In the face of big, malty and relatively bitter beers I seem to always turn to Mexican food. Usually this is the case with strong ales, like barleywines and old ales, which also have a slightly estery, plum flavor. I think that spicy chiles make the perfect pair for those strong, highly alcoholic, but rich beers.
Laguintas's Wilco Tango Foxtrot doesn't fall on the stone fruit end of the spectrum, but it is yet a rich beer with a big malt presence. Maybe because I make a fair amount of Mexican food and have the ingredients in my kitchen, it seemed to me that this beer was calling for a Mexican dinner.
Not a heavy one, though, and not one with too much spice; this beer is, afterall, relatively light bodied for its hop and malt profile. Flipping through Diana Kennedy's Bible of Mexican cooking, Essential Cuisines of Mexico, I stumbled on a recipe for Tacos de rajas de zacatecas, or tacos of chile strips, what appeared to be a light way of preparing chiles as a main course.
These easy tacos have a lot of flavor and can likely be made with things you have in your kitchen (except perhaps the poblano chiles--get a bag, though, and you'll have enough for multiple poblano recipes and they'll never go bad).
In this recipe, you make a puree with broiled tomatoes and onion, cut the chiles into strips after they've been charred and softened with water, then cook them with the puree creating a spicy tomato sauce. Slowly cook a few beaten eggs into the sauce, then serve over corn tortillas with sour cream. Very easy, and a nice, light way to eat poblano chiles. Perfect for the Wilco Tango Foxtrot.
Check out Diana Kennedy's book for the full recipe, or follow my slideshow.
Poblano chiles are available dried by the bag at the International Grocery in the Murdale shopping center and the Mexican grocery store on Jackson St. in Carbondale.
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