♪ ♪ >> Pati: Everybody comes from somewhere.

Even if that somewhere is a tiny town in Oaxaca, it can produce Alex Ruiz, one of the most famous chefs in Mexico, and Alex loves coming home to his farm where he always finds friends, family and amazing food.

In my kitchen, delicious food for my family is also cooking.

>> I love the smell.

I love what it does to my kitchen.

>> Meatball in a rich guajillo sauce, and a bright chepil rice.

>> Mmm.

>> Try that.

(Pati laughs) >> Home and family.

That's where we all come from.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Pati's Mexican Table is made possible by: >> Some things are always there for you.

Like your alarm clock, right on time.

Your parking space.

Seriously?

Girl's night, always there.

And avocados from Mexico.

They're always there because they're fresh all year round.

>> ♪ Avocados from Mexico ♪ >> La Costeña, por sabor!

Taste that transcends.

More information at mexicorico.com >> FUD brand meats with traditional hispanic flavor!

>> The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food.

Mexbest... and The National Agricultural Council.

♪ epic music plays ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Oaxaca.

One of Mexico's greatest culinary destinations.

This peaceful colonial city is practically overflowing with world class restaurants, and some of the best cooks and chefs from all over the country.

But one of its greatest chefs is from just down the road.

Here in this tiny dirt road village, Alex Ruiz discovered a passion for food.

His first restaurant, Casa Oaxaca has made him one of Mexico's most famous chefs.

I wanted to follow Alex's journey from pueblo to city.

He asked me to meet him, where else?

At the market.

♪ ♪ >> Not touristic?

>> Not touristic.

>> The Mercado de Abastos is where the businesses like hotels, restaurants, catering businesses get their wholesale stuff.

So many pathways, it's like a labyrinth.

>> Yeah.

>> I mean, how do you know your way around?

>> Well, I've been coming to this market since I was 6.

>> 6 years old?

>> Yes.

So I came to this market every single day.

>> So since you were a boy you came here to sell cheese with your mom, and then once at the restaurant you started coming here every day?

>> Every single day.

>> Alex invited me for a feast on his family's farm.

He wants to show me where his passion for food was born, but first, he needs to pick up a few things.

>> So you get your chiles here as well?

>> Yes, because of mole we use lots of dried chiles, and in here we have, like, the most specifically dried chiles of Oaxaca.

You do not find them anywhere else in Mexico.

I want you guys to try this.

>> So these are flying ants, they're a true delicacy.

>> Yes.

>> Can I see one?

>> Yes, yes.

>> That's so true!

Like a hint of chocolate, and like, maple syrup!

>> Yes.

>> Alex Ruiz is a market soulmate.

>> A market soulmate is when you go to a market... >> And you find somebody who behaves just like you.

>> No!

>> You see all of those ingredients, you think you're gonna make two dishes, but then the fresh salted shrimp comes in and you're like "Oh!

I can use that."

>> Let me buy some.

>> You come out with 20 more things.

I didn't have breakfast because I knew I was coming with you.

>> [Alex responds with mouth full] >> But sampling can only get you so far.

To fully satisfy the market experience, Alex brings me to his favorite lunch counter to eat memelas.

>> A memela is like a thicker corn tortilla that has an oval shape, and you top it with different things.

>> Mmm.

>> Are you happy?

(laughs) >> I'm so happy (laughs) The tortilla is so soft, her pork ribs are so luscious and they come apart and they're crispy I wish I could join you here every time you come shop Alex.

>> Sometimes I don't have to come here but I remember this and I look for an excuse to come.

>> See?

I'm gonna gain a few pounds.

♪ ♪ >> A short drive from the city of Oaxaca is La Raya de Zimatlán, a small tiny little town of about 100 people where Alex grew up.

>> His mom died when he was very young.

Did you step in and start cooking for your brothers and sisters?

>> When my mom passed away, my father had to leave, and the few things that I had learned being with her was what I cooked for them.

