-Getting back to our roots helps us understand what we love and why we love it so much, rediscovering a nearly lost art or an adult twist on a childhood favorite.

I grew up eating sapote negro for dessert like at least once a week.

-Mm-hmm.

-When we find those flavors and textures that remind us who we are, it is a treasure.

In my kitchen, do I have a treat for you today.

I cook with my friend and fellow Chilango Francisco Migoya, head chef at Modernist Cuisine, one of the most innovative kitchens in the entire world.

Together, we make one of the most comforting foods, pellizcadas with chicharrón and salsa verde.

And because Francisco is an expert in the science behind breadmaking, he's going to show me how to make the perfect conchas.

Whoa!

Whoa!

Come with us, back to our roots.

-♪ 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 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.

♪ -I'm so thrilled that you are in my kitchen, Francisco.

-I am thrilled to be here.

Thank you.

-I have been in your work kitchen.

-You have.

-Which is this incredible, like, food-science lab.

-Mm-hmm.

-And now you're here in my home kitchen.

-Which is equally incredible.

-And you are so good at things that you need so much knowledge for, and I'm just good at messy.

[ Both laugh ] This is Francisco Migoya.

He's a world-renowned pastry chef and author.

As head chef at Modernist Cuisine, he's at the vanguard of food research and testing.

But as a Mexican, he also can't resist the taste of these pellizcadas with chicharrón salsa verde.

Don't you love chicharrón and salsa?

-It's just the texture of it is incredible.

-Chicharrón is pork cracklings, right?

-Yes, it's the rendered skin of -- of a pig.

And I think, you know, people would wonder why are you taking something that's crunchy, crispy and then intentionally making it soggy... -Yeah.

-...and I think it's important for people to know that it's worth it... -Exactly.

-...getting it to that point.

-I wanted to make a three-chili salsa verde -- a poblano, a jalapeño, a serrano.

-Mm-hmm.

-We have 2 pounds of tomatillos, and we just want them to cook to mushy and soft.

-Okay.

-So, if you want to help me cut that jalapeño and we can add it in there just -- -So, the whole thing with the seeds, right?

-The whole thing.

I always use the seeds.

-Do you feel like it makes it spicier, like the -- -Yeah.

-Definitely, right.

-The seeds and the veins.

-Mm-hmm.

-The poblanos, I do remove the seeds.

I find that the seeds of the poblano chilis are kind of bitter.

We can also add a bunch of cilantro, and I like using the leaves and the stems.

What about you?

-So you -- I agree.

The stems have a lot of flavor, too.

-So, the tomatillos are ready.

Super mushy.

Soft.

♪ Okay, so now I'm adding a cup of chicken broth.

1 teaspoon salt.

-Mm-hmm.

-I like to puree until smooth but not completely smooth.

-So, a little chunky?

-Yeah.

[ Blender whirring ] ♪ I like the salsa verde where you can -- you can see the seeds, and then you can also bite them, you know.

-Feel them.

The color is beautiful.

-I'm going to season the sauce.

-So, you're going to cook it a little bit?

-Yeah.

I'm using safflower oil, and I like safflower because it is so neutral.

-Mm-hmm.

-So, it's like -- -So it doesn't add flavor.

-Flavorless, odorless.

We want the oil to really heat up.

-Okay.

[ Sizzling ] -That is so Mexican.

-Yes.

[ Chuckles ] -Okay.

So, we can just -- oops.

Yeah.

Good save.

-Thanks.

-So, do you think, Francisco, that your house, would you say it's more of an American kitchen or a Mexican kitchen or a Mexican-American kitchen?

-I would say it's -- I mean, I have the tools that I need to make the food that I like to make.

-Yes.

-Whether it's American of Mexican.

-I imagine it is really organized.

-Somewhat, yeah, but it's not like my kitchen at work, which you've seen.

-Oh, yeah.

-I mean, that's like entering a spaceship.

-It is!

I'm turning it off because the sauce is already hot.

-Are we adding all of this?

-Yeah.

You know what?

It seems like it's a lot of chicharrón.

-It's going to shrink, though, right?

-But it's going to -- yeah, the chicharrón is going to start absorbing the sauce.

[ Crackling ] Can you hear that?

The sauce is getting into all the chicharrón bubbles.

-Yep.

