♪ -This is tequila.

This also is Tequila.

♪ And so is this.

I am bringing you to the heart of Tequila, where I explore... Mmm.

...and sample... That is right up my alley.

...the best of what this golden region has to offer.

This is, like, the best breakfast taco.

♪ And speaking of breakfast... in my kitchen, I tackle three basics of Mexican cuisine and combine them into a classic way to start your day.

I begin with a fluffy, flavorful Mexican red rice.

Once you nail your rice, you always get it right.

A tart, spicy chile de árbol salsa verde and homemade corn tortillas that will always puff.

Then I drop an egg inside that puffy tortilla and create the stacked breakfast of your dreams, an egg nest montadito.

This is Mexican comfort food at its best.

Welcome to the morning, Mexican style.

-♪ Dame, dame ♪ ♪ Dame tu chocolate ♪ ♪ Dame, dame ♪ ♪ Dame café caliente ♪ ♪ Dame, dame ♪ ♪ Dame tu corazón ♪ ♪ -"Pati's Mexican Table" is made possible by... ♪ ♪ -♪ Avocados from Mexico ♪ -Fud brand meats -- traditional Mexican flavor.

-Stand Together -- helping every person rise.

More information at StandTogether.org.

-Here, the typical arroz con pollo...or not.

Unfollow la receta.

Mahatma rice.

-King Arthur Baking Company.

Find out more about our masa harina at kingarthurbaking.com.

-Oléico -- High Oleic Safflower Oil.

-Tecate Alta Cerveza Suprema.

Mexico is in us.

-FEMSA Foundation.

♪ -Tequila.

It looks exactly how I imagined, row upon row of agave in rich volcanic soil and rimmed by mountains.

Just as tequila comes from the heart of the blue agave plant, the heart of this region is the town of Tequila.

Did you even know there's a town called Tequila?

Filled with delights for all kinds of visitors, this place is enchanting.

Being the birthplace of the eponymous alcohol, it's basically an open bar.

And the most popular tequila cocktail in Tequila, it's not the lime-centric margarita but the grapefruit-y cantarito.

The cantarito is made with freshly-squeezed orange, lime, and grapefruit juice, grapefruit soda, and tequila.

Plus, it all comes in a cool clay jar.

Oy, mira.

That is right up my alley.

[ Indistinct conversations ] Mmm.

Mmm.

Super citrus-packed.

And then, it has the grapefruit soda, so it's nice and bubbly.

And then, it has the reposado tequila, which has such nice depth.

And I get to take the mug, too.

Now that I've tasted this amazing drink, I have to go see where it comes from.

These lands are crowned by the Volcán de Tequila, the tequila volcano.

Though now dormant, its eruption tens of thousands of years ago left the region blanketed in a rich soil, making it perfect for growing the blue agave plant.

Tequila has to be made from the blue agave plant.

-Absolutely.

-Araceli Ramos is a tequila expert and knows there's no better place to start than these fields.

This is the most gigantic space with agave plants that I've ever been in.

-We are in the heart of the tequila land.

This is where everything begins.

-I wanted to ask you about what the role of a jimador is.

-The jimadores are the most important humans for us in the tequila industry.

-Starting at 5:00 a.m. to avoid the midday sun, they grapple with these mighty cacti, disarming them leaf by leaf.

Until what's left is a prized piña, or heart.

And this is what tequila is made from.

It's hard work, work that builds an appetite.

It's good that I brought mine with me.

Hola.

Sí?

[ Men speaking Spanish ] ♪ Mmm.

Mmm.

This is, like, the best breakfast taco.

Sí!

Okay.

Okay.

♪ It seems to me that when people think about Mexican rice, they think about this rice that we're going to make.

Arroz rojo, or Mexican rice, can be eaten with any meal of the day.

It's great for lunch.

It's great for dinner.

Mexican rice is a rice that you use on the side of grilled meats and chicken and all sorts of dishes.

Like this hearty breakfast I'm going to make that starts with Mexican rice topped with a corn tortilla egg nest and a zingy salsita verde.

We're going to start with making that tomato base.

