Mexico is the answer

Restaurant chefs have known for decades that the best cooks come from Mexico and to further this well-known theory, some chefs think that the best cooks come from a specific region of Mexico.  After a lifetime in the kitchen any prejudices that I had acquired during my childhood were briskly dispelled.   When your butt is hauled out of the weeds, as we used to call it, you quickly oust all pre conceived prejudices and luckily for me this enlightenment happened early in my life.  When you are cooking during a Saturday night rush and your fellow cook pulls you through the rush with his “can do” life experience and effortless natural “God given” ability your prejudices melt away.
The depiction of a sleeping Mexican with a sombrero pulled over his eyes, napping in the shade of a tree may be true, but what was not seen in this picture was that this fella got up before the sun and worked hard for eight hours into the heat of the day and it’s the smarty pants that learn to nap during the heat of the day.
It is true that with any group of people, there are some that are lazy, however it is my experience that the folks that immigrate to a new and strange country looking for a better life are the strongest.  And don’t forget, that after all, the Mexicans were here first; look at history and the names of our cities in the United States, do you think an orange Anglo would have named cities San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, San Antonio or El Paso, etc.?.   Every nation has entry level jobs that are often filled by immigrants.  We should thank our lucky stars that the Mexicans are here with their rich cultural heritage and that includes their amazing cuisine.  It’s not their fault that our immigration laws are broken, but I will now get off of my soapbox.  Before I go, please realize that your favorite meal in your favorite restaurant was probably cooked and seasoned by a Mexican.
At Hudson’s we had our share of employees with a vast array of legal status from green cards, visas, legal immigrants and illegal immigrants both from Mexico and Europe.  An employer has to photocopy a driver’s license and social security card and include them in their employment file.  It is very hard to tell the difference between legal and illegal because these can be bought at the flea market.  In the past, the status was never questioned and most employers looked the other way when verifying status but it is getting harder to “look elsewhere” with all of the new laws.  The coconut telegraph in the Hispanic community is alive and offers accurate reporting to their community regarding the restaurant community.  Through a friend of a friend of an uncle of a mother, prospective employees know which restaurants are sympathetic to their needs.  The great part is that if your kind to them and considerate of their needs they will tell other family members that this restaurant is a fair place to work.  This worked for the Irish, Germans, Polish, Chinese and Mexicans, all immigrants.
My favorite Mexican Chef is Blas Gonzalez.  His family lives in San Luis Potosí in central Mexico.  We often joked that we were related because on my mother’s side of the family there were the Hess brothers that lived in Germany.  They avoided military service by immigrating to the Americas, one settled down in Pittsburgh and the other landed in San Luis Potosí.  Blas worked his way up to sous chef at Hudson’s before moving his wife, Addie and their three babies to Lajitas to run the Ocotillo Restaurant that I helped to create and open in the area.  His next move was to Kerrville, where he can be found today.
No Hudson’s story is complete without mentioning Abel Garcia.  Abel came to Hudson’s 30 years ago and today I can proudly say that he is a member of our family.  For 30 years he kept Hudson’s well maintained and running all while building my house.  The man can do anything and everything!  He hurt his back while helping me build the Ocotillo Restaurant and he was given a workmen’s comp check and told to go home to rest his back.  He took this check to his home in the mountains of Mexico and now has a very successful avocado 🥑 business, three homes and a happy village that adores him and his family for all they have brought to their village.  And this is just part time stuff for him because he spends half of his year hanging out with me in Austin creating my wildest whimsical ideas.
Hudson’s success was achieved with the help of our many dedicated cooks from Mexico.  Along with their daily hard work, they also contributed to the Southwest thing we did with lots of great recipe ideas.  The recipe below is Mole that Blas’s mother cooked.  Mole is cooked for special occasions.  You can freeze it to make it easier the next time, but it’s so good you’ll want it weekly. I like it topping anything off the grill.
Like all recipes, read it before you cook it.

MOLE

Ingredients
1 cup celery (rough chop)
1/2 cup carrots (rough chop)
1 cup onion (rough chop)
8 cloves garlic
2 jalapeños (rough chop)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
1/2 cup chili powder
1 cup ancho purée (rehydrate ancho in water then purée in blender)
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup cumin
1 cup slivered almond (toasted)
1/2 cup sesame seed (toasted)
5 cups good chicken stock
1/2 cup Worcestershire
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
8 ounces chopped chocolate
2 bunches cilantro (rough chop)
2 tablespoons sea salt

Method
Add celery, carrots, onions, garlic, jalapeño to the food processor and spin until mashed together.
Sauté mashed veggies in very hot oil until light brown.
Add oregano, chili powder, ancho purée, tomato paste, cumin, almonds, sesame seeds and sauté for 10 minutes over medium high.
Add all to simmering chicken stock and Worcestershire.  Simmer for 10 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and chocolate and continue to stir until chocolate has dissolved.

Serve atop grilled chicken, pork etc.