to season steaks for Carne Asada (page 115) or as a general seasoning blend.
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Sonoran-Style Staples
6 Persian limes
¹⁄2 cup ground turmeric
¹⁄2 cup paprika
¹⁄2 cup kosher salt
¹⁄4 cup New Mexico chile powder2 tablespoons garlic powder2 tablespoons ground cumin¹⁄2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes1 tablespoon ground coriander1 tablespoon dried
Mediterranean oregano1 tablespoon mustard powder¹⁄2teaspoons onion powder¹⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Finely grate the zest from the limes with a microplane, then place the zest on a paper towel–lined plate. (Save the zested limes for another use.) Let dry uncovered in a warm place overnight.
In a medium bowl, stir together the dried zest with the turmeric, paprika, kosher salt, chile powder, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, red pepper flakes, coriander, oregano, mustard powder, onion powder, and cinnamon. Store in an airtight container until ready to use, up to 6 months.
Adobo Spice Rub
Use this rub for the Adobo Pulled Pork (page 125). You can experiment with the seasoning blend in other dishes as well, including grilled meats or vegetables.
Jackie’s “Taco” Seasoning Blend.
Sonoran-Style Staples
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30
Sonoran-Style Staples
Barrio Sonoran
Sourdough Bread
MAKES LARGE LOAF
People literally line up around the block at Barrio Bread for Don Guerra’s artisan heritage-grain loaves. He says that this bread recipe especially encapsulates the historyof grains inArizona. In ancient times, the indigenous Tohono O’odham people of the Tucson region ate flatbreads with flours made by milling wild mesquite tree pods. Wheat was introduced during the Spanish Colonial period for breads for religious uses.
The Spanish colonists also introduced naturally leavened sourdough-style bread. White Sonora wheat is a heritage grain brought to the region by Father Kino. During the Civil War, the Pima Indians and their Hispanic neighbors produced and milled millions of pounds of white Sonora wheat for long-distance trade, and theirflour kept thousands of Yankee and Rebel troops from dying of hunger during the last years of that tragic conflict. White Sonora, when grown in the Santa Cruz Valley of Arizona, produces a flour with a relatively high protein content. But it is also low in gluten, making it more agreeable to some gluten-intolerant consumers. In Guerra’s recipe, the Hard Red Spring Wheat flour and the kamut support the gluten structure of the Sonora and mesquite flours. All the flours are available online for purchase.
This is a three-day process—excellent bread takes time—and I don’t mind! You will need a sourdough starter for this recipe, which you can either get online or from a local bakery. The starter will multiply with your local yeast and bacteria, and morph into its own unique being. A proofing basket helps whisk moisture away from the dough to retain its shape. You can use a glass or ceramic bowl instead. You will also need a large Dutch oven for baking. All the measurements for this recipe are by weight in order to get the exact same quantities of the ingredients as Guerra’s. You will need to use a kitchen scale with the measuring units set to grams. Youcan purchase the flours at Barrio Bread’s online store: barriobread.com/grains.html.
continued
On the first day, prepare the sourdough: In a large bowl, stir together the starter, bread flour, and water. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and leave at room temperature 8 to 12 hours or overnight.
On the second day, make the dough: Add the 850 grams of water to the sourdough. In another large bowl, whisk all four flours together. Add to the sourdough/water mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Allow the dough to rest in the bowl for 30 minutes.
Knead the dough by hand at 2-minute intervals inside the bowl until the dough is smooth. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.
Using your hands, stretch the dough and fold each side of the dough toward the middle. Continue resting and stretching and folding every hour for 3 more hours. If the dough becomes dry and cracked, wet your hands before folding. If the dough seems shiny and wet, add a little more flour.
Flour a work surface. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Work the dough into a rounded shape by tucking the edges under and gently lifting and plumping the dough. Cover the loaf with plastic wrap or cloth and let rest for 30 to 60 minutes.
Place a linen cloth in the bottom of a bowl or a proofing basket and sprinkle it with flour. Place the loaf seam side down on the cloth. Cover with another linen cloth and allow to proof for another 30 to 60 minutes at room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours or overnight.
On the third day, bake the bread: Place an empty large Dutch oven inside the oven; preheat oven to 450°F. When the oven is heated, remove the Dutch oven and place it on a heatproof work surface. Take the bowl of dough from the fridge and remove the top cloth. Flip the dough over into the Dutch oven. Peel off the linen cloth and set aside. Using a razor blade or small sharp knife, cut a few slits in the top of the dough. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid.
Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the lid and bake until the crust is golden brown, an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the loaf onto a cooling rack. Thump the bottom; if you hear a hollow sound, the bread is done. Allow the loaf to cool before slicing.
Serve with the Pistachio Compound Butter.
FOR THE SOURDOUGH
150 grams sourdough starter 150 grams bread flour, preferably organic 150 grams water
FOR THE BREAD
850 grams water350 grams prepared sourdough500 grams White Sonora Wheat flour250 grams Khorasan (Kamut)
flour200
