If you don’t yet know Chef Rick Martinez, it’s time to get acquainted. Affable host of video series Mi Cocina and Sweet Heat on both the Food52 YouTube channel and Pruébalo on the Babish Culinary Universe channel, this wonderfully vibrant chef is known for his authentic, delicious Mexican cuisine.
Chef Martinez sat down with The Manual to discuss his exciting new partnership with Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and his passion for making his native Mexican cuisine more mainstream in American culture. He was also generous enough to share some of the incredibly delicious holiday recipes he’s created to pair with the brand’s popular, fresh, and fruity hard seltzers.
“Part of the reason I wanted to do this sponsorship is because it gives me the opportunity to really present Mexican food and a deeper sense of the culture into mainstream media,” Chef Martinez told us. “Taking something like chocolate bark, for example, which is so ubiquitous in the United States around the holidays, and giving it a Mexican twist in a dish like a tostada chocolate bark is really fun for me to do. And I think that Topo Chico Strawberry Guava really pulls out a lot of those fruit flavors, both out of the chocolate and the different fruits you can be using to top the chocolate.”
Chef Martinez went on to explain his passion for Mexican produce, sharing his personal and nostalgic fondness for mangoes, particularly, and how they influenced his holiday pork ribs recipe. “Mangoes are one of my favorite fruits. When we were talking about the recipes I wanted to develop for the holiday season and what they would pair well with, I knew I wanted to do something with Topo Chico Hard Seltzer Tropical Mango. I created the pork dish really for the flavor of the drink itself…What’s great about all of these
We absolutely love Chef Martinez’s passion for this partnership with Topo Chico and look forward to bringing a bit more Mexican cuisine to our holiday tables this year.
Tostada Chocolate Bark
Makes 16 tostadas
Nothing says festive quite like chocolate holiday bark! This Mexican take on chocolate bark uses store-bought tostadas covered with melted chocolate and topped with dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and flakey sea salt. Once they cool, break the bark into pieces, and enjoy with Topo Chico Hard Seltzer Strawberry Guava to balance out the chocolate flavors with the tangy, crisp taste of the Strawberry Guava.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or disks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 16 tostadas, preferably nopal (green)
- Shredded coconut, dried cranberries, toasted pumpkin seeds, and chile pequín (garnish)
Method
- Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof glass or microwave-safe medium bowl and cook on
high in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is beginning to melt,
about the 2nd or 3rd interval. - Cook on high in 15 second intervals, stirring between each interval until chocolate is completely
melted, thick, and creamy. - Use the back of a spoon to spread an even layer of chocolate over each tostada.
- Sprinkle your favorite toppings over each tostada.
- Let cool completely for at least 3 hours until the chocolate has set, or transfer to the refrigerator
and chill for 1 hour until the chocolate is hard.
Guajillo and Coconut Milk Braised Pork Ribs
Serves 8
Elegant enough for a holiday table but easy enough for a casual weekend dinner, these fall-off-the-bone braised pork ribs will transport you to a tropical holiday on the beach. These flavorful ribs pair perfectly with Topo Chico Hard Seltzer Tropical Mango. Braise two racks of pork ribs with canned coconut milk, dried chile guajillo, and dried mango for a creamy, sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce to top these tender ribs. The hint of clove and allspice dresses these ribs up for the holidays, while the mango adds a sweet-tart note that the Topo Chico Hard Seltzer Tropical Mango complements.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons rendered lard or coconut oil
- 2 racks pork spareribs, trimmed and cut in half, crosswise
- 1/2 large white onion, roughly chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
- 1/4 naval orange
- 40g chile guajillo, stemmed and seeded
- 15g chile cascabel or ancho, stemmed and seeded
- 100g dried mango
- 3 avocado leaves or bay leaves
- 2 whole cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
- 1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk
- 4 tablespoons piloncillo or dark brown sugar
- 16g (4 teaspoons) sea salt
- Steamed rice and tostadas (for serving)
Method
- Heat lard in a large heavy pot over medium-high and working in batches, cook ribs until
browned on both sides, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add onion and garlic, and
cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to brown, 6–8 minutes. - Add orange, guajillo, cascabel, mango, avocado leaves, cloves, allspice, coconut milk, piloncillo,
salt and 1⁄2 cup water and nestle ribs over top. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.
Cook until pork is very tender and bones pull apart easily with little resistance, 2 1⁄2 – 3 hours. - Let cool 15 minutes, then transfer pork to a large bowl. Transfer chile and spice mixture and liquid
to a blender and purée until completely smooth, adding more water if mixture is too thick or
won’t blend. Taste and season with salt if necessary. - Serve ribs topped with blended sauce with rice and tostadas.
Cacahuates Enchilados (spicy roasted peanuts)
Serves 8
A quick and easy, spicy snack perfect for those spontaneous holiday gatherings. Toss the peanuts with chile seasoning powder and butter, and bake for 10 minutes until toasted and crunchy. Topo Chico Hard Seltzer Strawberry Guava pairs perfectly with this dish, balancing out the spices with its fruity crip, clean taste.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw peanuts
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon chile/lime seasoning
- 1 tablespoon hot, smoked paprika
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Toss peanuts and vegetable oil together in a medium bowl until completely coated. Add
chile/lime seasoning and paprika and continue tossing until peanuts are completely coated and
red. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. - Bake, tossing once halfway through baking, until peanuts are brick red and very fragrant, 10-15
minutes. - Let cool completely and serve.
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