-You've made sopas at home?

-I have.

-You've made tortillas at home?

-Yes.

-So, it's the same masa.

-Mm-hmm.

-We have 2 1/2 cups of masa harina.

1/2 a teaspoon salt.

2 cups of lukewarm water.

I want to use your bakers' hands.

Please.

-So, you go straight with your hands.

What I do is I will always keep one hand clean.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

-Because this way, I can spin and turn while the other hand gets dirty.

So -- -Okay.

-I would never put two hands in.

-This is so smart, and I always put my two hands in.

You feel it, right?

So nice and warm.

-Mm-hmm.

-See, I already put my two hands in.

-So, it feels like clay.

-So, what I do, is I will just grab the whole masa.

I just go half, in half, in half.

♪ -And your hands have to be wet?

Is that better than -- -It's better.

We have our tortilla press.

Close down, not pressing too hard.

You want it to be like 1/4-inch thick, so it's much thicker than a tortilla.

You have your comal, your pan, at medium heat, and it's going to cook for like 1 /2 to 2 minutes per side.

♪ So, now we take these out.

You go around with your hands or with, like, a kitchen towel.

We're gonna pinch around.

Put them back there.

And then they finish cooking.

♪ These are ready.

-Mm-hmm.

-But now we're gonna brush them with a little oil to crisp them up.

♪ So, we have our pellizcadas, and now they're nice and crispy.

-Mm-hmm.

-Do you want yours with beans?

-Mm-hmm.

♪ -This is like the perfect texture 'cause, see, that absorbed all the sauce.

-Mm-hmm.

Look delicious.

-I'm making these for big bites, okay?

Let me -- Do you want -- -Everything.

-You want -- Okay, you're just like me.

Yay.

I like that.

So, we're going to use not one but two different kinds of cheese.

-Mm-hmm.

-We're going to use the fresco, which is fresh and tangy.

-Mm-hmm.

-We're going to do the Cotija, too.

-Okay.

-Which is salty, aged.

-Would a crema make any sense?

-Oh, my gosh, yes, please.

♪ -Mexican crema is a very specific consistency that I haven't found anywhere else.

-It is between sour cream and heavy cream.

-So, what would you say to somebody if they used a fork and a knife to eat this?

-That would be my husband.

-Oh, really?

Right.

-It's gonna be hot.

-Do we cheer with the taco -- -Sí.

-With the pellizcadas?

-Sí.

-Okay.

Cheers.

[ Crunch ] -Mmm.

My God.

So good.

And the texture of the chicharrón is like -- you get chewy followed by crunchy.

And that's -- we love those things.

As human beings, we love that textural contrast.

You also get the different flavors.

You get this, like, sweet-sour from the cream.

You get the taste of the cooked masa.

And the beans.

Right?

-This, to me, is like comfort Mexican food.

-Mm-hmm.

-I think you're making more of a mess than me.

-I am.

-[ Chuckles ] ♪ Whenever I visit a new city, I always ask around for recommendations for where to eat.

Over and over again, everybody, including my sister Karen, mentioned a tiny restaurant in Guadalajara making a big impact on the cuisine of Jalisco... iHola!

-iHola!

-...Xokol.

Husband and wife Oscar and Xrysw are both in their 20s, and they have won international accolades for their cooking.

It's a sanctuary for all things corn, no?

-[ Speaks Spanish ] -Before opening Xokol, Oscar and Xrysw trained in some of the best restaurants in Mexico, but they felt disconnected from their indigenous roots.

-[ Speaks Spanish ] -[ Speaks Spanish ] -Sí.

-They went back to their family kitchens, where they rediscovered flavors and techniques that aren't easily found in today's restaurants.

They brought what they learned to Xokol, where they are doing exciting and delicious things with corn.

[ Speaks Spanish ] three kinds of corn masa?

-Sí.

-They get their corn from local growers, and then they nixtamalize it.

It's an ancient process that many people are revitalizing these days, but the passion and dedication Oscar and Xrysw have for corn goes deeper than that.

They're bringing back traditions rarely seen outside of ancestral kitchens.

-[ Speaks Spanish ] -Sí.

-This is a beautiful thing.

[ Conversing in Spanish ] This is an ancient way of coloring food, and this is an insect that grows in -- -[ Speaks Spanish ] -Sí.