>> He not only learned to fend for himself, but take care of his family.

>> This is the land Alex's father owned.

He built the farm and now he and his family operate, and use the produce and vegetables in his restaurants.

>> And you've planted all of this with your family?

>> Here we have big onions - >> For Alex, this small farm is a point of family pride.

His uncle takes care of it.

>> As we toured the farm, I quickly realized that we were still shopping for our feast.

>> You should see the pride when he was showing us the vegetables he was pulling out of the ground.

Beautiful onions, cabbage, chiles and cilantro.

>> And what do you use it for in your restaurants?

>> Farming is really hard, I mean, everywhere.

When in a tiny little town with such few resources, even harder.

With all of his effort and the love of his family, it's really giving.

>> For Alex, food is all about family.

>> So what are we gonna make right now?

>> Let's make two different salsas, okay?

>> Mhmm.

>> Let's make a green tomato, tomatillo with chile morita which we have over there.

>> Okay.

>> So for that, we need 3 or 4 garlic cloves.

>> The salsas that Alex is making are the same salsas he serves at his restaurants, and he makes them not fine and silky and smooth, but really chunky.

So we have the garlic, we have the toasted chile, we have the tomatillo, so, so mushy!

>> And this is a secret, use the water that the chiles were boiled in.

>> Why?

>> Because there's flavor there already.

>> Right.

Mmm.

It's sweet!

It has the tartness from the tomatillo, but it's incredibly sweet.

>> We have here roasted garlic from the farm, chile de agua from the market.

>> That we roasted as well.

>> Yes and peeled.

Roasted tomatoes.

>> Directly in the fire.

>> Look there's some - >> Yes, the ash!

>> Ash.

Now it's very cool to have these salsas in the restaurants, but this is food for poor people, yeah?

Food is not only food, food is a community way of living.

People get together here as you can see, to collect the ingredients and to cook and bring to me, and then you make community in this way, right, you make family in this way.

>> Along with salsas, tortillas and guacamole, Alex is also preparing a rabbit stew.

>> Which is simple as simple can be.

Fresh oregano, a ton of garlic, and they season the rabbit with that and then fry it in a considerable amount of lard.

♪ ♪ >> Beautiful!

Que rico.

Mmm.

It's such a treat for me to be here with your family.

Everybody loves a good story, you know, from a tiny little town to the big city and here you have one.

I was so grateful that Alex opened the door and really let me in.

>> Salud!

[overlapping cheers] ♪ ♪ >> It was so special to get to spend the day with Alex, and to really experience his Oaxaca.

But what I enjoyed the most was to be able to sit down with his whole family and enjoy a fabulous meal, and that is my favorite thing to do is to cook a gigantic meal and to watch my boys eat.

What I'm gonna make now is perfect for a family get together.

So I'm gonna make some meatballs in guajillo sauce.

Do you know Mexican meatballs?

They're called "albondigas", and they're incredibly delicious.

I'm going to make a classic Mexican combination that not many people outside of Mexico know of which combines guajillo chiles and tomatillos.

I need 6 guajillo chiles.

You know, the guajillo is a beautiful chile.

It has a hard thick skin, but it's pliable at the same time.

Beautiful color, very easy to stem, very easy to seed.

It is not a spicy chile, it's a happy, peppy chile, and I'm going to toast them in a comal that's already preheated over medium heat.

If you don't have a comal, I highly recommend you get one because you can use it for so many things, but if you don't have a comal, all you need to do is toast these chiles on a hot surface.

>> You know your chiles are toasted when they change color and you can see how the skin starts reacting and changing, and you will also start getting the fragrance of the chiles, like, those dried chiles are starting to wake up.

I love the smell, I love what it does to my kitchen.

Okay, these are ready, so I'm just sticking them in here, and then I'm gonna also add 2 pounds of tomatillos in here.

You can picture what the combination of these two ingredients have.

It is toasted and very deep flavor of the guajillo, a little bit chocolatey too, and then the tart and bright and acidic taste of the tomatillos.

