On the meat front, I tried in vain to suss out difference between Poc’ Chuc and the so-called “Yucatecan Pork Chop”, which to me seem like identical items, although several restaurants (including Ruben’s, where I sampled the pork chop), offered both. My guess is that this is a butchery issue, not a flavoring one, although it may also be a mere redundancy.
While the first half of our trip was marked by an excessive program of cross-peninsular gallivanting, the second involved an extended stay on Isla Mujeres, a necessary sop to a wife who’s not a huge fan of being run ragged for two weeks so I can eat 14 different kinds of tostada. I had no complaints. It was wonderful to be back again in the best of all possible worlds, with a chance to revisit some old favorites and clean up on a few missed Yucatecan dishes. These included Pollo Ticuleno, a neo-Maya meal named in honor of Ticul, and whose connection to the municipality I cannot begin to comprehend. I assume it’s a case similar to the origin of Huevos Motuleños, the specialty of a single restaurant that later expanded outward to association with an entire locality, although I’m curious as to how it connects with native traditions in an area still steeped in those customs. This was not an answer I’d find through the version at the delightful Poc’ Chuc, which was far from the most authentic, topped with sliced ham, french fries and a slick of melted mozzarella (or possibly processed Oaxaca?) cheese. A quick Google image search, however, yields results that seem split between the old-fashioned banana leaf preparation and a milanesa-type cutlet sprinkled with stuff, which again points to why I despise the A word. We’re in Mexico after all, and if a less-than-respectful variation serves as one of many modern interpretations of a a classic dish, then that evolution should be considered as yet another branch of the family tree, not discounted. A similar, if healthier, situation was noted at Ruben’s, where the Fish Veracruz fell a bit short of the requirements for a proper Veracruzan Huachinango, utilizing some different toppings and a different fish entirely, a filet of grouper instead of the usual whole red snapper. To the other extreme, dyed-in-the-wool classics like the Tikin Xic at Playa Lancheros were as good as ever, and a decision to cut the meal just short of gluttony and make tacos with leftovers the next day was a smart one. Other pescatarian highlights included fish empanadas from Glenssy’s and supple Pulpo al Ajo on the waterfront at Picus, a simple favorite prepared perfectly, and quite companionable with a frosty beer. On the meat front, I tried in vain to suss out difference between Poc’ Chuc and the so-called “Yucatecan Pork Chop”, which to me seem like identical items, although several restaurants (including Ruben’s, where I sampled the pork chop), offered both. My guess is that this is a butchery issue, not a flavoring one, although it may also be a mere redundancy. Elsewhere in the porcine universe, La Negrita dished up some choice Puerco Estofado, which I mistook from the menu as an inland specialty, forgetting how vague a term “stuffed pork” can be. The result was still far from disappointing, with two firm cutlets straddling an interior layer of cheese, the entire thing topped with a freshly made salsa verde. We were also served another reminder of the island’s exceedingly casual pace, when our host/chef, who’d been watching an old episode of Bonanza dubbed into Spanish, wandered off near the end of our meal, leaving us alone in the empty restaurant for about 30 minutes. The trip would not have been complete without a chance to finally eat a Marquesita, which was a bit strange (not enough sweet to counterbalance the salty, in my opinion), although this was likely just my vendor’s personal style. Another local dessert was procured at personal favorite Paletería y Nevería La Flor de Michoacán (it’s baffling that this place has no online presence whatsoever), with Rompope ice cream, in this form serving as the Mexican equivalent to Rum Raisin, seeded with more than it’s fair share of the dried fruit. Bigotes from Chedraui’s voluminous Pan Dulce bar made for a good afternoon snack while trawling the middle of the island, and even though I was unable to track down the location of Manolito’s, we enjoyed the brief beer flight at newcomer Isla Brewing Company. I also had the chance to try Salbutes, which proved different enough from Panuchos to satisfy my curiosity. The blended Chaya/Pineapple/Celery Juice from inside the Javier Rojo Gomez market, meanwhile, became a regular purchase during our week on the island, which was as hard to leave as ever. Once we did, there was at least time for one last meal, a satisfying Lengua Entomatada, at the stellar bakery/restaurant La Pasteleteria, which proved a lifesaver on an otherwise dreary shopping-mall strip in downtown Cancún. From elsewhere in the country: the Platonic ideal of a Chile Relleno at La Lomita, along with their famous sopa frijoles and some very good, very hearty Enchiladas Suizas. I was also able to determine that, although seemingly bearing a near-identical menu to the other three loncherias, the family that owns Loncheria Alexia y Geovanny may actually have Northern roots. This is borne out by the presence of two items on the menu - Carne Polaca and Machaca - and also possibly the fact that they serve burritos, specifically the more modest variations that first cropped up just south of the border. Carne Polaca is a stew of meat, cabbage and tomatoes which basically functions as a deconstructed version of stuffed cabbage, fitting considering it’s name means “Polish Meat.” This thorough investigation puts the source point closer to Bigos, and ascribes is origin to 19th century Eastern European immigration. They were out of the stuff on the day I ordered it, but I was able to try the Machaca, a dried meat common to Chihuahua and Nuevo León, shredded into a hash and reconstituted. It was fantastic with eggs, similar to the local Huevos con Longaniza (also known in some corners as Huevos Temozon), which diced the sausage up into the scramble, assuring every last bit was browned and crispy. Once again, we enjoyed more good meals than anyone could reasonably hope for, with enough foods left untasted (from Codzitos to T’sik/Salpicon to dozens of different tamal styles) to necessitate another trip in the future. We may have to visit Chiapas and Tabasco before that happens, however, if I don’t get tempted into skipping over to Oaxaca, Puebla or Mexico City first. In the meantime I’ll wait, most likely without satisfaction, for some reasonable facsimile of Yucatecan food to appear in New York.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
The coded language of snacks, sandwiches and seasonings, in NYC and beyond.
Archives
February 2022
Categories
All
|