First, they apply the crimson pigment, then they lay a tortilla on the stand so that it picks up the pattern.

Finally, the heat of the grill fixes a beautiful design on the tortilla.

-[ Speaks Spanish ] -Ah!

Look at the puff!

It's my first time seeing this.

It's so beautiful.

-[ Speaks Spanish ] -Oh, wow.

Wow, wow, wow!

Look!

[ Speaks Spanish ] [ Conversing in Spanish ] -Sí.

♪ [ Speaks Spanish ] -[ Speaks Spanish ] -Sí.

-Sí.

-[ Speaks Spanish ] That's what we wanted to do!

That's what we wanted to do!

Tostada raspadas, or scraped tortillas, are an iconic piece of Guadalajara.

Just after cooking a tortilla, the softer side is carefully scraped off... Wow.

...and the side that remains is left to dry.

[ Conversing in Spanish ] On top of the chintextle, guacamole, pumpkin seeds, grated Cotija cheese, and topped with yellow tomatoes.

[ Speaks Spanish ] ♪ My first time eating a ceremonial tortilla.

[ Speaks Spanish ] When you really want to eat something, it falls.

That's the law.

That's the law of the world.

[ Conversing in Spanish ] A charred salsita.

I can't eat a taco without a salsa.

♪ Mmm.

Mmm.

Mmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

[ Speaks Spanish ] ♪ [ Speaks Spanish ] This is so good.

♪ Mmm.

-[ Speaks Spanish ] -[ Speaks Spanish ] Every single dish is like a piece of art.

I'm so glad my sister recommended it.

Everybody has been recommending it, to be honest.

[ Conversing in Spanish ] ♪ Francisco, I think that the most iconic of pan dulces is the concha, right?

-It is, yes.

-And it is a bread that is usually terrible.

-[ Chuckles ] Yes.

The main reason is because typically, conchas are super dry, so, the -- the fat really matters here.

So, we're gonna make ours with butter.

-You have a bread book, and you think in, like, percentages.

And if there is someone who can teach us how to get conchas right, it is you.

♪ The first thing we're gonna start with is...?

-The liquid components, which is milk and water.

-So we have about 1/2 cup of milk.

-Yes.

-Okay.

-And water, and then what you're gonna do is you're gonna take the yeast.

-Yeah.

-Now, we're using dry yeast... -Yeah.

-...but there's two kinds that you can get.

I would say that if you ever see active dry yeast, avoid it, if you can get instant dry yeast.

Instant, you just need to mix it with the water.

With the active yeast, you're using hot water to, like, break through all of those dead yeast cells to get to the live yeast cells, so it's a bit of a thin line there of over-fermenting and under-fermenting.

-So, all I need to know is no active, yes instant.

Okay, so we have how much?

-8 grams.

Your goal is to just dissolve it here.

The next thing we're going to do is we're gonna add the eggs.

Then we're gonna put 3 1/2 cups of flour.

-Tell me about the kind of flour.

-Yes.

We want to have a very strong flour.

When you buy your package of flour, just get -- it's gonna say "high gluten" or "high protein."

♪ Then you can put the fat in there, which is the butter.

-So, we have 120 grams, which is about 1/2 cup.

-1/2 cup.

-And you have the butter... -It's room temperature.

-...and it's room temperature.

-If you're gonna make this recipe, use European-style butter.

European butters are 80% fat, so they have higher fat percentage than American butters.

-Okay.

So 1/3 cup, plus 2 teaspoons of sugar.

-Yes.

-And then 2 1/4 teaspoons of salt.

-2 1/4 teaspoons of salt.

-About 12 grams.

So, 2 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla.

-Mm-hmm.

Okay, so -- -So now we have everything in here.

-So, everything is in here, and we're gonna start slow.

-Yes.

-If you start fast, you're going to be wearing the ingredients.

-Yes.

-And once the ingredients start to know each other and combine, then you can start picking up the speed.

The most important thing to understand about mixing this dough is that the fat... -Mm-hmm.

-...gets in the way of gluten formation.

This is gonna take a while, okay?

-Okay.

-It's about 20 minutes.

♪ So, you can see now, this, how it's slapping the side of the bowl.

-Yeah.

-It's cleaning up all of the stuff that is on the side of the bowl.