This combo is a winner, and you're gonna remember it when you taste it, and you're gonna want it to be a regular in your menu.

Add 3 garlic cloves, then I'm going to cover this in water and I'm gonna bring it to a simmer.

Put this over high heat until it gets to a rolling boil, and then I'm gonna simmer it for 10 - 12 minutes until this is all very cooked, the tomatillo super mushy, and the chiles rehydrated.

I'm going to chop an onion.

You see all those advertisements for, like, onion chopping goggles to prevent crying, like why not have a good cry?

It's a great excuse.

Have a good cry.

I need about 1 and 1/4 cups of chopped onion because 1 cup is gonna go to season my sauce and 1/4 cup is gonna go in my meatball mix, but the 1/4 cup I'm gonna finely chop 'cause it's gonna get mixed with that meat and I just want it much thinner than that.

I have 2 pounds of ground turkey breast, but you can use any meat you like.

I've made these meatballs with turkey breast, pork, with veal, with beef.

My mom loves combining meats in meatballs, I prefer this however with just ground turkey breast.

To add to my meatball mix, I'm gonna beat an egg.

And I'm adding it in here.

Add 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, any ones you like.

Then I'm gonna add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

And now, the finely chopped onions.

So I'm just gonna go in with my hands 'cause that's the best way to mix the meatballs.

People don't really think of meatballs when they think of Mexican cooking.

We love meatballs!

Love, love, love, so much so that it is not only like a home staple, but also in street food stands and in fondas and restaurants.

These albondigas are great because they're lean, they're easy to make, and it is so unique and different, and it is nothing that your family or friends will have tasted before, but it is really a charming taste.

>> Let's see how this is doing.

We need the tomatillos to be completely cooked, super mushy, smooshy and almost bursting, let's see if that's the case.

See?

I squeeze it just a little and the juices start to come out, and the skin is coming apart, so the tomatillos are completely cooked.

Let me turn it off.

Ooh, see how mushy?

I mean look at that juice, yum.

And then I'm gonna add the guajillo chiles, fishing everything that's in there.

I'm gonna add about a 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Add a teaspoon of salt.

I'm gonna puree it until completely smooth.

Now, remember to always be very careful when you're pureeing something very hot, put a kitchen towel on top, put pressure down and start over low speed.

And then we have to season that sauce with a little bit of onion, so I'm just gonna use the same casserole where I cooked the tomatillos, and I'm gonna drain the water out, and then I'm gonna add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

I have my casserole over medium to medium-high heat.

Now I'm gonna add my remaining cup of onion.

This one I'm gonna cook just until it softens, wilts, and begins to gently brown around the edges.

The onions are ready, and you can see the edges are more than beginning to brown, which means that I should stop talking to you and pour the sauce.

Now I'm gonna cover these partially, I still have it over medium heat, and it's gonna cook for about 7 - 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, I'm gonna make my meatball.

Okay, so I have a bowl with a little bit of water here.

It's great to moisten your hands before shaping the meatballs just because they look a lot prettier, and it always helps if you use the palm of your hand and not your fingers so that you don't leave a trace and you have smooth meatballs.

So I'm putting a little bit of pressure, using the palm of my hand.

>> And this is what we want.

You can see how the sauce thickened, so now what I'm gonna do is add 3 cups of chicken broth.

And let it come back to a simmer, drop the albondigas right in there.

So I'm gonna drop these two sprigs of epazote into the pot.

It's fresh, you can use fresh cilantro if you don't find epazote, it's a different taste, but it will make it delicious anyway.

I'm gonna just drop them in here, and it's gonna give the albondigas an even more distinctive taste.

Now I'm gonna let this simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for 35 minutes.

The sauce thickened to a delicious glossy and silky texture.

Those meatballs are gonna be great over a bed of white rice, but I'm making a variation of a white rice that's called chepil rice.

