks do with pork lard.

150 min

Peruvian Chicken

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Pastel aztecaLayered tortilla and poblano bake

Pastel azteca, also called budín azteca, is the tortilla 'lasagne' of central Mexico, a favourite for family gatherings in Mexico City and Puebla because it can be built the day before and baked when guests arrive. Layers of lightly fried corn tortillas are stacked with roasted poblano strips (rajas), sweetcorn, a cooked tomato sauce, crema and melting cheese, then baked until bubbling, set and golden. Many versions add shredded chicken; this one stays vegetarian. The usual mistake is skipping the quick fry of the tortillas: raw tortillas soak up the sauce and the bake turns to mush. Oaxaca and Chihuahua cheese are often made with animal rennet, so pick a vegetarian mozzarella or melting cheese if needed. It is ready when the edges bubble and a knife slides through the layers easily. Chef's tip: let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting so the layers firm up and slice cleanly.

75 min

Mexican Vegetarian

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Tinga de polloShredded chipotle chicken

Tinga comes from Puebla, where it is a favourite for weekday lunches, parties and street-side tostada stalls: poached chicken shredded into a sauce of softened onions, tomatoes and smoky chipotle chillies in adobo, until every strand is coated in red. Pile it on crisp tostadas spread with refried beans and top with lettuce, crema, cheese and avocado, or roll it into tacos and quesadillas. The common mistake is adding all the chipotles at once: tins vary a lot in heat, so start with two and taste. The chicken must reach 74 °C in the thickest part before you shred it; it then simmers again in the sauce. Chef's tip: let the onions cook soft and sweet for a full 10 minutes before the tomato goes in; that sweetness balances the smoky heat.

55 min

Mexican Chicken

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Crema volteadaBaked caramel custard

In Lima, crema volteada is the dessert that appears at Sunday lunch in Miraflores and Barranco homes and at every birthday where an aunt is in charge of the sweets. It is firmer and richer than a Spanish flan because it is made with both evaporated and condensed milk, so it slices cleanly and tastes of toffee. The usual mistake is baking it in an oven that is too hot: the custard boils, fills with tiny holes and weeps. Keep the water bath at a bare simmer and take it out while the centre still wobbles slightly. Chef's tip: chill it overnight before turning it out; a cold custard releases in one piece and the caramel has time to melt into a pourable sauce.

80 min

Peruvian Desserts

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Arroz con mariscosSeafood rice

Arroz con mariscos is the weekend dish of Callao and the beach towns south of Lima, served in cevicherías as the hot partner to a cold ceviche. It is moister than a paella, closer to a risotto, coloured with ají panca and ají amarillo and finished with peas and a little Parmesan-style cheese, as many Lima cooks do. The common mistake is adding all the seafood at the start: the squid turns rubbery and the prawns shrink to nothing. Cook the rice first and add the shellfish only for the final minutes. Discard any mussels that are open before cooking and do not close when tapped, and any that stay shut after cooking. The cheese is often made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian hard cheese if you prefer. Chef's tip: simmer the prawn shells in the stock for 10 minutes; they give the rice its deep seafood taste.

60 min

Peruvian Fish

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Ceviche peruanoLime-cured white fish

Ceviche is Peru's national dish, eaten at lunchtime in the cevicherías of Lima's Surquillo and Chorrillos markets, because the fish must be fresh off the morning boats and cevicherías traditionally close in the afternoon. The classic is raw white fish 'cooked' in lime juice with red onion, chilli and coriander, served with sweet potato and corn. Lime juice does not kill bacteria or parasites, so this version first poaches the fish for a minute until just opaque, then dresses it, which keeps the classic flavour and texture far safer. Even so, it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. The usual mistake is leaving the fish in the lime for an hour: it turns chalky and the juice goes bitter. Chef's tip: squeeze the limes gently by hand and stop before the pith; over-squeezed limes make bitter leche de tigre.

