Zemog's Cocina Mexicana, Omaha's Taste of Texas!

For those of you who connect life to family, friends & food will understand this blog post. For those of you who don't, well your probably not reading my blog to start with!

My husband & I went last Saturday to Zemog's Cocina Mexicana in Omaha Nebraska. We had seen this eatery several times, but never stopped. So far we had not found the style of Mexican food in the Midwest that we longed for. Our search is over!

Our servers name was Justin, he greeted us at the table with a big smile and basket of freshly made corn tortilla chips. The salsa that came with them was very mild but had great flavor. I looked at my husband and said "I'm feeling very hopeful about this meal, it smells right in here!"

Now if your from Texas or just know good Tex-Mex food, the cafe should smell like masa & spices when you walk in the door. If the wonderful scent of ground corn or chili peppers doesn't hit your olfactory receptor (nose) quickly, then the food may not be real Tex-Mex. The first thing my husband said after we sat down was "It smells like Morales cafe in here" This was just an incredible seal of approval before the meal even came.

It's like the smell of a Thanksgiving dinner cooking in the oven, the smell is the beginning of the meal. It is said we eat with our eyes first, but I think we should rethink that & say we eat with our smeller first. When my mom cooked cabbage...I didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling about dinner!

After talking to our server Justin, I found out he just arrived from Austin, Texas. Now for those of you who know food, you know it's the mecca of Tex-Mex restaurants. Of course San Antonio would argue with that, but so would all the towns in Texas! Zemogs is owned by Justin's dad so my day was getting better by the minute.

When the plates were placed on the table, I knew things were going to taste like they smelled. We ordered combination plates. We tried the chicken enchilada with Verde sauce, puffy beef taco, pork tamale, cheese enchilada & beef enchilada smothered in red chili gravy.

The Verde sauce on the chicken enchilada was incredible. It was freshly made with mild green peppers & spices. This may not be the enchilada sauce you want to start with, but it's great.

The red chili gravy on the cheese & beef enchiladas was a traditional sauce that couldn't have been any better. Knowing the work that goes into that simple sauce or gravy as it's known, shows the pride that this restaurant takes in the quality of the food they serve.

Puffy tacos are so Central Texas! Being from East Texas I had never had one, so when I saw those on the menu, I had to try one. They are crispy but soft too, don't crumble like a fried corn tortilla but are all warm & delicious.

Tamales...there are many different type, but these at Zemog's were the type that said welcome home to me! Zemog's are made in the traditional way to make a  firmer tamale. These were served with a delicious pork filling. Tex-Mex can have beef or chicken fillings also but I prefer the pork & the old style myself. These were delicious & I would go back just to buy these for a take-out dinner.

I can say that you will not be disappointed in this restaurant if you love Tex-Mex. If your not sure, they have great choices like salads & burritos that are more Midwest-Mex. Nothing is too spicy, of course I am a Texan & like the heat. Justin, our server, brought us the hot salsa also & it was great.

I recommend anyone in Omaha trying Zemog's Cocina Mexicana. Be open to the fact that Tex-Mex isn't the only style Mexican food they have on the menu. The cafe was spotless & pleasantly decorated with fun table tops to enjoy. The "ginormous" sizing of the food isn't a joke! You get so much that I took enough home for lunch the next day. The atmosphere is casual, laid back & so very friendly. It's a little bit of Tex-Mex on the corner of 108th & Q St in Omaha Nebraska. 

http://www.zemogs.com/

Take out available!



Pork Chili Verde Enchiladas

Living in Colorado in the fall taught me to long for New Mexico Hatch Chilies. If you have ever been lucky enough to smell these beautiful chilies roasting, you know what I mean! There is a festival in New Mexico to celebrate the Hatch Chili the first weekend in September. They roast these peppers in a huge metal drum with a handle that turns the chilies over an open flame. The perfume they give off while roasting will make your mouth water if you love Southwestern or Tex-Mex food.

Last Fall our local grocery store here in Nebraska sold Hatch chilies for 2 weeks. I went crazy buying, roasting, and freezing this peppers. All year long I used them to add to recipes and am beginning to run out! Yesterday I sat gazing at a boneless pork shoulder roast wondering what it would be at dinner time? My mind went blank until I started moving things around in the freezer. I found my Hatch chilies laying calmly under a bag of green beans and knew what we would have for dinner...Pork Chili Verde Enchiladas!

Let me say first that this is not a quick meal. If you are going to be home all day and want to make this recipe go for it. It's not a hard recipe,it just needs to cook several hours to develop the full flavor of the Chili Verde. I promise if you make it you will not be sorry! You can use an Anaheim Chili pepper if it's not Hatch Chili season. Some people use canned green chili's, you can but you won't get the same flavor. If you can't get the Anaheim green chili, use a Poblano & Jalapeno pepper. Tomatillos are the other ingredient that makes it a salsa verde or chili verde. These little jewels look like tiny green tomatoes with a brown paper on the outside.

