Mexican cuisine TikTok queen shares recipes from debut cookbook, 'My Mexican Mesa'
Mexican food content creator Jenny Martinez has become a social media sensation for her authentic recipes and fast-paced, upbeat cooking tutorial videos.
Now, Martinez is sharing her mouthwatering dishes like mole negro and sweet treats like churros and paletas with the world in her debut cookbook, "My Mexican Mesa, Y Listo!: Beautiful Flavors, Family Style."
Martinez joined "Good Morning America" on Friday to share three homestyle recipes, including her mother's birria -- Mexican beef stew -- which helped her reach viral fame online.
Check out the full recipes below to recreate in your kitchen for any occasion.
Quesabirria Tacos
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients
8 cups birria broth plus 2 pounds Birria de Res (Mexican Beef Stew) meat (see video above)
1/2 cup canola oil, divided
Sixteen 6-inch corn tortillas
4 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 white onion, diced
Tapatio hot sauce, for serving
4 fresh limes, cut into wedges
Directions
Start by skimming the red fat from the surface of the birria broth (this fat comes from the meat). Transfer the fat to a large, shallow bowl and set aside. Transfer the birria meat to a cutting board. Reserve the broth. Chop the meat and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large comal or skillet over medium heat. Using tongs, dip a tortilla into the reserved red fat until it is lightly coated in a red layer of fat. BEAUTIFUUUULLL!!!! Hold the tortilla up to allow some of the fat to drip off and then quickly place it on the hot comal. Immediately start building the taco by adding 1/4 cup of the cheese and about 3 tablespoons of the chopped meat on top of tortilla; fold it over. Fry the taco until nice and crispy and cheese has melted, about 3 minutes on each side. Set the tacos aside on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and meat.
Stuff the tacos with cilantro and onion, and add hot sauce and lime juice. Serve the broth in a small dipping bowl, also garnished with cilantro, onion, hot sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Now dip the quesabirria taco in the warm birria broth.
Mexican Red Rice - Arroz Rojo
"As simple as this rice sounds, it has its own special technique and there can be pitfalls. If you don't follow the instructions to a 'T,' you can make it too mushy, or burn it, or leave it raw."
"It's very popular throughout Mexico. The way my mom makes it for me is probably the best one I've tried, and I've tried many out there. At some point here in the states, they started replacing the fresh tomatoes with paste and sauce, but it just doesn't have the same flavor. You have to fry the rice to a perfect golden brown. According to many grandmothers in Mexico, you cannot stop stirring or step away or you will burn it. The minute you step away, it's already burnt."
"The star of this rice is the fresh salsa, made with fresh garlic, tomatoes and onion. It has to be the perfect measurements, and once it boils you have to reduce the heat so it will cook more slowly and create fluffy rice that's not sticky or hard. One of the things my mom would insist on is that once you cover the rice, you DO NOT open the lid ... it cooks undisturbed for 25 minutes or you will get slapped on the hand! Otherwise, you release all the steam and the vapor. Never open the pot before it's time. Sometimes with mole, too, the belief is that no one can come help you once you start making it, or you risk it becoming hard and cottage cheese-like, lumpy, or separating instead of smooth and silky. Might be a myth! But most of my aunts and uncles who cook believe this and will warn you away."
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
3 small Roma tomatoes
1/4 small white onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges, divided
2 cloves garlic (1 whole, 1 minced), divided
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Directions
To a blender, add the tomatoes, all the onion minus 2 wedges, the whole garlic clove and 1 cup water; Blend until smooth. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, gently heat the oil over medium-low heat, but not too hot as the rice can burn fast. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the 2 reserved onion wedges and the minced garlic and continue to brown, stirring frequently, until the rice has achieved a deep golden-brown color, about 3 minutes.
Add the blended vegetables, 3 cups water and the chicken bouillon powder, and mix until well incorporated. Sprinkle the lime juice over top. Bring to a boil, then cover the saucepan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Let rest for 5 minutes before opening the lid.
Mexican Churros
"When I was a little girl, my dad worked in a donut factory and would come home smelling like donuts and sugar -- I used to love to smell his hands! He'd bring home extra donuts, too, and tell us, if you want to make extra money, you can sell them to the neighbors. So, I'd go knocking on doors to earn my spending money. When dad left the donut factory to work in a Lovely Pies factory (they're like fruit-filled hand pies), I had to come up with something else, and my creative sales side came out. I'd buy five churros for a dollar from an old man who sold them from a basket on the back of his bicycle. Then I'd knock on doors selling them two for a dollar -- and the neighbors would buy them!"
"Churros are the most famous dessert from Mexico these days, and you can find churros-flavored everything, from cheesecake to ice cream. There's some technique involved, such as ensuring there are no air pockets in the dough, but they're so easy to make once you get the hang of it."
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
Pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 cups canola oil
To serve:
Cajeta (milk caramel sauce)
Chocolate dip
Directions
Fill a small saucepan over medium-high heat with 1 cup of water, the butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the salt. Bring it to a boil and allow the butter to melt.
Reduce the heat to low and add the flour a bit at a time, stirring constantly until completely combined; set aside to cool.
Transfer the batter to a bowl and stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly each time. Mix well to release any air pockets, so that it becomes nice and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a 2-inch star tip. In a shallow bowl, mix the remaining half cup sugar with the cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Check the heat by dipping a wooden spoon into the hot oil: If it sizzles, it's ready. Pipe the churro out into the hot oil and cut the dough to your desired length with scissors as it comes out. You can make them bite-size or, like I do, about 5 to 6 inches long. Fry in batches until golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Do not overcrowd.
Drain on paper towels and toss in the cinnamon sugar. Serve with cajeta or a chocolate dip.
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