Latin American Sauce Inspirations

Home , Adobo, Banana ketchup, Mirepoix, Mojo (sauce), Mole (sauce), Paste (pasty)

[Sauces/Gravies] Vol. 21 No. 9 September 2011 ww Latin American Sauce Inspirations

By Mathew Freistadt, Contributing Editor Latin Inspirations

Latin American food influences have quickly landed a Joseph Antonio, corporate chef, Haliburton International top spot in the “ethnic trends" category. In recent years, Foods, Ontario, CA, specifically cites Mexico, El Salvador, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Cuba flavors, techniques and ingredients from Chile through as key Latin American countries that are “adding flavor the Caribbean and into North America have gained to the American culinary diaspora." popularity among consumers, product developers and chefs, notably in the sauces that are hitting the retail Some commonalities exist from one Latin American and foodservice markets. country to the next. “Because of the influence of Spain, Portugal, Italy, China and other European nations in each of these countries, there are many similarities in South of the border ingredients used," says Joseph. “The differences are in the cooking techniques and ratios of ingredients used." In Mexico—and, via migration, in the southwestern region of the United States—you will find a wide variety Many Latin American sauces start off with a sofrito, of Latin-inspired sauces and marinades, from adobo to notes Joseph. “A term originating in Spain, it is a salsa and mole. combination of ingredients, such as onions, garlic and tomatoes, that are sautéed in oil and used as the flavor base to the sauce," he says. “Depending on the One common seasoning or marinade is adobo. country, other components are added, such as peppers Originating from Spain, adobo was initially a way to (spicy or mild), cilantro, cumin, bay leaves and oregano. simultaneously flavor and preserve certain foods— It is similar to the French mirepoix or the holy trinity primarily with vinegar and paprika. (It inspired the adobo (onion, green pepper and celery) in Cajun cuisine. From dish quintessential to Filipino cuisine, where adobo there, endless possibilities of sauces are created." refers to both the specific dish—typically pork and/or Many sauces see widespread diversity across a given chicken—and the cooking process used to make it.) country depending on locally available ingredients and The quality aspects of Mexican adobos are color, preferences. “In Mexican cuisine, chiles like guajillo, intense flavor, acidity and spice profile. On the industrial ancho and pasilla are added to create moles where side, product and menu developers need to be creative there are up to 25 or more ingredients used to create without straying too far from established standards. the complex and flavorful sauce," says Joseph. “It is Hitting authentic flavor nuances is so important when draped over boiled turkey or chicken and is the star of developing ethnic foods like adobo. the show." Marinades infuse flavors into meats—and some double Adobo recado is one of many unique adobo profiles. as dipping or simmering sauces, as well. “In the Oregano, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and orange juice Caribbean, with many influences from West Africa, as can be mixed into a paste similar to a “base." The well as Spanish and Indian cuisine, the use of Scotch profile and flavor balance of this adobo can be bonnet and habanero peppers, thyme, garlic and transplanted into multiple applications. Other scallions help identify this unique style of cooking, such as curry goat and jerk chicken," says Joseph. Meats are complementary flavors are found in queso sauces and often marinated, and then cooked, in a vinegar-based salsas. Chefs are pairing adobo recado with specialty jerk sauce featuring these ingredients. Some of the chiles in various foods to give familiar staples a twist. sauce is reserved and saved for dipping the grilled or Diners are more likely to experiment with a new flavor roasted meat. when it is offered in a familiar vehicle.

Chile-based sauces are normally used as topical or finishing touches in Mexican cuisine. Salsas, in particular, are a great platform. Red salsa (salsa roja) and green salsa (salsa verde) are the most common. Salsas are very personal. Most often, they are family recipes www.foodproductdesign.com Page 1

[Sauces/Gravies] Vol. 21 No. 9 September 2011 handed down over generations. Some people purée different percentages of the tomatoes or chiles to gain a specific consistency. This is due to pectin, a naturally occurring compound found in most peppers and tomatillos. For manufactured salsas, extracting and manipulating pectin levels during the production can affect the finished mouthfeel and consistency of a salsa.

Salsa flavor profiles vary from quite hot to refreshing. Ingredients like tomatoes and bell peppers, and sometimes cucumber, are components that lend a cooling effect. Heat and savory flavors come from spices like cumin and garlic, as well as toasted, dried chile peppers. With salsa, it’s all about flavor balance and freshness of the ingredients. Depending on the specific type of chile peppers selected for a salsa, you may also find desirable accents from herbs, cinnamon, melons, ginger or other ingredients.