To prepare your chili peppers for the verde you need to roast them on the grill or in the oven. Wash them well, pat dry and rub lightly with canola oil. Place them on a pan in a 375 degree oven or over a medium flame if using a gas grill. Roast peppers until skin blisters & is blackened. You will need to turn them several times to prevent burning. Take them out while hot and place them in a ziploc bag. Let them cool for 15 minutes or more,then while in the bag, rub the pepper to remove the charred skin. Transfer to a cutting board and remove stem. Cut peppers open and remove seeds seeds and any remaining charred skin. Chop in small pieces and set aside. Any pepper, tomatillo, onion, or garlic that is used in a salsa verde or chili verde needs to be roasted in this same way. This creates the roasted & mellow taste you want for this dish. Tomatillos do not have to have charred skins removed, but chop in 1/4 inch chunks after they are roasted, save juice that runs from them to add to chili.

Pork Chili Verde Enchiladas

Makes 12 Servings

2 lbs boneless lean Pork Shoulder-cut into 1/2 inch cubes & seasoned with
salt & pepper
3/4 cup flour,for dredging meat (can use gluten free flour)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tablespoon cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1/4 cup canola oil
1 medium onion-peeled & roasted then diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 large Hatch or Anaheim green chili's roasted & diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 large jalapeno -roasted & diced into 1/4 inch pieces
4 tomatillos- husks removed &roasted then diced into 1/4 inch pieces
4 cloves roasted garlic, roasted then peeled & finely minced
4 cups chicken broth
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese, Monterey jack or pepper jack, reserve part for topping the enchiladas
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

After roasting and preparing peppers, onions, tomatillos, chop ingredients into 1/4 in pieces.
Finely mince the garlic, if roasted it will be soft & won't need mincing.
Mix 3/4 cup flour with 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 Tablespoon cumin,
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano. Salt & pepper pork and cut into 1/2 inch cubes and dredge in flour mixture.
In a large dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup canola oil to medium-high to sear meat. Shake off excessive flour mixture and place coated pork pieces in the dutch oven. Cook until light brown and then reduce heat to medium.
Add peppers, onions, tomatillos & garlic to meat and stir to combine. Then add remaining spices: 1 tsp black pepper, 1 Tablespoon cumin,& 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano. Stir spices into pepper/meat mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 4 cups of chicken broth and stir well. Cook uncovered on low heat for 1-2 hours, or until sauce is thick and pork is fork tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If it gets to thick add more chicken broth or liquid in small amounts desired consistency. Taste before serving and add salt if needed.

To make Enchiladas
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a 13x9 baking dish ladle small amount of the Chili Verde sauce on the bottom. In a small non-stick skillet, heat 1/4 cup canola oil to medium high heat. Oil should not be so hot it fries tortilla hard, just softens them enough to roll. Takes about 30 seconds on each side. When you remove it from the oil, blot with a paper towel. After warming all tortillas begin rolling the Enchilada's by placing grated cheese down the center of a tortilla. Roll Enchiladas cigar fashion and place seam side down in baking dish. Ladle Chili Verde over the top of Enchiladas. May not take all the chili to cover, but can be served on the side for those who want more. Top with remaining grated cheese. Place in preheated 400 degree oven & bake for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro & serve.

When I made this recipe last night, I cut the pork larger than 1/2 inch, closer to 1 inch. I thought the 1 inch was a little too large but my husband liked the bigger pieces. It's just a matter of preference. Hope you try this and enjoy it. If you do , post a comment and let me know what you think.

Cooking Tex-Mex is easy!

Tex-Mex is soul food in the South. I never really tried to perfect my Tex-Mex cooking at home when we lived in Texas. It is easier to find a great Mom & Pop Tex-Mex restaurant and support them, but after leaving the South I had to learn to cook like they did! I went in search of recipes for my favorite dishes and realized I didn't even have a Tex-Mex cookbook.

I found Robb Walsh's "The Tex-Mex Cookbook" and my love affair with homemade Tex-Mex was born! I really don't know Robb Walsh other than his cookbooks but he must have the best job in the world! I sat and read the book like a novel and was mesmerized by the stories and the history he shared. I purchased this book in 2005 and it is my go-to book for all things Tex-Mex. I love the fact that a lot of the recipes come from Texas restaurant that I have enjoyed over the years.

El Fenix is the oldest Tex-Mex chain in Dallas, opening in 1918 and still going strong. As a little girl in the 1960's I remember Friday night dinners were always at El Fenix in Dallas. We lived in Waxahachie and it was about a 30 minute or so drive so it always seemed like such an adventure. This was my first recollection of this wonderful cuisine so when I saw their name in this cookbook I was hooked. Walmart stores carry their hot sauce and it's always in my fridge. Great memories in every bite!

My husband is the webmaster for my website and for dinner he is getting Cheese Enchilada's with Chili Gravy, his very favorite..or maybe Old Borunda Stacked Red Chili Enchilada's ...or maybe Green Chili Chicken Enchilada's...so many choices. Los Tios Mexican Rice and Mi Tierra's Frijoles Charros are the best and guess what? They are in the same cookbook. Hope to get pictures before he devours it!