Similar to paella, discada is a dish which refers to what it is cooked in as opposed to what is cooked in it. The discada itself is the wheel of a mechanical plow which is used to til the ground before planting, belying the dish's firm grounding in agricultural communities.
It is an incredibly meaty concoction which will fill your belly whether out in the fields or just wanting something hearty at home. Keep reading this oneHOWTO recipe to learn how to make Mexican discada and pay attention to the tips to make sure it is made just right!
Before we get started on this feast of a dish, prepare the ingredients. Start with the pork leg by trimming it off the bone and cutting into chunks. Finely chop half of the onions, half of the tomatoes, the garlic and put into a food processor. Add the cumin, thyme (or marjoram) and a cup of water. Blend until you get a sauce of uniform consistency. If you don't have a food processor, you can bash the ingredients up until you get a similar sauce.
You can roughly chop the rest of the onions and tomatoes at this point also.
As the Mexican discada is large and relatively deep you should try to find the nearest approximation in your house such as a large wok. Put in the oil and heat on a medium low setting. Chop the bacon and add to the oil. This will help release some fat into the pan, infusing the flavor and helping it to cook well. Follow it with the meat from the pork leg and the ground beef.
When the ground beef is half done you will probably notice it start to stick at the bottom. To help stop sticking, you can add your two cans of beer. If you don't want to add alcohol to your dish then cans of cola will also work to create a broth. Add the roughly chopped tomato and onion and the Vienna sausage, chorizo and smoked ham (cut into chunks), followed by the blended sauce you used earlier. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
This discada should be served with corn tortillas or provolone cheese taco shells, depending on preference, and can be topped with sour cream or guacamole. If you want to make it a little spicier, feel free to use a guajillo chile chopped into the mix or even a splash of hot sauce.
We also encourage you to watch the video below on how to make a discada norteña.
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