Most people are familiar with the canned product “chipotle in adobo sauce." Many restaurants are using this ingredient in the back of the house in staple ingredients like dressings or sauces. However, the true, artisan flavors of chiles in adobo can be quite different when coming from kitchens where chefs are toasting their own chiles and slow-simmering them in sauce for hours. Chefs will sometimes simmer the chiles in fresh chicken broth or the stock of whatever entrée protein they will combine with it; pork and chicken are the most popular, followed by vegetable stocks. Some acid—citrus juice or vinegar—and salt will finish the sauce, and that’s it. This makes a great foundation of flavor.

Another layer of flavor can also be built upon this sauce by adding other finishing ingredients. For example, you can try taking a guajillo sauce and finishing it with a fruit-juice concentrate like blueberry or pomegranate. These superfruits are still very popular and can help broaden the appeal of the sauce.

Mexico is also home to mole—a sauce that sees countless variations. Different regions, villages and families have their own twists on what goes into the sauce. These offer a vast array of options for the manufacturing community. Think about ready-to-eat meals found in your local club store. More and more ethnic flavors are called upon in this sector alone, and the profile of mole offers a great launching platform for original ideation.

Mole is traditionally a stew, or a sauce to accent an entrée, slow-cooked for hours. Chicken or pork, and sometimes both, are typically used for mole dishes.. Featured ingredients include toasted, dried chile peppers (all types; separated and deveined), nuts like almonds, sesame and pumpkin (pepita) seeds, and plantains. Spice blends for mole can include cumin, allspice berries, cinnamon and peppercorns, as desired. These ingredients are simmered in chicken or vegetable stock for hours, then finished to taste and consistency with finely grated Mexican chocolate. New twists on mole have seen it featured in soups, side dishes, cheese mixes, frozen entrées and even beverages.

Caribbean flair

Moving onto Cuba and other parts of the Caribbean, you will find sauces that often contain a fiery kick. Islands throughout the Caribbean use the crops or fruits grown on each island. Most of them grow bananas and sugar, so a lot of the sauces will be banana-based or fruit blends. Habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers are very common. Tomato, vinegar and spices (like ginger, nutmeg, allspice and paprika) are carefully blended with these peppers. Two popular sauces along these lines are habanero ketchup and banana ketchup. These sauces are used for both marinades and finishing of all indigenous foods. These sauces have an awesome balance of sweetness, acidity and overall pepper flavor.

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[Sauces/Gravies] Vol. 21 No. 9 September 2011

One of today’s most-popular Latin American sauces, mojo, comes from Cuba. Mojo is a Spanish Sauces marinade, often used for pork, that consists of sour citrus juices (lemon, orange and/or lime) and tons Spain’s cuisine carries strong influences originating in the days of the Roman Empire, distinctly cultivated over time in the country’s of garlic and oregano. Similar to the recado, mojo regions. The cuisine also has a foundation built from its great is primarily used for meat preparation. Whole pigs stretches of coastline; the entire eastern portion of Spain borders rubbed down with mojo are slow-roasted over the Mediterranean Sea and coasts on the west and north border charcoal fires for 10 or more hours. the Atlantic Ocean. But while seafood dominates the coastal areas, areas inland traditionally has more of a meat-dominated culinary culture, with dishes commonly highlighting beef and lamb—and Mojo sauces can be twisted in various ways to especially pork. And throughout the country, a variety of sauces create something new. Add a superfruit and provide notable accents. rename it. Make a mojo compound butter and serve it with bread tableside, or melt over fish. • Aioli—Spain’s classic garlic mayonnaise (egg, olive oil, garlic) is Consider mango mojo pork chops, fully marinated served with a variety of seafood, as well as potatoes; and ready for the grill. • Mojo—although Cuba sports it own version, mojo likely originated in the Canary Islands (geographically closer to Africa, but an Further south autonomous nationality of Spain) where it commonly features olive oil, red chiles, garlic, cumin, paprika and salt, with occasional acidic accents from citrus juices or vinegar, and is often served with rolls Moving to the southern tip of South America, or potatoes; countries like Chile, Paraguay and Argentina offer full-flavored ideas for retail products and menus. • Palm syrup—the Canary Islands also give us palm syrup, the Sweet, pepper-based sauces are primarily served dark-brown, concentrated sap of various palm trees drizzled over pastries and ice cream; on the side as a condiment to beef. For instance, in Santiago, you will find pebre sauce, made with • Parsley sauce—Spain’s version of this common sauce usually has tomatoes, jalapeño or serrano chiles, cilantro, a puréed consistency—like pesto—and is comprised of parsley, vinegar, oil and lemon. It’s very similar to Mexican garlic, olive oil, vinegar or citrus juice (often lemon), and salt, often pico de gallo, but pebre has more of a puréed served with seafood; consistency. It’s served as a side condiment to • Picada—this staple of Catalan cooking, a pasty blend of garlic, steak, fish or whatever Chileans feel like putting it nuts and seeds (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts), bread, on. It is bottled commercially and sold throughout and salt (although myriad other seasonings can be added, grocery stores in Chile. depending on the dish), is mixed with pan juices near the end of cooking beef, poultry, etc. to accent the finished dish;

