PULQUE by Chef Jorge Gutierrez
Today another great recipe for ExpoMilan2015 getting to know more about our Mexican Cuisine in the world.
Pulque is a great beverage that you can make an endless amount of recipes with, specially with fruit such as pineapple, guava and mango as well as coffee beans and even oatmeal, etc. There are over 500 varieties of pulques mixed into Mexican drinks today. This beverage, greatly valued in the Mexica empire, is obtained by the Maguey leafs when the plant is mature. To create the Pulque, you extract the “honey water” by taking a container, (wooden is best for this) and leave the pulque to ferment for no less than 15 days, by this time, Our "Agua miel” or natural pulque will be ready. It will have a viscosity to it and it will taste a bit sweet. You can also get the agua miel as a juice you extract from the maguey. Today we are making Almond Pulque, and you will need: 3 or 4 Maguey leafs to extract the cured pulque (honey water) to create 1L of Pulque 150 g of almonds 3 oranges To start, Scratch the thickest part of the Maguey with a knife in order to get all of the juices out. Let it drip over a strainer for 3 days to get the juice and stop any debris from falling into it. Grind the almonds and mix with the orange juice. Mix this in with the Pulque and let it sit for half an hour. Strain the liquid (on a piece of cheesecloth is how Mexicans have been doing for ages) Add sugar and let it sit for 3 hours and then chill. That’s it, we have our Almond Pulque. In the pre-hispanic era, only the men of the house, the elderly or even retired women (over 52 years old) could consume Pulque; all of those who were going to be sacrificed in the temple of Huitzilopochtli would be given Pulque until they would get drunk. This beverage would also be administered as a stand-alone drink or mixed with herbs to the sick or the parturients, for it was known to be able to cure all types of ailments. This beverage has survived for centuries, it’s one of many recipes and traditions from Mexico and the pre-hispanic era that through-out time has survived thanks to it’s people and possibly thanks to the pre-hispanic indigenous gods form Mexico and South America. “When a man loses the knowledge of his roots or the interest in them, he loses everything” Jorge Gutierrez, Chef
Chef Jorge Gutierrez began his culinary journey in 1998 when he started as a dishwasher for a Restaurant in San Diego, California. His interest in the art of food allowed him to escalate rapidly by obtaining a position as food preparer and later as a cook. In the summer of 1999, Jorge was already familiar with the ingredients of each one of the dishes at the Restaurant where he worked. In the following years, he worked for several companies and positions within San Diego’s district, and it was then when he arrived in 2010 at Romesco Restaurant where he worked closely with Chef Javier Plascencia, learning and preparing himself for his next assignment. With great passion and continuity, on winter 2011 Jorge got promoted to Executive Chef and became an important key player for the Plascencia Group in the Tijuana – San Diego Region which boosted Mediterranean food in southern California by reaching more and more guests with his exquisite flavors. Jorge’s success relies on transmitting to diners his sophisticated touch and reminding them of their childhood. As he longingly remembers, when being a child he visited -each weekend and during vacation time- a place called El Hongo, a very small rural town located in the country side of the city of Tecate, Baja California and only a few miles away from the popular site of “La Rumorosa”. In that place, Executive Chef Gutierrez visited his great grandparents Felix and Leonarda Ibarra who owned a small ranch where their main activity was farming honey and different types of fruits and veggies, among them were maguey -plant from which Tequila is made- and nopal –cactus-, they also had a farm in which they grew chickens, cocks, rabbits, ducks, goats, among others and being this one of his first approach with farm-grown products.
Now days, Executive Chef Jorge Gutierrez combines experiences, flavors and memories which are captured in each dish that he prepares at Romesco, besides of marking his visionary path by giving diners new culinary experiences since they first step inside the Restaurant, pick a table, taste his dishes and conclude with a delicious dessert. As of today, one of the meals that Jorge enjoys the most is a ‘Salt Taco’ with fresh home-made corn tortilla. “Food joins people over the time through flavors and aromas”
Thank you Chef Jorge G for share today with us this amazing legendary recipe.