-Okay.

It is so shiny.

-So, this is called a windowpane test.

-Okay.

-And we're going to -- I like to put a little bit of oil on my hands so it doesn't, like, stick to my hands.

-Okay.

Yeah.

-And so you can see how -- look at that.

-Oh!

-This is all developed gluten, but this is called a windowpane test, right?

-Beautiful.

-You can see light through it.

-Yeah.

-So that membrane, all of this, you can actually see the gluten.

To me, this is a beautiful dough.

It's, like, super stretchy.

You can see how elastic it is.

-Oh!

-The sheet pan, we put a little bit of oil on it.

It comes out in one shot, see?

-Sí.

-Okay, but if we start with a blob like this, it's a little bit more challenging to get nice, even shapes.

-Right.

-So, what I like to do is something that, in, you know, baker's terms is called a four-fold.

Take one end, fold it in.

Two.

Three.

-Three.

-And then four.

And then we flip it over.

-Oh, that's beautiful!

-We can put a little bit of oil on top.

-Okay.

-So, you can use this, or if you have, like, oil spray, that's fine, too.

We want to get it cold so, like, the butter will harden and it will produce a firm dough that we can then divide and then shape into balls.

Half-an-hour outside.

After that, it goes in the fridge for two hours.

-Two hours.

♪ There are so many things that come from Jalisco that define Mexican culture.

I'm in the town of Tequila to meet with Chef Marin to learn how a master behind the bar uses Jalisco's cherished tequila in an extraordinary cocktail and a surprising dessert.

-Chef Marin, [Speaks Spanish] Are we doing a drink first?

-Yes.

[ Speaks Spanish ] -Sí.

What's the name of the cocktail?

-Viejo Ramos.

It's like -- like an homage for -- for your grandfather.

We have 1 ounce ginger syrup.

-[ Speaks Spanish ] -Lemon juice, yes.

2 ounces... -2 ounces.

-...of pacharán, and the star of the cocktail... -Uh-uh.

-...tequila añejo.

-Why did you choose añejo?

-The wood flavor is amazing.

-Mm.

-And now showtime.

Do you want to try it?

-Yeah.

-Mmm.

[ Speaks Spanish ] It's refreshing.

A little sweet.

The flavors continue to evolve.

[ Speaks Spanish ] ♪ It is fascinating how food and drinks here often pay homage to heritage.

We're gonna make a dessert?

-Yes.

Dulce de sapote negro.

[ Speaks Spanish ] -[ Speaks Spanish ] -[ Speaks Spanish ] -I grew up eating sapote negro for dessert like at least once a week.

[ Conversing in Spanish ] I want to show you guys.

This is a sapote negro fruit puree.

-Yes.

The color is amazing.

-It's shiny.

It's silky.

-And we are going to add some tequila to the sapote.

-So, we're in the land of tequila, in the town of Tequila.

-This one is clean.

-We have the tequila just in the bottom.

We're gonna have the sapote tequila in the middle.

[ Speaks Spanish ] -[ Speaks Spanish ] Tequila gelatin.

-[ Speaks Spanish ] Mmm.

Like sweet tequila.

-[ Speaks Spanish ] -Tangerine gelatin.

-[ Conversing in Spanish ] Has dust made of gold.

I feel bad about cracking it, it is so pretty.

♪ -[ Speaks Spanish ] -Ooh, I love it, and that is so Jalisco, like, the familiar, the tradition, but making it like an art form.

It's beautiful.

-Thank you very much.

[ Conversing in Spanish ] ♪ -Francisco, two parts to the concha that are equally important, right?

-Yes.

So the topping.

I think the topping is what makes the concha.

It's a very simple recipe of shortening, flour, and powdered sugar.

-So, 200 grams pastry flour.

-Yes.

So, that's 1 2/3 cup.

We sift it because typically, these very low-protein flours tend to clump.

-Okay.

That's great to know.

-Yes.

-I don't like sifting.

-No, it's a pain.

-Okay.

We have 200 grams of vegetable shortening.

-Mm-hmm.

-And then vanilla.

-200 grams.

-Okay, so it's -- -It's equal parts.

-It's equal parts!

Here we have -- -A very special ingredient.

It's called pitaya, or dragon fruit.

-The smell!

-You can smell it, yeah.

