Spicy Chicken Tinga

Step 1

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

Step 2

To 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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

Heat a glug of oil over medium heat.  Add the sauce from the blender 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.

Step 6

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.

Step 7

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.

Step 8

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