Tinga Recipes

Steps:

• Place chicken thighs, garlic cloves, halved onion, salt, oregano, water, and chicken stock, and water in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over high heat; reduce to medium-low. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Transfer onion halves to a bowl with a slotted spoon; transfer chicken thighs to a separate bowl.
• Pour broth through a strainer into a large bowl.
• Heat olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Transfer strained liquid to onions. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; turn heat to medium-low; reduce broth by about half, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer reserved boiled onions to a blender. Add chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce. Swirl a bit of water in the can and add to the blender. Add tomatoes. Cover blender with the lid. Pulse on and off until mixture is partially blended. Blend on medium speed until smooth, 1 or 2 minutes. Transfer to pot with broth and onions.
• Increase heat to medium-high. Simmer 15 minutes or so, depending on how thick you want the sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Tear chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the pot. Cook another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish; garnish with crumbled cotija cheese and cilantro.

Steps:

• For the chicken: Place the chicken, peppercorns, salt, garlic, bay leaf and onion in a large heavy saucepan with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and remove the chicken from the liquid. Reserve the broth for later use. Using 2 forks or clean hands, shred the chicken into a bowl and set aside.
• For the tinga: In a large heavy saute pan, cook the chorizo over medium heat until fully cooked, about 6 minutes. Add the onions and saute until translucent and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatillos and cook for 1 minute. Add the chipotle, salt, pepper, Mexican oregano and the sprigs of marjoram and thyme. Add the shredded chicken. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Add between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of the chicken cooking liquid, depending on the thickness of the sauce. Cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the marjoram and thyme sprigs.
• To assemble: Place 2 tablespoons of tinga on each tostada. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken thighs, crushed tomatoes, garlic, chipotle chiles and adobo sauce, tomato paste, vegetable oil, bay leaf, oregano, cumin and half the onion. (Reserve the other half for serving.) Stir to combine and season with 2 teaspoons of salt. Cook on low until the chicken is very tender, about 6 hours.
• About 15 minutes before serving, turn the heat to high and stir in the corn kernels, onion powder and lime juice. Cook until the corn is warmed through, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, if using tortillas, warm them.
• Remove and discard the bay leaf. Using two forks, coarsely shred the chicken. Taste the tinga and add more salt or lime juice if necessary. Serve the tinga on tortillas or tostadas, topped with the remaining sliced onion, the crema and the avocado.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large non-stick flameproof casserole dish or saucepan. Fry the onions with a pinch of salt for 10 mins, or until softened. Add the garlic and fry for 1 min more. Tip in the chipotle paste, tomatoes and sugar with half a can of water. Sit the chicken thighs in the sauce. Bring to a low simmer and cook, covered, for 20-25 mins, stirring often, until the liquid has reduced slightly and the chicken is cooked through.
• Using two forks, shred the chicken and stir it back through the sauce. Season to taste. If the sauce is too thin, return to the heat and simmer for 5 mins until the sauce has reduced more. To freeze, leave to cool completely and transfer to large freezerproof bags.
• To make the salsa, combine the red onion, tomatoes, lime zest and juice, coriander leaves and stalks. Season to taste. Serve the chicken with the tomato salsa, tortilla chips, guacamole and a scattering of coriander leaves.

Steps:

• Put the chicken into a large pot with 1/4 c sliced onion, garlic and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 25 minutes.
• Remove chicken, cool, and shred meat. If using bone-in chicken, discard skin and bones.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining onion slices, and fry until transparent.
• If using fresh tomatoes, place them in a pan of boiling water (can use water used to boil chicken) and boil until they split open.
• Place the tomatoes, chipotle peppers (use 3-4 for a little heat, up to the whole can according to your taste), and boullion into a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
• Pour into a large pan and add the shredded chicken and cooked onions. Heat through.
• To serve, spread a layer of sour cream on a tostada, top with the chicken and shredded lettuce.

Steps:

• Cook the chicken: Combine the chicken, onion, celery and carrots in a large saucepan and add 4 cups cold water. Add more water if needed to cover the solids. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bones, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a bowl. When cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, then pull the meat into very fine shreds. Strain the broth and reserve for Tamales de Pollo or another use.
• While the chicken cooks, make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. While the onion cooks, puree the tomatoes, chipotles and garlic in a blender until smooth. Add to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken to the sauce and gently fold to evenly coat and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately or cool to room temperature to use a filling for Tamales de Pollo.