-It is so exotic.

-And nothing could be easier than mixing this.

This will, literally in a few seconds, just come together into a mass.

-Become a paste.

That's ready.

-Completely come together.

-Yeah.

-Going to take half of it.

-Okay.

So, it's like Play-Doh.

-Yeah.

And so we want to get this thin, but not too thin.

So I would say about 3 millimeters.

In order to make our lives easier, we're going to get this cold for a little bit.

-I feel so spoiled having, like, this private class with Francisco Migoya.

-It's my pleasure.

Yeah.

♪ -These go in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.

♪ -So this dough is already nice and cold.

For this, you absolutely need a scale.

Same size is going to proof at the same time.

70 grams is what we need, okay?

-Okay.

-86 grams, so we're going to take some off.

Let's say you have less than what you need.

You always have pieces that you can harvest from... -Yeah.

-...to add.

So then we have 70 grams.

-Yeah.

♪ Oh, man.

-You got it.

Okay.

Next, what we're gonna do is we're going to shape.

We're gonna flatten it a bit.

What I'm doing is I'm basically folding it into itself, like under, and then you want to make sure that the bottom is completely shut so that the dough will make a good, even expansion.

The idea is you're trying to create tension within the dough.

-Yeah.

-We're gonna put five balls per sheet pan.

-This is so nice.

-It feels nice.

-The dough is so incredibly soft.

♪ -These are chilled right now.

-Mm-hmm.

-We don't need them to necessarily be rock-hard.

Just firm.

Peel one.

-Oh.

-Then I flip it over.

And then I peel, and then this is ready to go.

I like to use a cookie cutter.

-Okay.

-It's about the size of the concha itself.

We're gonna cut as many as we can.

Carefully lift the topping.

Put it right on top of the dough.

Not fussing too much with them and just centering them.

-Yeah, 'cause if you started messing with them, you heat them, and then... -Yeah.

-...the vegetable shortening would start melting, right?

-Because your hands are warm.

This is a part where it's -- it will take some practice.

-Okay.

-You don't want to squish too hard.

-No.

-But not too little, either.

We're gonna dip it in flour.

We want to do a little bit of, like, a rocking motion, and don't be afraid -- that's pretty good.

-Push.

-It's gonna give the pattern.

-Okay, you're doing it more thicker.

-Don't be afraid to push down.

-Okay.

-So now, what we need to do is we need to proof them.

This takes about a couple hours at room temperature.

-Okay.

-But we want to protect them so that they don't get dry.

These are compostable bags, and they work really great for this.

What you do is... -Yes.

-It's like a magic trick.

-Oh, I like that!

-And then you're just trapping the air in there, and I'm twisting this side.

-Yeah.

So you -- like this?

-Yeah.

Leave them on your counter.

-Mm-hmm.

-It takes a couple hours.

[ Birds chirping ] You can see these.

These are bigger.

But we also smell, like, the yeast activity.

-Yeah.

-Right?

We don't smell alcohol, which is a good sign because it means they're not overcooked.

♪ So, these are already to go.

We're gonna go right in... -The oven.

Okay.

So, we're at 350.

-We're gonna wait about 15 to 20 minutes.

You really want to go by what the color of the dough looks like.

We're looking for like a deep-ish golden brown.

♪ -These are baked and beautiful!

-Thank you.

♪ -This is as good as it gets.

It's not dry.

-Right.

-The sugar coating is just... -Oh, it's delicious.

-...sheer perfection.

So, let's fill one, of course.

-Take a paring knife, and you're gonna make five perforations, okay?

And we have dulce la leche here.

-Mm-hmm.

-And we're gonna fill it from under.

You just go around... You can see like the other side, it kind of -- -That's so funny.

You put it in one hole, and it's coming out from the other.

-But that's how you know it's filling.

♪ -Whoa!

Whoa!

-[ Chuckles ] -Mmm.

I was so thrilled with that.

-Mm-hmm.

-Didn't think it could get better.

Because even if the dough is perfect and the coating is perfect, like, having that extra creamy flavor in there, it's just like why not?

-Why not?

-I've wanted to learn how to make good conchas for such a long time, and it's been a treat having you teach me.

-You're gonna be a concha expert.

-[ Chuckles ] ♪ -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 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.

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

♪ ♪