So, we have 1 pound of ripe tomatoes, and I'm going to quarter them.

They are so ripe and ready.

Very soft and juicy.

And then I have about 1/3 cup of white onion that I just coarsely chopped.

2 garlic cloves.

1 teaspoon of salt.

About 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

And I am going to purée this until completely smooth.

I'm going to strain it, 'cause you want a really thin sauce to cook the rice in.

I learned to make my Mexican red rice in Texas.

I moved to Dallas when I married my husband.

And I was a terrible, horrible, horrible, dreadful cook.

Like, I really -- I was a really phenomenal eater, but I didn't know how to cook much, at all.

Moved to Texas.

I was so nostalgic for the foods of home.

And I went to the Latin grocery store, which was close to home, and I just started talking to whoever I could.

And there was this one Mexican woman.

She was from Puebla, and she said, "I'll teach you how to make rice."

And we made like three batches of rice.

Thank you to her, because she taught me the secrets of making Mexican red rice.

It is really frustrating to get rice right, but once you get your rice right, you always have it right.

We don't want to put this pulp to waste, so I'm putting it back in the blender.

My friend from Dallas taught me this.

And we're going to purée it again with 1 cup of chicken broth.

Anytime you prepare chicken for any other recipes, I like to get the whole, cut-up chicken, and then either I'll make a caldo de pollo or chicken broth.

You can use that chicken broth for so many recipes, and you can repurpose and repurpose, like for this rice, for soups, for stews.

There are so many quarts of chicken broth frozen in my freezer.

So, we have the strained tomato, onion, and garlic.

I have my casserole here.

I'm going to add about 3 tablespoons of oil.

And I want it to be really nice and hot before I add my rice.

2 cups of rice.

I'm coating all of the grains of rice in the oil as I wait for the rice to change color from the pale, beige-y white to the bright white.

And then I'm also waiting to smell a little bit of a toasty smell, like when you're toasting bread.

Extra-long white rice is the traditional rice used to make Mexican rice or arroz rojo, because the grains absorb the flavor of whatever broth it cooks in.

As it cooks, the grains separate beautifully and fluff, as well.

So, we're ready to add the sauce.

Because we're going to make 2 cups of rice, we need 4 cups of liquid.

So I'm adding the 3 cups of the tomato sauce.

I am still missing 1 cup of liquid, but I'm going to wait until my tomato sauce sizzles and cooks and thickens.

And then I'm going to add the remaining of the chicken broth and my vegetables.

And this is the perfect moment for you to use any leftover vegetables that you have in your fridge.

Shop your fridge.

We're using diced vegetables, so they don't have to be the prettiest vegetables.

I'm not only using the peeled and diced carrot but I'm also saving the scraps from the carrots, the top and the end, to make more chicken broth.

You can see how the sauce was mostly absorbed and how it thickened and how it darkened in color.

So now I need to add the remaining of my liquid, 1 cup of chicken broth.

♪ 1/2 cup of corn kernels.

These are fresh but you can use frozen.

Frozen vegetables have a long shelf life, and that helps you minimize waste, because you can take out just the amount you need for whatever dish you may be making.

1/2 cup of peas.

♪ 2/3 cup of carrots.

And I'm stirring this so it all gets nice and mixed.

A couple sprigs of parsley.

A couple of pickled jalapeños.

I'm going to cover my rice, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting.

And after 10 to 15 minutes, the rice will be ready, which is plenty of time to make a salsa verde that you'll want to eat with everything.

I have 2 pounds of tomatilloes that I put under the broiler.

You can do this on your grill.

You can do this on a comal.

And it's really completely changing the flavor and the texture of the tomatillo.

We're getting all of the juices, 'cause these juices are yum.

♪ We add a slice of white onion, 1 generous teaspoon of salt, as many chiles de árbol as I find in here, 'cause I like my salsita spicy.

I'm removing the stems.

These are from Jalisco, which have so much taste, from Yahualica.

I'm going to purée it to the point where I can still see the seeds of the tomatilloes.

Let me taste.

Mmm.

I can eat this salsita like a soup.

