MICHAELADA CHICKEN

 This spicy, tangy chicken is flavored with — you guessed it — ingredients that make a michelada. This recipe combines beer, Worcestershire, hot sauce and lime for a marinade that results in surprisingly tender meat and a sizzled crust, as well as a sauce that, for obvious reasons, is good enough to drink. Eat the chicken with tortillas, rice and beans or a creamy slaw. The marinade also works well on steak. (For grilling instructions, see Tip.)

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Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

• 1(12-ounce) can or bottle of Mexican lager, such as Tecate or Modelo
• 3tablespoons Worcestershire or soy sauce
• 2 to 3teaspoons hot sauce, depending on heat preference
• 1lime, zested and juiced
• 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

1. Step 1

   In a large bowl, stir together the beer, Worcestershire, hot sauce, lime zest and juice and salt. Reserve ½ cup of the marinade and set aside.

2. Step 2

   Pat the chicken dry. If thickness varies greatly, pound to an even thickness. Add chicken to the marinade in the large bowl and set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 3 hours. (Bring to room temperature before cooking.)

3. Step 3

   Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Wipe off excess marinade from the chicken with your hand or a paper towel. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is browned and releases easily from the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or platter to rest.

4. Step 4

   Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully pour in the reserved marinade and boil, scraping up browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and turn to coat. Eat the chicken drizzled with sauce.

Tip

• To grill, heat a grill to medium-high. Oil the grates. Wipe off excess marinade from the chicken, then grill over direct heat until the chicken is well browned on one side and easily releases from the grates, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes. (For a gas grill, close the lid between flips.) Set on a plate or platter to rest. On the stove or grill, boil the marinade in a skillet, then pour over the chicken.

LEMONY CHICKEN

 

Ingredients

Yield: 2 servings

• 2lemons
• 1¼pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 to 3), patted dry with paper towels (see Tip)
• 1¼pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, halved and cut into ½-inch wedges
• 1¾teaspoons dried oregano, plus more for serving
• 1½teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for serving
• ¾teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup or hot sauce, for serving

1. Step 1

   Heat oven to 425 degrees and, if you like, line a sheet pan with parchment paper (not essential but helpful for cleaning up).

2. Step 2

   Trim the ends off 1 lemon, then cut the lemon in half crosswise.Thinly slice one half of the lemon into rounds, then cut the rounds into quarters, creating small triangles. Shake out the seeds then place the lemon quarters into a large bowl. Save the remaining lemon half for serving. Cut the remaining whole lemon into wedges, for serving.

3. Step 3

   Add chicken and potatoes to the large bowl with the lemon quarters. Add the oregano, salt and pepper; toss well. (Your hands are the best tools here.) Drizzle in the oil and toss again.

4. Step 4

   Arrange chicken thighs skin side up on one half of the prepared sheet pan, and potatoes and lemons on the other, spreading the potatoes out into one layer. Roast for 20 minutes. Using a long-handled spoon, stir the potatoes, then spread them out again in one layer. (You don’t have to touch the chicken.) Continue roasting until chicken and potatoes are cooked through and everything is golden and crisped, another 15 to 20 minutes (40 to 45 minutes total roasting time).

5. Step 5

   To serve, squeeze the juice from the lemon half all over chicken and potatoes and give everything a good stir to incorporate all the tasty juices and browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with more oregano and salt, and serve with additional lemon wedges and condiments on the side.

Tip

• You can substitute 1¼ pounds chicken drumsticks for the thighs, or use a combination of thighs and drumsticks. Bone-in, skin-on breasts can also be substituted; because they cook more quickly than dark meat does, you’ll need to start checking on them after 30 minutes of total roasting time.

NEW MEXICAN FOOD DEFINED

  Our 20 Favorite New Mexican Foods (newmexicomagazine.org)