Gallina Pinta
Gallina Pinta, which translates in English as painted hen, is a dish from the north of Mexico, originally from Sonora, but it is also cook in Baja California, the place I am from. This delicious caldo, broth, is made with beef, usually ox tail, pinto beans and hominy corn. The dish is the perfect for a cold January day, because it is served hot and it just has the word comfort all over.
I’m a big pozole fan, another Mexican dish made with hominy, but when I discovered Gallina pinta, I just felt in love with it, as it has the best of both worlds, beans and hominy and a delicious broth with beef. Then when it is served, it is garnish with fresh coriander, onion and these very fiery piquin chillies. Just writing about it, makes my mouth watering.
The name Gallina pinta, according to my friend’s mum, comes from the fact there are two different ingredients with a different colour in the broth. I don’t know this is true, but I do know it is delicious and that is all what matters to me now.
Love,
Karla X
Gallina Pinta
Ingredients
- 1 kg ox tail
- 350 g brisket cut in chunks
- 3 cups pinto beans unsalted, keep some of the juice
- 3 cups hominy corn unsalted, precooked and rinsed
- 1 white onion medium, cut in chunks
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 green bell pepper cut roughly
- 2 L water
- 1½ tbsp salt
To garnish
- 1 cup fresh coriander finely chopped
- 1 cup onion red or white
- 8 piquin chillies or dried chilli flakes
- 2 limes cut in wedges
Instructions
- Place the oxtail pieces and brisket chunks in a large cast iron caserole pot. Cover it with water and add the onion, green pepper, garlic and salt. Bring it to a boil, making sure to remove any impurities.
- Once start boiling, turn the heat down, put the lid on and let simmer for around an hour and 30 minutes. Making sure it does not run out of liquid.
- When the meat is cooked and tender, add the cooked beans and precooked hominy. Cook everything together until hot and the hominy is tender.
- Serve in a bowl and garnish with fresh coriander, onion and chilli. Then squeeze some lime and you are ready to go! Enjoy.
I would love to hear if you liked this recipe, tag me on social media #mexicanfoodmemories to see your creations. And if you want to learn to make this recipe and more, join me in one of my Mexican Cooking Classes.
Listo!
Provecho!