40 min

Peruvian Fish

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Lomo saltadoBeef stir-fry with chips

Lomo saltado was born in the chifas of central Lima, where Chinese cooks met Peruvian ingredients, and today it is the lunch every Peruvian family makes when they want something fast and a little indulgent. Strips of beef are seared in a smoking-hot wok with red onion, tomato and yellow chilli, splashed with soy sauce and vinegar, then tossed with chips and served beside white rice, so you get both starches on one plate. The common mistake is crowding the wok: the beef stews in its juices and turns grey and chewy instead of charring. Cook it in two batches over the highest heat you have. Chef's tip: add the chips at the very last second, or serve them on the side, so they soak up a little sauce but stay crisp.

45 min

Peruvian Meat

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Tortillas de maízHomemade corn tortillas

Across Mexico, from Oaxaca market stalls to family kitchens in Guadalajara, warm corn tortillas arrive at every meal of the day, stacked in a cloth-lined basket next to beans, eggs, stews and salsas. Made fresh, they are soft and pliable with a toasty, sweet corn smell that packaged ones never have, and a good one puffs up like a balloon on the comal. You need only masa harina (nixtamalised corn flour, not cornmeal or polenta), warm water and a pinch of salt. The common mistake is a dough that is too dry: the edges crack when pressed and the tortillas turn stiff as cardboard. The dough should feel like soft play dough and not stick to your palm. They are done when both sides have pale brown freckles and the tortilla has puffed. Chef's tip: stack the cooked tortillas in a clean tea towel inside a lidded basket or pot; they steam each other and stay soft for an hour.

50 min

Mexican Breads & Parathas

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Sopa criollaCreamy beef noodle soup

Sopa criolla is the soup Lima turns to on grey winter evenings, when the garúa mist hangs over the city: a beef broth reddened with ají panca, full of thin noodles and strips of beef, enriched with evaporated milk and finished with a poached egg. It arrives with toasted bread for dunking. The common mistake is boiling the soup after adding the milk; it splits into specks. Lower the heat first and stir it in gently. The beef strips are thin, so they cook through in a few minutes. Chef's tip: crack the eggs straight into the barely simmering soup and leave them alone for three minutes; the whites set into soft ribbons that thicken the broth.

45 min

Peruvian Soups

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Sopa de albóndigasMeatball soup

Caldo de albóndigas is comfort food in homes across Mexico, from Sonora to Mexico City, served at Sunday lunch or whenever someone has a cold, with warm tortillas and a squeeze of lime. Soft meatballs of beef and pork mince, studded with raw rice and fresh mint, cook gently in a tomato and chipotle broth with carrots, courgette and potatoes; the rice swells inside so the meatballs stay light. This recipe contains pork. The usual mistake is boiling hard: meatballs fall apart in a rolling boil, so keep the broth at a gentle simmer. They are done when they float, feel firm and reach 71 °C in the centre. Chef's tip: wet your hands before rolling each meatball; the mince doesn't stick and the surface comes out smooth, so they hold together in the broth.

70 min

Mexican Soups

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Arroz tapadoRice dome with beef filling

Arroz tapado means covered rice, and it is the thrifty weekday lunch of Lima homes and school canteens: garlic rice pressed into a bowl, filled with a sweet-savoury beef mince and turned out like a dome. The filling of minced beef with onion, ají panca, raisins, black olives and hard-boiled egg is the same picadillo that goes into papas rellenas. The usual mistake is leaving the filling wet: the dome collapses and the rice turns soggy. Simmer it until the pan is almost dry. Minced beef must reach 71 °C, so cook it until no pink remains. Serve with a spoonful of salsa criolla. Chef's tip: brush the bowl with a little oil and pack the rice firmly with the back of a spoon; a well-pressed dome holds its shape on the plate.

