TBD on how to get the spice just right

When I worked closer to Mission Hill, one of the best lunch options was a local Mexican restaurant - Chilacates. I loved that you could order 1 tostada and they would sneak an extra tostada shell underneath so you could take your leftover toppings and make a second one! 

So when we went tomato picking last week and brought home beautiful sun-ripened tomatillos, I knew I wanted to make a version of Chicken Tinga. I did overlook the fact that Patrick has both a spicy and non-spicy version, but as per usual, what I wanted was somewhere in between.

Ingredients
4-5 chicken thighs
2 plum tomatoes
5-6 tomatillos
1/2 onion
4 garlic cloves
3 chipotles in adobo
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
dash of cumin (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
freshly cracked black pepper
8-10 tostadas
sliced Jack cheese (approx. 1 cup)
lime slices
olive oil

For the Black Bean Puree:

1 can black beans
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 chipotles in adobo
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup water (or stock)

Instructions

The day before:

Give the tomatoes and tomatillos a good rinse. Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes.

For the Tinga, start by cooking 1/2 onion and 4 whole, peeled garlic cloves in a glug of oil over medium heat. Cook until the onion is just starting to brown, approx. 5-8 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to a blender along with the roasted tomatoes and tomatillos, and 5 chipotles in adobo. Combine well. I typically scrape out the seeds of the chipotles but you can consider this optional. Note: for a milder version consider starting with only 1-2 chipotles and increasing from there.  

If you're making the beans, start by cooking 1/2 onion and 2 garlic cloves in a glug of oil over medium heat. Once the onion is starting to brown, approximately 5-8 minutes, add 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed), 2 chipotles in adobo, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and 1/2 cup water (or stock). Let simmer for a few minutes until heated through and then add everything to a blender, combining well. Take a final taste for seasoning and heat.

The day of:

Brine the chicken - add 1/4 cup Kosher or sea salt to a quart of water in a mixing bowl. Dissolve the salt and add the chicken breasts, letting them brine covered in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. If the chicken breasts aren't fully submerged then add a bit more water. Once brined, pat dry the chicken breasts and add them to a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until they are no longer pink inside (160F). Once cooked, set the chicken breasts aside to cool and then use two forks to shred them.

Heat a glug of oil over medium heat. Add the Tinga sauce along with 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, a dash of cumin (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Let simmer for a few minutes and taste for seasoning.

Add the baked, shredded chicken to the Tinga sauce, combining well. Let simmer until everything is at a uniform temperature. Take a final taste for seasoning -- I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch.

 
Add a layer of the bean puree and cheese to some corn tortillas. Cook in a dry skillet or comal over medium heat until crispy. Top with Chicken Tinga and serve immediately. Final garnishes can include a squeeze of lime, hot sauce, or pickled onions. Alternatively, you can serve the Tinga on crispy corn tortillas (or tostadas) with avocado bits, raw onion, and Cotija cheese.

 
Store leftover Tinga in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.

Adapted from: https://www.mexicanplease.com/spicy-chicken-tinga/