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MAMA RITA’S RECIPE COLLECTION

Northern Discada

Beef, pork, chorizo & vegetables

Discada is northern communal cooking associated with a large metal cooking disc. This home version uses the meats, potatoes, and green chiles in the collection; a wide skillet works well.

From the family’s collected recipes · English home-kitchen adaptation

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Yield
8 servings
Preparation
30 minutes
Cooking / elapsed time
35–45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 500 g (1.1 lb) beef sirloin, cut into small pieces
  • 500 g (1.1 lb) boneless pork shoulder, cut into very small pieces
  • 200 g fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
  • 4 bacon slices, chopped, optional
  • 3 medium potatoes, cut into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes
  • 1 large onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 chilaca or Anaheim chiles, seeded and sliced; 1–2 jalapeños, chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lard or neutral oil, only as needed
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt to start; ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Warm tortillas and lime wedges, to serve

Method

  1. Start the potatoes.

    Simmer potato cubes in water 6–8 minutes until nearly tender; drain and dry well.

  2. Render and cook the meats.

    In a wide heavy skillet, cook optional bacon until browned. Add chorizo and cook through to 71°C/160°F; transfer to a clean bowl. Leave about 2 tablespoons fat. Brown pork in batches until cooked through and tender; small pieces may need a splash of water and 10–15 minutes covered. Transfer to the bowl. Sear beef briefly in batches, then transfer.

  3. Cook vegetables.

    Add potatoes to the skillet and brown. Add onion and chiles; cook 6–8 minutes, stirring. Add garlic, then tomatoes; cook until the tomato juices reduce.

  4. Bring it together.

    Return all meat and juices, season lightly, and cook together until hot throughout, with pork and beef pieces reaching at least 63°C/145°F and the already-cooked sausage heated through. Hold at least 3 minutes before serving. Taste before adding more salt. Serve in tortillas with lime.

Kitchen notes

Give the pan room

Cook in batches or two skillets. Crowding a small pan steams everything and makes the potatoes hard to brown.

For cooked dishes, cool promptly and follow the storage and reheating guide. Follow the shorter storage directions above where given.