60 min

Peruvian Meat

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Chiles toreadosBlistered jalapeños with lime

At taquerías in Mexico City and the carne asada stands of the north, a small dish of chiles toreados sits next to the tacos: whole jalapeños 'fought' in a hot pan until blistered and slumped, tossed with sweet charred onion, lime juice and a splash of soy sauce or seasoning sauce, a habit borrowed from Mexico's Chinese-Mexican cooks. Bite one between mouthfuls of taco or grilled steak. The common mistake is moving the chillies too much: they need to sit still on the heat to blister, or they steam and go grey. They are ready when the skins are blackened in patches and the chillies feel soft when squeezed. Soy sauce contains wheat; use tamari for a gluten-free version. Chef's tip: prick each chilli once with a knife tip before cooking so it doesn't burst and spit hot oil at you.

15 min

Mexican Sides

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Enchiladas rojasCheese enchiladas in red chilli sauce

Enchiladas rojas are what a Mexican home cook in San Luis Potosí or Mexico City makes for a weekday lunch or a Sunday supper: corn tortillas dipped in a brick-red sauce of dried guajillo and ancho chillies, quickly fried, rolled round crumbled cheese and chopped onion, then topped with crema, lettuce and radish. The sauce tastes earthy and fruity rather than fiery. The classic mistake is burning the dried chillies when you toast them: they need only seconds per side, and blackened chillies make the whole sauce bitter. Queso fresco and similar cheeses are often made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian-labelled fresh cheese or feta if you keep vegetarian. Chef's tip: warm the tortillas in hot oil for a few seconds before dipping them in the sauce; they turn supple, roll without tearing and stay intact rather than going soggy.

55 min

Mexican Vegetarian

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TripleAvocado, tomato and egg sandwich

The triple is the soft, layered sandwich of Lima's cafés and bakeries, eaten at lonche, the Peruvian late-afternoon meal, or as a light supper: three slices of crustless white bread layered with avocado, tomato and sliced hard-boiled egg, all held together with mayonnaise. It looks neat, tastes fresh and is loved by children. Shop-bought mayonnaise is made with pasteurised egg, so it is safe for everyone. The common mistake is letting wet tomato touch the bread, which turns it soggy within minutes. Chef's tip: pat the tomato dry and sit it between the avocado and egg, then press the sandwich under a board for a minute before cutting.

15 min

Peruvian Snacks & Starters

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Mont-Saint-Michel soufflé omelette

On the tidal island of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, pilgrims and travellers have long been fed a tall, cloud-like omelette named after Annette Poulard, the nineteenth-century innkeeper who served it to hungry visitors. At home it makes a quick, rather showy supper: the eggs are whisked so much air goes in that the omelette rises in the pan, golden underneath and soft and foamy inside, folded over and eaten with a green salad. The common mistake is whipping the whites until they are stiff and dry; they then won't fold into the yolks and the omelette weeps liquid. Chef's tip: stir a spoonful of the whites into the yolks first to loosen them, then fold in the rest in two goes.

13 min

French Vegetarian

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Tostadas de atúnTuna tostadas

Tostadas de atún are a Lent favourite all over Mexico and an everyday late supper when the cupboard is nearly empty: shop-bought crisp tostadas spread with a little mayonnaise and heaped with canned tuna mixed with onion, tomato, chilli and lime. Nothing is cooked, so it is on the table in ten minutes. The common mistake is piling on watery tomato, which turns the tostada soggy before you can eat it. Chef's tip: squeeze the tuna really dry and add the lime and salt only at the last moment so the mix stays crisp and bright.

10 min

Mexican Fish

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Taco placeroTacos with chicharrón and nopal salad

Taco placero is what Mexico City market workers and families put together for a quick supper or a lazy weekend lunch: no cooking, just warm tortillas and a spread of market foods, everyone filling their own. Typical fillings are chicharrón (crisp fried pork skin), fresh panela cheese, avocado, a quick nopal salad and salsa. Chicharrón is pork, so leave it out or swap in fried pumpkin seeds for a meat-free version. The common mistake is serving cold, stiff tortillas, which crack around the fillings. Chef's tip: buy ready-cooked nopales in a jar, rinse them well to get rid of the slime, and dress them with lime and onion so they taste freshly made.

12 min

Mexican Fast Food

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