Marinades and methods for cooking meats with • Romesco—nuts (often almonds and/or hazelnuts) also feature sauces in these countries are often rather simple, prominently in romesco, which blend with peppers (traditionally blending wine, garlic and local herbs. Argentina nyora, small, sweet, red peppers), garlic, salt and olive oil, as well as offers chimichurri, typically made with herbs (like occasional additions of tomatoes, onions and vinegar, and is served on parsley, oregano and/or thyme), garlic and vinegar. seafood, as well as poultry and vegetables; It gained popularity in the United States around • Samfaina—depending on the dice size of the vegetables (bell 2008, but the authenticity of manufactured versions peppers, tomato, eggplant and onion, sautéed in olive oil with salt has come to be questioned. Maybe it’s not a sauce and sometimes other spices and seasonings), samfaina can to be completely made in a kettle. One idea would resemble either a sofrito to accent meat, poultry or seafood, or more of a ratatouille that can stand on its own as a vegetarian be to make a paste or liquid concentrate, and then starter, side dish or entrée; have the end user mix it with fresh parsley and cilantro. Finding nuances that best fit the • Xató—this puréed Catalan sauce is made with a collection of application and preserve authenticity are crucial to common Spanish ingredients—nuts (almonds and/or hazelnuts), successful innovation. red pepper (traditionally nyora), breadcrumbs, vinegar, olive oil, garlic and salt—and traditionally is served atop a salad of the same name composed of endive, fish (anchovies, salt cod and/or tuna) In some parts of South America, such as and olives. Argentina, salmuera (which translates as “salt www.foodproductdesign.com Page 3

[Sauces/Gravies] Vol. 21 No. 9 September 2011 brine") is the king of flavor. Salmuera is the center of flavor when it comes to meat preparation. The concept is very simple. Take a good quality sea salt (like fleur de sel), water, oil, dried chile peppers, lemons and fresh garlic and bring them to a simmer and hold warm. Then baste your meat as you grill.

Salmueras can be divided into two groups: big salmuera and little salmuera. Big salmuera is for larger cuts of meat that cook for several hours over a direct flame. The idea is to take raw, unmarinated meats and baste them with salmuera during the slow-cooking process. Because the big cut gets several blasts of salmuera, it’s recommended to use less salt in the brine.

Little salmuera is slightly higher in salt than its big brother. Thin, small, fast-cooking cuts, like skirt steak, top sirloins, strips and flanks, will cook in less than 45 minutes. For these meats, it’s important to use a salmuera with a slightly more-concentrated dose. Once the meat hits the grill, the end user continues to baste the meat frequently—every minute or so—until it reaches the desired temperature.

At Wixon we have developed the various salmuera blends over the past year that the end user finishes by just adding water and oil. Flavors ranging from sweet chile to roasted garlic give a punch to any grilled item.

A fun way to show-off this wonderful basting technique is to tie an entire bunch of flat-leaf parsley to the end of a stick and use it as a brush, which is common in parts of Chile. It looks like a witch’s broom. It provides better coverage than most brushes and doesn’t add any flavor notes. When finished, just throw it out.

Translating authenticity

All of these flavors and ingredients are great. The question is how to replicate them in a food-manufacturing setting. This is where the classic scientist meets the chef. Cooking methods, order of addition, and temperature change all play a critical role in the final product. Development chefs should be encouraged to spend more time in the plant setting. It’s amazing the ideas that surface. Basic cooking methods, trick methods or contemporary techniques can be achieved and mastered. It doesn’t matter if your plant has fixed or mobile equipment; where there is a will there is a way. This level of integration will help support the next wave of authentic product development.

To distinguish yourself and stay competitive, companies must be willing to experiment—and do so on a mass- manufactured level. The combination of authenticity and modernization bring two products to mind: Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. What will be the next ethnic sauce to achieve that level of widespread use?

Today’s customer base is demanding products be fresh and authentic. One case in point: Chipotle pepper is yesterday’s news. More hot, unique, ethnic, regional chiles are already here to stay. Chefs have already moved forward in the fine-dining world. It is up to product-development teams to step on the gas. Marketing and R&D must work side-by-side every step of the way.

Mathew Freistadt is corporate chef for Wixon Inc., St. Francis, WI. He is a 1995 graduate from the Culinary Institute of America and has worked in nearly every facet of the food business over the past 25 years. He previously served as the director of research and development for Protein Solutions in Chicago. He also has held product development positions with Sensient Flavors and LongHorn Steakhouse, in addition to serving as a chef in numerous five-star award-winning kitchens, including the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. Freistadt is a member of the Research Chefs Association and the Kansas City Barbeque Society. For more information, visit wixon.com.