I'm going to add a little bit more salt.

Yum.

It's tart, barely spicy.

Delicious.

And the rice should be ready.

To know if your rice is ready, you need to make room in the middle and see if there's no more liquid, and you also have to taste the rice and see if it's fully cooked.

♪ Mmm.

Mmm!

It's just the arroz rojo that, when you think of Mexican rice, this is it.

♪ After seeing how the agave is harvested, I want to know how it becomes the famous drink.

♪ Having arrived from out in the field, the distillers have two days to start the fermentation process.

Ay!

-This is the first spot.

-You can see the agave hearts.

From the field, they bring them here every day.

-Every day.

Every day.

-So, we met the jimadores.

And these are the horneros, which are the people who put the agave hearts into the ovens.

♪ -You can try it, of course.

-I'm going to try it.

-That is the most delicious.

You will love this.

This is the greatest flavor.

It is so good.

♪ -Mmm.

Mmm.

It tastes like -- like candied pumpkin.

-Yes.

-With a little bit of tamarind.

-Yes.

-It's so delicious!

Once the agave hearts are baked and grated, yeast made from agave leaves is added for the fermentation process.

The aroma completely changed, too, 'cause now it really smells like you're going from the land of desserts and baked desserts to the land of drinks.

Some of the transformation into tequila happens inside these tanks and tubes and is only complete when left to age in wooden barrels.

I've never tasted tequila from the barrel.

-This is the plata or white tequila.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

[ Glasses clink ] -Smooth.

-[ Speaking Spanish ] -And then stays, and then it is a beautiful echo.

-Absolutely.

It is a great tequila.

-I want to learn more.

Show me more.

-Okay.

♪ -If we want to do a sampling of the different kinds of tequilas, where do we start?

-With the plata, because this is the one that has the least touch with wood.

All tequila is white.

-Mm-hmm.

-What gives the color, the aroma, the flavor, is the contact with wood.

-A plata is bottled after being held in a barrel for just a few weeks, while a reposado rests in oak for a minimum of four months.

An añejo ages in wood for at least a year or more.

♪ So light.

And it's bright.

So, this was very suave.

It was crisp.

It was citrusy.

-Yes.

-So, take me to the next level.

-Okay.

We're going to go to the reposado.

You can see that now the color is very different.

-It's, like, slightly amber with, like, a gold hue on the surface.

-Yes.

Absolutely.

This is a little bit more herbal.

-Mmm.

-Very balanced.

Very smooth.

-Almond.

Tangy.

And I can feel it -- Like, I can feel its presence more.

Like, it stays in your tongue.

-Absolutely.

Now the añejo.

-You already tell that this is a deep amber color.

-Because this has been in the oak barrels longer time.

♪ -Mmm.

It's, like, sweeter.

It's starting to taste a little bit more like dessert.

It feels even more smooth.

-You got it.

Perfect.

-And finally, an extra añejo must mature three years inside a cask.

And for this Leyenda blend, the average age is four.

-Do you know that tequila has more aromas than wines?

-Mmm.

It's fruity.

It's not citrusy like the first one.

This is like dried and ripe fruits, apple and pear.

Que rico.

Let's make a cocktail.

Why don't we make a charro negro?

-Let's make it.

-So, it has lime juice and the salt.

Then I'm going to add a little bit of ice.

Then 2 ounces of the reposado.

We're going to add the juice of a lime.

And then just use your favorite cola.

-Salud por eso.

-Salud.

-Gracias.

-Mmm.

Now every time I see tequila or taste tequila, I'm going to be thinking of the volcano and the jimadores and the horneros and the distillers.

You don't know how much skill goes into making a bottle of tequila.

And traditions passed on through generations.

This is a taste of tequila I won't soon forget.

♪ -Corn tortillas are so delicious, and you can use them in so many ways.

And yes, you can find good ones at the store, but they are so much better when you make them at home.

I'm going to show you a foolproof method of how to make them puff, because if you make them puff, you are making sure that they are soft, pliable, irresistible.

You are also going to be able to make one of the most amazing breakfasts, a corn tortilla egg nest.

