What a glorious evening--great Mexican food under the stars--the moon to be exact, accompanied by three memorable mezcals.
The place was Maestro Pasadena. Executive chef Elena Vega prepared the dinner. The mezcal came from Ulises Torrentera (above), mezcal curator and owner of In Situ Mezcalería, a bar in Oaxaca City that promotes traditional mezcal culture.
Torrentera was on a US tour showing three mezcals from his brand, Farolito, which is a showcase for master Oaxacan mezcal makers. Each of the bottles he brought had the maker's name on the label as well as the details of fermentation and distillation and the place of origin.
Such mezcal isn't destined for the mass market because it's produced in small batches. There are just 516 bottles of master distiller Virgilio Ramirez's papalometl mezcal, from Santa María Ixcatlán, Oaxaca (above).
To ferment the agave, Ramirez used "bovine leather" (cow skin) and then distilled the cooked, crushed agave in clay pots, according to generations-old ancestral techniques.
In the colonial era, indigenous people were banned from making and consuming alcoholic beverages, Torrentera said. When fleeing from the authorities, they could more easily carry a skinful of fermenting agave than a heavy stationary container.
That makes this papalometl mezcal rich in history as well as flavor.
Smoky Horno (above) is from Alberto Montes of Nochixtlán, Oaxaca. This mezcal was fermented in wooden tubs and distilled in clay pots. There are just 806 bottles.
The name Horno (oven) was chosen because maguey (agave) leaves are traditionally used to cover meats cooking in a pit in the ground (barbacoa).
Penca Verde, from Valentín Celis of Zimatlán, Oaxaca, is from the same family as espadín, a widely used agave that matures more rapidly than penca verde. This mezcal was fermented and distilled in clay pots. The batch consists of 702 bottles. It was the first agave that "touched my heart," Torrentera said.
He's alarmed by attempts to industrialize mezcal to satisfy a growing demand. This means enlarging production by using non-agave components and chemicals. When you taste the beautiful Farolito mezcals, you would not want anything of lesser quality.
A serious scholar, Torrentera wrote a book about the history of distillation and the artisanal production of mezcal. Published in Oaxaca in 2,000, it's called "Mezcalaría" and is in Spanish only. Amazon has a Kindle edition but not the print version.
Which means you'll have to go to Oaxaca to get it. To facilitate that, Torrentera is organizing a tour, Mezcanautic, which will visit mezcal palenques and include food prepared by the wives of mezcal makers. This tour will take place March 29 to April 2, 2020.
In January, Maestro sent a team to Oaxaca to study how mezcal is made. The food there is just as serious. Tortillas are handmade from organic nixtamal. Mole is made from scratch. And you won't find chips and salsa on the tables. "We don't give in on the stereotypical," said founder Sergio Martinez (above, with Chef Vega).
Martinez, here with Torrentera, is co-owner of the restaurant with Emmanuel Gonzalez and Paul Gonzalez. They're all from Jalostotitlán in the state of Jalisco, and some of the food is what they remember from their childhood.
Chef Vega was born in Tijuana of parents from Nayarit and is skilled in the seafood dishes from that state as well as what she learns while traveling in Mexico.
The first dish for the mezcal dinner was hiramasa sashimi aguachile (above) with yellowtail, cucumber and pear slices--nice on a hot evening.
Then came rolled pork belly (above) with grilled pineapple, gooseberries and chicharrón.
The third dish was a vibrant mole (above) with chicken confit and pineapple, Mexican crema and fingerling potatoes. Vega makes the mole sauce with ancho, guajillo and negro chiles and a dash of chile de árbol, no chocolate or peanuts.
The tortillas were big and pliable, perfect for scooping up the rich mole sauce. They were also excellent turned into crisp chips (above) to accompany the aguachile.
The three mezcals were poured into small glasses for savoring and discussion, but there was Mexican beer too.
How pretty beer can look when presented like this.
Maestro's small bar seats just 9 to 12. Every spirit is hand-picked and has a story, Martinez said. Mezcal cocktails are made with agave espadín, because the more rarefied mezcals are too special to dilute into fruity or spicy concoctions.
Open for a couple of years, the restaurant looks small but can seat 95 with the patio. Although the menu is imaginative, Maestro doesn't forego all stereotypes. In other words, it honors taco Tuesday, with a special menu each week.
Maestro Pasadena, 101 E. Union St., Pasadena, CA 91733. (626) 787-1512. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, from 4 to 11 pm Friday and Saturday, to 10 p.m. other days. Saturday and Sunday brunch is 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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