Just south of the Cathedral on Calle Abasolo in Morelia, this inconspicuous doorway is the gateway to the best regional food in town.
Entradas (appetizers) include frijolitos (beans), queso fresco del rancho (freshly-made farm cheese), salsa, and hot tortillas. The red drink is a conga, a mix of freshly-squeezed fruit juices and grenadine.
Salsa, frijoles, and a tortilla...
Conjunto "Vargas" plays and sings terrific música abajeña (music from the lowlands) as they stroll around the restaurant.
Even the photo of this carne asada (grilled steak) plate still makes my mouth water. Two huge pieces of grilled steak, grilled onions, rice, sliced ripe tomatoes, avocados, and crunchy cucumbers are accompanied by fresh limones (Key limes) to squeeze over everything.
A common home-style dish, aporreadillo, is hard to find on a restaurant menu. The dish combines cecina (dried beef) and egg with a very spicy broth. It's not for the faint-hearted, but oh my, it's so good.
Toqueres! Mexico Cooks! has eaten in hundreds of Mexico's homes and restaurants and has never before seen these on a menu. Similar to corn gorditas (thick tortillas), they are unbelievably delicious. You can try making them at home if you have access to fresh field corn.
TOQUERES
Ingredients
5 ears fresh white field or dent corn (don't try to use sweet corn, the recipe won't work)
1 egg yolk
1/2 small white onion, sliced thin
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of white sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
lard
Equipment
Blender
Sharp knife
Bowl
Spoon
Griddle
Procedure
Cut the corn kernels off the cob and grind in a blender together with the egg yolk, sliced onion, baking soda, sugar, salt, and butter.
Heat the griddle and grease lightly with lard. Pat the corn dough into rounds approximately 4" in diameter and 1/4" thick. Grill until golden brown on one side; flip and grill until golden brown on the other side. Be sure to keep the grill well-greased with lard or the dough will stick.
Serve with pure Mexican crema (or substitute creme fraiche) and a salsa de mesa muy picante.
Provecho!
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Gracias por esos maravillosos comentarios acerca de la comida en Marceva. En verdad es un orgullo que disfruten nuestros platillos tan propios de la regiòn.
Posted by: Leo Celis | October 05, 2010 at 09:47 PM
La comida michoacana, principalmente, la de TIERRA CALIENTE (HUETAMO), es sencillamente deliciosa.
Esta es justamente la que sirven en este restaurante "MARCEVA". Se siente uno transportado en el tiempo culinario de sus antepasados. La casona, la música,etc. es GENIAL.
Genial y más que rico, todo. Gracias por tu comentario, Mayela.
Posted by: mayela h. ochoa | December 06, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Beautiful post! What is the name of this place?
Posted by: S Azcuy | October 28, 2008 at 03:56 PM
Excellent blog. I listed it in my blogroll
Posted by: Avelina Rojas | October 28, 2008 at 09:19 AM
What is the name of that restaurant? to check it out one of these days!
Posted by: Ale | October 25, 2008 at 08:50 PM
I miss that place so much! We've been eating in restaurants for the last seven months while moving around Central/Western Mexico and NOWHERE compares with that restaurant. This entry is torture. ¡Saludos!
Posted by: Travis | October 25, 2008 at 06:51 PM
Me encantaría conocer Morelia. Me llama la atención que hay platillos de los que nunca había escuchado. Sobre todo el agua de ensalada de cuarezma, muy parecida a la sangría. Saludos desde Guaymas.
Posted by: Ale | October 25, 2008 at 02:06 PM
I am hungry now. What I had to eat earlier does in no way compare to the delish of this. Thx so much. Have a great Sunday.
Posted by: glorv1 | October 25, 2008 at 12:44 PM