♪ ♪ >> I have some of the onion that I had chopped, so I'm gonna chop this onion super fine, and I'm gonna hurry up because I told my son to go outside and play basketball until dinner is ready.

So I have about 1/2 cup of the chopped onion, and then I have 3 garlic cloves that I'm gonna finely chop.

I don't usually add garlic to my white rice, but this is a different rice.

This rice is called a chepil rice and it's just white rice seasoned with onion, garlic and serrano chile, or jalapeño.

Very typical in Oaxaca.

So I'm gonna add about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in here, and I'm gonna let that really get hot before I add the rice.

Meanwhile, I'm gonna chop one serrano chile and I'm leaving all the seeds, and I'm gonna finely chop it.

In a second when you slice it you can smell it, and it smells fresh and fragrant and grassy and this one is a little bit spicy, but it's gonna work great with the rice.

And then my oil is hot.

Add my 2 cups of rice.

Look at the edges, it changed color immediately!

Now this is a very Mexican technique of frying the rice with a little bit of oil before you add the cooking broth, and I want the color to change in most of the rice, and I can also hear how it's sounding, like, heavier.

So this is gonna give you rice that when it's cooked and you fluff it, the grains separate beautifully.

Make some room in the middle, I'm gonna add the onion, the garlic... and then the chopped serrano.

Stir all that up.

It's gonna be really delicious, it's not gonna be that spicy because we have a lot of rice.

And now I'm gonna add 4 cups of chicken broth, but you can also do vegetable broth.

I'm gonna let this come to a full boil.

Meanwhile, I'm gonna take off the leaves from these chepil stems, and these, I don't know if you've heard about this herb.

So it's called chepil and it's very common in Oaxaca, in the Southeastern part of Mexico, and, mmm, they taste a little bit like mint, a little bit like watercress, a little bit like spinach, so it's like a combination of them all.

So I'm gonna add 1 cup of chepil leaves right on top of the boiling broth, and then I'm gonna add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Gently stir, but I want those leaves on the top.

Once that is boiling aggressively, I'm gonna cover it, reduce the heat to low, and it's gonna take about 10 minutes.

Once all of the broth is consumed and the rice is barely moist, the rice is ready.

And my meatballs are about to be ready too.

[Pati calls her son] [Pati greets her son in Spanish] ♪ ♪ >> How many meatballs do you want?

>> 5.

>> 5, did you see the size?!

You want to start with 3?

>> Okay.

>> You get some sauce 'cause I love the sauce.

>> It looks really good.

>> (Pati laughs) tell me how it is when you taste it, what do you think when you try it?

>> Mmm.

That's really good.

>> What do you think of the rice like this, can you taste the chepil leaves?

>> I think the chepil leaves go well with the meatballs.

>> With the meat.

>> I think it gives it more flavor.

>> Mhmm.

I think you can really taste how rich and toasty the sauce is.

What do you think?

>> It's like a version of barbecue sauce.

>> Yeah, I hadn't thought of it that way.

We could make a meatball sandwich with these, like, if we have leftovers.

With crusty bread and avocado (Pati laughs) I think you're the only person I know that loves avocados on anything like I do.

Do you think we're gonna have a little leftover for Papi?

>> No I'm gonna finish it.

>> (Pati laughs) You want more?

(Pati laughs) ♪ ♪ >> Pati Narrates: For recipes and information from this episode and more, visit patijinich.com, and connect!

Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @PatiJinich.

>> Pati's Mexican Table is made possible by: ♪ epic music plays ♪ ♪ ♪ >> The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food.

Mexbest... and The National Agricultural Council.

>> Introducing FUD Campirano Mexican Cheeses with resealable packaging!

>> La Costeña, por sabor!

Taste that transcends.

More information at: mexicorico.com >> Some things are always there for you.

Like your alarm clock, right on time.

Your parking space.

Seriously?

Girl's night, always there.

And avocados from Mexico.

They're always there because they're fresh all year round.

>> ♪ Avocados from Mexico ♪ >> Proud to support Pati's Mexican Table on public television.