Pulque is a great beverage that you can make an endless amount of recipes with, specially with fruit such as pineapple, guava and mango as well as coffee beans and even oatmeal, etc. There are over 500 varieties of pulques mixed into Mexican drinks today. This beverage, greatly valued in the Mexica empire, is obtained by the Maguey leafs when the plant is mature. To create the Pulque, you extract the “honey water” by taking a container, (wooden is best for this) and leave the pulque to ferment for no less than 15 days, by this time, Our "Agua miel” or natural pulque will be ready. It will have a viscosity to it and it will taste a bit sweet. You can also get the agua miel as a juice you extract from the maguey. Today we are making Almond Pulque, and you will need: 3 or 4 Maguey leafs to extract the cured pulque (honey water) to create 1L of Pulque 150 g of almonds 3 oranges To start, Scratch the thickest part of the Maguey with a knife in order to get all of the juices out. Let it drip over a strainer for 3 days to get the juice and stop any debris from falling into it. Grind the almonds and mix with the orange juice. Mix this in with the Pulque and let it sit for half an hour. Strain the liquid (on a piece of cheesecloth is how Mexicans have been doing for ages) Add sugar and let it sit for 3 hours and then chill. That’s it, we have our Almond Pulque. In the pre-hispanic era, only the men of the house, the elderly or even retired women (over 52 years old) could consume Pulque; all of those who were going to be sacrificed in the temple of Huitzilopochtli would be given Pulque until they would get drunk. This beverage would also be administered as a stand-alone drink or mixed with herbs to the sick or the parturients, for it was known to be able to cure all types of ailments. This beverage has survived for centuries, it’s one of many recipes and traditions from Mexico and the pre-hispanic era that through-out time has survived thanks to it’s people and possibly thanks to the pre-hispanic indigenous gods form Mexico and South America. “When a man loses the knowledge of his roots or the interest in them, he loses everything” Jorge Gutierrez, Chef
Chef Jorge Gutierrez began his culinary journey in 1998 when he started as a dishwasher for a Restaurant in San Diego, California. His interest in the art of food allowed him to escalate rapidly by obtaining a position as food preparer and later as a cook. In the summer of 1999, Jorge was already familiar with the ingredients of each one of the dishes at the Restaurant where he worked. In the following years, he worked for several companies and positions within San Diego’s district, and it was then when he arrived in 2010 at Romesco Restaurant where he worked closely with Chef Javier Plascencia, learning and preparing himself for his next assignment. With great passion and continuity, on winter 2011 Jorge got promoted to Executive Chef and became an important key player for the Plascencia Group in the Tijuana – San Diego Region which boosted Mediterranean food in southern California by reaching more and more guests with his exquisite flavors. Jorge’s success relies on transmitting to diners his sophisticated touch and reminding them of their childhood. As he longingly remembers, when being a child he visited -each weekend and during vacation time- a place called El Hongo, a very small rural town located in the country side of the city of Tecate, Baja California and only a few miles away from the popular site of “La Rumorosa”. In that place, Executive Chef Gutierrez visited his great grandparents Felix and Leonarda Ibarra who owned a small ranch where their main activity was farming honey and different types of fruits and veggies, among them were maguey -plant from which Tequila is made- and nopal –cactus-, they also had a farm in which they grew chickens, cocks, rabbits, ducks, goats, among others and being this one of his first approach with farm-grown products.
Now days, Executive Chef Jorge Gutierrez combines experiences, flavors and memories which are captured in each dish that he prepares at Romesco, besides of marking his visionary path by giving diners new culinary experiences since they first step inside the Restaurant, pick a table, taste his dishes and conclude with a delicious dessert. As of today, one of the meals that Jorge enjoys the most is a ‘Salt Taco’ with fresh home-made corn tortilla. “Food joins people over the time through flavors and aromas”
Thank you Chef Jorge G for share today with us this amazing legendary recipe.
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