What is Tex-Mex food?
What exactly is Tex-Mex?
A question I have been asked regularly for the last 10 years from many people once moving to Los Angeles. Sadly, I have always struggled with an answer. As cliché as it sounds, Tex-Mex is literally one of those things that if you know, you know. However, after pondering this question in my head for many years, I have finally found an answer that I am excited to share with yall BUT first a necessary background story.
Photo by Adam Thomas on Unsplash
I grew up in Humble, Texas which was a small suburban city about 30 miles northeast of Houston (it is still there but much bigger now). My family had our regular go-Tex-Mex restaurants, as most families do. A few that come to mind were Spanish Flower, Pappasito’s Cantina, La Mexicana, and Ninfa’s Mexican Restaurant.
Photo by Roberto Carlos Roman on Unsplash
For an appetizer, there was always a red salsa, green sauce, and an endless basket of chips to chow down on. If I was super hungry I would order chili con queso and guacamole as additional dips for the never-ending chip basket. For the main course, I would rotate ordering enchilada verdes, fajitas, or tortilla soup. On the side of each meal always came refried pinto beans, Mexican rice, and homemade tortillas (either flour or corn). Sounds super basic right?
Well BASIC is exactly what Tex-Mex is! Tex-Mex to me means fresh diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced fresh jalapenos, chili con queso, pillow-like flour tortillas, creamy avocado salsas, chunky guacamole, fresh raw salsa, and fajita meat that falls apart in your mouth. Oh did I mention cheese? Tex-Mex has very simple ingredients with no over powering sauces like traditional Mexican dishes. Sounds easy but believe me it is so delicious and very hard to find here in Los Angeles.
Joey was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. On a visit back to Texas he wanted to explore what exactly Tex-Mex was. So, I took him to Pappasito’s Cantina. While studying the menu very closely he asked me, “What is the one meal that epitomizes Tex-Mex?” Without any hesitation I responded, “Fajitas.” So, fajitas it was. As the waiter approached our table with a Texas-sized sizzling platter of chicken and beef fajitas, I could see the glory in Joey’s eyes. When she started pouring butter over the sizzling meat, I saw Joey lick his chops and then he looked at me and smiled from ear to ear. It was in that moment that I knew he finally understood the definition of Tex-Mex. Needless to say, Joey tore that meal up and still talks about it till this day.
After living in LA for over a decade, I have given up on my search for Tex-Mex and have ventured out in trying to recreate what I still crave. One of my favorite green sauces back home is Ninfa’s Green Sauce. Ninfa’s Green Sauce is the perfect combination of creaminess and tanginess from the avacados, cilantro, green tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, and sour cream. This sauce is fantastic on literally anything.
Ninfa’s Green Sauce
Sadly, most Ninfa’s Mexican Restaurant locations have since closed down but there are a few left in Texas, most around the Houston area. My sweet mother, found the recipe to this beloved sauce in the Houston Chronicle and sent it to me. Luckily, I happened to have most ingredients growing in our garden so I decided to give it a shot. Watch us journey from our garden to the kitchen to make this childhood favorite of mine.
Click on the above pic to journey with us from our garden to the kitchen to make Ninfa’s Famous Green Sauce!
Nina's Inspired Green Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 medium-sized green tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- (**If you can’t find green tomatoes, substitute 6 more tomatillos)
- 4 tomatillos, husked and chopped
- 1-2 jalapeños, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 3 small garlic cloves
- 3 medium-sized ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
- 4 sprigs of cilantro
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
Instructions:
- 1. Combine chopped tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic in saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 2. Remove from heat and let cool.
- 3. Place tomato mixture with the avocados, cilantro, and salt in food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- 4. Pour into a bowl and stir in sour cream.
If you happen to find yourself in the Houston area, here is a list of recommendations of my favorite Tex-Mex Restaurants:
The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation
El Tiempo Cantina (the son of the owner of Ninfa’s opened his own restaurant that is known for their margaritas and fajitas)
Pappasito’s Cantina
Cadillac Bar
Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe
Spanish Flowers Mexican Restaurant