We start with 2 1/2 cups of masa harina.

You want to go in with your scooper and then level it with a knife but don't pack it.

♪ 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

1 2/3 cup of warm water.

Then I'm just going to go around and knead until it's all incorporated.

This masa harina is so soft.

If I'm making corn tortillas, I like to make a big batch, because then I know that I can store them in the fridge.

I can make quesadillas.

I can make tacos.

And even if I leave them out and they become a little bit hard, you can just cut them up and make chilaquiles.

I'm splitting this up into 16 pieces.

I'm going to cover the dough with a damp tablecloth, because the masa dries up really fast, and you want to keep it moist.

I have my comal set at medium heat, and then, I have my tortilla press.

I have two rounds of plastic.

You need plastic, the thinner, the better.

And the bags that you can use when you're buying your produce, those are the best bags.

So, you grab the masa, you roll it with your hands, and the masa should feel really soft and moist.

You're going to put your first piece of plastic on the bottom of the press.

Don't forget.

A lot of people forget, and then they stick the tortilla to the press.

And then you put the ball of masa, and then you add the next layer of plastic.

And then you press down.

You want to get a tortilla that's about 1/8 inch in thickness.

You press a little, and you check, and you see how pretty it's looking.

It's so pretty.

And then you press down a little more.

The thinner, the better, but you don't want to get too thin that you can't, like, remove the plastic and cook them.

And then until you get a tortilla that's about 5 inches, you remove the plastic.

And then you get close to the heat source, because you have to place your tortilla on your comal in a swift move.

So, remove the plastic.

Many people like to do this to make sure that it's not sticking to your hand.

And then just add it to the comal.

I'm going to wait for about a minute.

You want to flip it.

Use your hands, if you can, or you can also use a spatula.

See how the color changed, like dunes in the desert?

That's what you want for the first flip.

For the second flip, you want to give it like 90 seconds.

You want it to now be a little bit toasted.

You don't want to flip it too soon, because if you do the second flip while it's still this light in color, then by the time you flip it again, it's not going to puff.

Trust me on that.

That is the secret.

See?

And then you just wait for it to puff.

See how it beautifully puffed?

We are going to make an egg nest in the puff of that tortilla.

I'm going to crack an egg.

I'm going to season it with salt and pepper.

Once it puffs, I'm going to grab the tortilla.

You have to cut a little hole where it puffed.

And you have to do it when the tortilla is puffing, because if you take out the tortilla from the comal once it puffs, the tortilla sides will stick to each other again.

Now I'm going to put the egg that I cracked in here.

And then you put it on the comal.

This one is looking good.

I can peek in here and see that the egg white is fully cooked and the yolk is just like I like it.

Rice.

I'm going to do an egg nest montado.

So, when you put a sunny-side-up egg on top of rice, it's called a huevo montado, or it translates to an egg that is riding the rice.

So, I have my rice.

♪ And then, I'm adding my egg nest right on top.

You can peek in there and see how cute that is!

I want tomatillo salsita.

♪ A little bit of crema.

Queso fresco.

Some avocado.

Look at that!

Un huevo montado en arroz.

I'm going to cut into it.

Ah, the tortilla got crispy on the bottom.

Mind exploding.

This is so good!

You have the rice that has all the vegetables and that tomato base.

And then, you have the tortilla that has the crunchy parts in the bottom, and it's really soft on top and then, the egg's right in the middle.

What a meal.

♪ This is Mexican comfort food at its best.

♪ ♪ 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... ♪ ♪ -♪ Avocados from Mexico ♪ -Fud brand cheese -- traditional Mexican flavor.

-Stand Together -- helping every person rise.

More information at StandTogether.org.

-Here, the typical arroz con pollo...or not.

Unfollow la receta.

Mahatma rice.

-King Arthur Baking Company.

Find out more about our masa harina at kingarthurbaking.com.

-Oléico -- High Oleic Safflower Oil.

-Tecate Alta Cerveza Suprema.

Mexico is in us.

-FEMSA Foundation.

♪ -Proud to support "Pati's Mexican Table" on public television.

♪ ♪