Football Sunday – Snack Time!

Snacking while watching a Sunday game is a little bit of a sport on itself, and Mexicans enjoy all sorts of foodstuffs while cheering for their favourite teams during a good football match.  This is true not only for soccer (Association football), but, as I mentioned in my post about the Super Bowl last year, also for American football, which is very popular in Mexico, both as a sport to play at all levels (including professionally), and to watch on TV.  This year, I also have a list with some of my snack time favourites:

Carnitas 

(Click here for my Pan Fried Carnitas recipe and detailed instructions)

I found a beautiful cut of pork shoulder picnic roast at the supermarket; in the photo below, the roast and a cross-section showing the layers of skin, fat and meat, some marbled and some lean:

This combination is the perfect balance for chunks of the roast to be first slow cooked in a little bit of water (photo below, left), then browned as the water evaporates and the fat in the tissues starts to be rendered (photo below, right):

Served piping hot and crispy, they are the central item of my spread with warm corn tortillas, pork rinds, and a selection of hot peppers and salsa:

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Papitas Fritas con Chile

Potato chips (a.k.a. potato crisps, or papitas fritas) are a very popular street food in Mexico, where stands display large bags of these and other crispy treats, and sell them doused with lime juice and hot sauce:

At home, I like adding a bottle of Mexican hot sauce and lime wedges to the classic Super Bowl spread of potato chip, chicken wing and veggies:

Sprinkling lime juice and hot sauce over everything on the plate gives it an instant Mexican twist:

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Salchichas Coctel Picositas con Limón 

While shopping for supplies for this Super Bowl meal, I also spotted cocktail sausages, and that immediately made me think of a snack of Spicy Cocktail Sausages with Lime that was very popular in Mexico when I was a kid:

It might look and sound a little strange, but the combination of flavours tastes delicious.  Start with a package of fully cooked cocktail sausages, some limes, chopped hot green peppers (such as serrano or jalapeño), and a couple of scallions (green onions):

In a non-reactive bowl, arrange layers of sausages, peppers and sliced scallions, sprinkling with a generous amount of lime juice:

Cover the bowl and let rest in the fridge for several hours (or up to a couple of days):

Shaking the container a few times now and then, helps distribute the flavours.  If cocktail sausages are not available, fully-cooked regular wieners may be sliced; the smaller the pieces, the more flavourful (and hotter) they will get as they soak in the juice with the veggies.

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Totopos y Tazón de Pico de Gallo con Banderillas de Queso y Aguacate

I saw tortilla chips and a bowl of pico de gallo sauce topped with large chunks of panela cheese and avocado at a restaurant in Mexico:

I though of serving the same ensemble at home with my homemade pico de gallo sauce, copying the aesthetics of that bowl, but with more manageable bite-size chunks of avocado and unripened cheese, on small skewers:

The photo at the top of this post features my Spicy Cocktail Sausages with Lime and the platter above, of Tortilla Chips and Pico de Gallo Bowl with Cheese and Avocado Skewers.

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San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs are the contenders for Super Bowl LIV (Sunday, February 2, 2020.)  Which team are you rooting for?  If the 49ers win this match, they would obtain their sixth Lombardi trophy, increasing their prestige to another level by matching the record of most Super Bowl wins (with New England and Pittsburgh).  On the other hand, the chiefs won their only Super Bowl title in 1970, so winning this year would be a sweet way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of such a momentous event.  I neither have vile feelings nor a fandom for one or the other, so I will cheer for both while enjoying my Football Sunday snack time.

UPDATE (Super Bowl LV February 7, 2021):  Super Bowl LIV Final Score was Kansas City 31 – San Francisco 20.  Today, the contenders are Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Fun fact: The 49ers participated in the first ever regular-season NFL game played outside the United States, which took place in Mexico City in 2005 (Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers, final score 31-14).

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I am bringing my recipe to Thursday Favourite Things #424 with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Pam @ An Artful Mom, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, Theresa @ Shoestring Elegance and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.

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I am contributing to Full Plate Thursday # 469 with Miz Helen @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.

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I am joining Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop #362 with co-hosts Beverly @ Eclectic Red Barn, Penny @ Penny’s Passion, Sinea @ Ducks in a Row, Tammy @ My Life Abundant, Jennifer @ Engineer Mommy, Cindy @ Simple Steps for Living Life, Ahna @ Hammers ‘n Hugs, Tara @ Stilettos and Shiplap, Brittany @ The Snyder Family, Emily @ Le Cultivateur, and Angela @ The Short Order Cook.

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I am also bringing my snacks to Fiesta Friday #313 hosted by Angie @ Fiesta Friday.

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I am sharing my recipes at What’s for Dinner? Sunday Link-Up # 238 and What’s for Dinner? Sunday Link-Up #301 with Helen @ The Lazy Gastronome.