It happened months ago: Real Mexican Discada

I've seen a lot of "-ada" suffixes online lately, all from people attempting to emulate some "new" food/drink fad that we've been doing our entire lives. So I thought to myself: "awesome, let's do this!".

Honestly, I haven't taken any pictures lately, so I'm just reposting these from my facebook album, but I assure you, you'll love it.

Badass mexicans eat discadas

A "discada" is a fairly recent addition to mexican food lore, dating from late 19th/early 20th century. Discada basically means that it's cooked on a plow disc. Back in the day, specially during the Mexican Revolution (circa 1910), farmers would use dull plow discs as cooking vessels while on the field, placing them on an open fire and cooking whatever they could kill out in the open, much like a crude Wok. Meat was so scarce, my grandfather tells me, the only time they actually ate beef was when a cow was hit by a train and everybody just gathered around and dismantelled it on the tracks.

But anyways, discadas took an unexpected turn towards crappy later in the 20th century, when people started making them out of low-quality charcuterie to make ends meet.

Be it as it may, there's most deffinitely not one single, "right" way of making a discada, except maybe the use of fairly simple, traditional mexican ingredients. Think "mexican grampa... with beer". I particularly hate it when people use bologna or cheap hot dogs in their discadas. I know that some things, like the philly cheesesteak, do call for the stringiest meat and cheapest cheese whiz, but cheap mexican hotdogs taste so damned off, no seasoning in the world will ever mask the fact that you tried to feed 30 people with 10 bucks and keep some change for your ash tray.

If you don't already own a plow disc, don't fret, get yourself a big-ass outdoors wok and you'll be fine. You need to start from the very basics, so put on a Stetson and get yourself some good tequila. IT. IS.  OOOON.

Mustaches like that, mean BUSINESS (white pants = doctor)

Start with 2 lbs bacon and 2 lbs mexican chorizo in about 1/2 cup of corn oil. Mexican chorizo, in case you're not familiar with it, is completely different from other kinds of chorizo. Whereas spanish, portuguese and argentine chorizos are cured, mexican chorizo is always fresh, and has a strong flavor of garlic, oregano and red pepper. Brown them both and keep the fat.

Finely chop 8 lbs of beef. In this case it's 4 lbs blade steak and 4 lbs round tip steak. Remember, this is CHOPPED meat, not ground. Think small fajitas. Add them to the bacon/chorizo/atheroma mixture and stir constantly until all the meat is light gray.

Get yourself 2 lbs of your favorite peppers and slice them. Don't be a pussy, don't use bell peppers. These are called "caribes", and they're a little hotter than fresno chiles, so you could substitute with'em. Also, don't be a dumb pussy and rub your eyes after chopping them. No need for rubber gloves.

Have another drink if you don't have the huevos to go on

Now add about 3 cups of coarsely chopped scallions to the mix, greens and all, and let them wilt.

 

A few minutes later, add 2 large cans of your favorite whole beans (drained, the juice makes for some EPIC farting), 2 8oz cans of condensed beef stock, 2 8 oz cans of green salsa and about 16oz of water to the mix and let it simmer until the liquid is mostly evaporated. I like to leave some whole chiles to brown ond the edges of the disc, and eat them by the bite with my tacos.

They really ARE good for your heart

 

Eat, drink, and be happy.

So many fat mexicans can't be wrong about good eatin'

 

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Authentic Mexican Discada

1/2 cup corn oil
2 lbs mexican Chorizo
2 lbs bacon
8 lbs chopped beef
2 lbs Caribe or Fresno Chiles
3 cups of coarsely chopped scallions, heads and greens
2 large cans of whole beans, drained
2 8oz cans condensed beef stock
2 8oz cans green salsa (preferably a mexican brand, like Herdez)
16 oz water
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Heat your disc/wok/whatever to ass-scorching temperatures over a coal/wood fire
2. Add the oil, and as it starts to smoke, add the bacon and chorizo. Brown them thoroughly and keep all the delicious, artery clogging fat.
3. Add the meat and brown evenly.
4. Now add everything else and leave it be until the liquid evaporates.
5. Feel awesome yet again.