Sponsored by MegaMex Foods, LLC
Though Mexican cuisine is ubiquitous across the U.S., not every dish served at restaurants—Mexican or otherwise—delivers the authentic flavors of real south-of-the-border cooking. And now more than ever, that is exactly what adventurous diners crave—bold and earthy flavors born of rustic cooking techniques and traditional ingredient combinations.
Chefs want to deliver that authenticity, but many say they lack the time and know-how to properly prepare ancho, pasilla, chipotle and guajillo peppers to create signature deep flavor notes intrinsic to Mexican food. In addition, while diners are eager to let peppers provide adventurous flavors to their favorite Mexican dishes, results gained from using chiles in scratch preparations can be inconsistent, making it difficult to hit desired taste targets.
“As peppers continue to become more popular, the need to get consistency in recipes has become more difficult. And using dried chile peppers takes a lot of labor to de-stem, de-seed, toast, rehydrate and puree,” says Desiree Mimlitsch, foodservice brand manager for TRES COCINAS™ Authentic Pepper Pastes. “With input from operators, we saw the need to offer a better and more consistent way to get these flavors without all the complicated preparation.”
Diverse uses
Drawing on culinary influences from research and development kitchens in Mexico City, Dallas and Los Angeles, MegaMex Foods culinary professionals created TRES COCINAS™ Authentic Pepper Pastes. From 7-ounce pouches, each paste can be squeezed into soups, marinades, sauces, mayonnaise, salsas—even desserts—to add bold or subtle hints of roasted or smoked peppers.
“TRES COCINAS™ Authentic Pepper Pastes allow operators to get the on-trend flavors of chipotle, ancho, pasilla and guajillo peppers with just a simple squeeze,” Mimlitsch says. “These pastes help chefs at Mexican and non-Mexican restaurants create innovative dishes rooted in Mexican cuisine.”
The TRES COCINAS™ Authentic Pepper Pastes lineup includes:
- Ancho-Pasilla, which provides mild heat, hints of dark chocolate and dried fruit.
- Guajillo, whose medium heat is offset by slightly sweet hints of berries.
- Chipotle with Adobo, which delivers more substantial heat balanced with smoke and spice.
“Though Mexican food is known for its spice character, the peppers used in the TRES COCINAS™ line aren’t overly hot,” says MegaMex Foods consulting chef Dan Burrows. The flavors and aromas of the peppers themselves are preserved using slow cooking and/or smoking.
For the sake of new flavors
“The layered flavors of chipotle, ancho, pasilla and guajillo peppers form the backbone of a wide array of Mexican dishes,” Burrows says. But modern chefs leverage the influence of those ingredients to create innovative flavor combinations over many dishes. For example, TRES COCINAS™ chipotle pepper paste would add a whisp of smoke and heat to enliven a chocolate ice cream, while a squeeze of guajillo pepper paste in a marinade would add delicious earthiness to grilled shrimp.
“In our test kitchens, we have used these pepper pastes in every category of the menu from soups and stews, sauces and salsas, marinades and dressings, to entrées and sides and even desserts and cocktails,” Burrows says. “We see these pepper pastes working in three categories of menu applications.”
The first, he says, is to enhance traditional Mexican dishes like birria beef tacos or a chicken torta.
Second, the pastes are excellent for building flavor fusions in familiar recipes such as guajillo-glazed pork ribs or a chipotle chicken flatbread.
Third, they become a one-step flavor enhancer such as adding the Ancho-Pasilla pepper paste to ranch dressing or creating a chipotle ketchup.
Burrows says TRES COCINAS™ Authentic Pepper Pastes are particularly effective marinades for meat and delicious when added to braised meats.
“They easily spread over protein and penetrate it to give authentic, complex flavor to a dish,” he says. “When slow cooked, tough cuts of meat absorb the flavors, the meat itself is delicious and the gravy or braising liquid takes on layers of complex flavor.”
The pastes also introduce pleasing savory notes to sweet dishes, he adds.
“Desserts were fun to work on,” he says. “I made a chipotle brownie that was amazing. The smoky heat of the chipotle peppers paired great with the bitter sweetness of the chocolate. We couldn’t wait to take the next bite.”
Easy use and endless versatility make TRES COCINAS™ Authentic Pepper Pastes a must have for any restaurant kitchen. For menu ideas and TRES COCINAS™ Authentic Pepper Pastes samples, visit www.megamexfoodservice.com/brand/tres-cocinas
