Only thing hotter than jalapeño is Ninfa’s Padilla
Chef Alex Padilla is on fire — hotter than one of his blistered chile toreados.
The executive chef at the Original Ninfa’s on Navigation has been enjoying a flurry of media attention that has shone a spotlight both on Padilla’s kitchen skills and one of Houston’s most iconic restaurants.
Padilla’s recent winning streak began when he appeared for two days in February on ABC’s “The Chew” in a segment called “the Best Chef on the Block.” He competed against chefs from Seattle, Los Angeles; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; and Atlanta, advancing from the first round with a fajita burger and winning with a grilled rib-eye bruschetta. He won $1,000 (which he plans to donate to a charity in support of children with cancer) and another appearance on the show to make a signature recipe with hosts Michael Symon, Carla Hall and Clinton Kelly.
Next came filming for an episode of Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise” and taping for a planned segment for BuzzFeed. Padilla also has been invited to cook at a SXSW showcase tent Sunday in Austin.
Executive chef at Ninfa’s since 2006, Padilla, a native of Honduras, learned to cook from his mother, Maria, a line cook at Ninfa’s in the 1980s. Before Ninfa’s, Padilla spent 18 years working with James Beard Award-winning chef Nancy Oakes at her esteemed Boulevard in San Francisco.
Padilla shared two recipes with us, including his winning fajita burger that he made live on “The Chew.”
Fajita Burger
Courtesy of Alex Padilla, the Original Ninfa’s on Navigation
Makes 10 half-pound burgers (recipe can be halved)
5 pounds ground fajita skirt steak
2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
4 medium eggs
2⁄3 cup bread crumbs Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste
10 slices Oaxacan cheese (or your favorite cheese)
10 challah bread buns
5 ounces garlic butter 5 whole poblano peppers, grilled and sliced into strips
20 slices red onion, grilled
10 tablespoons chipotle mayonnaise
Instructions: Combine ground beef with flour, eggs and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Form into 10 patties.
Cook on a flat grill set to 375 degrees until medium-rare or medium, about 8 minutes each side. Place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt.
In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, melt the garlic butter and add the peppers and onions that have been grilled. Sauté until they are tender.
Toast buns on grill, then spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on the bottom half of the bun. Place the grilled patty on the bun and top it with sautéed onions and peppers. Repeat for each burger.
Garnish plate with pickled carrots, sliced avocado and serve with baked potato wedges.
Red Snapper al Chile Ajo Borracho Makes 6 servings
2 pounds red snapper
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups button mushrooms, quartered
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 whole dried chile de arbol pods, cut in half lengthwise
½ teaspoon kosher salt Pinch ground black pepper
3 ounces silver tequila
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Clean fish and remove scales. Place the fish in a large container with 2 quarts water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Let soak for 20 minutes. Score lines into each side of fish, rinse under running water and pat dry using paper towels.
In a large roasting pan, drizzle fish with olive oil on both sides. Place pan in oven and bake for 10 minutes on each side.
While fish is baking, make sauce. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add mushrooms, garlic, chile de arbol and salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes until it becomes fragrant and then add the tequila and citrus juices. Mix well. Allow the sauce to reduce and cook off alcohol, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in butter.
Remove fish from the oven and place on a large serving dish. Pour the sauce with all the ingredients over fish. Serve immediately.