I was a “professional” cook in the military, well I was also called a stewburner but that’s another point all together...
Anyway we learned about spicing, we learned about following recipes, and we learned the authenticity of different cuisine. And it was told to us that spicing in many countries not only Mexico or Central America was done to flavor meats of questionable origin and freshness.
I can see the need for spicing Meats of questionable origin or freshness because if you’ve ever been to an open-air Market in a third world country you will see things like rack of dog ribs covered with flies on a meat hook behind glass with the ambient temperature of about 90 + degrees Fahrenheit. Or whole chickens hanging up by the neck and probably had been out on display untold hours.
Spice it...
Thats true. My mother was a chef and worked for a chef of some small fame and that is always what they said too. Peppers are there to cover up poor technique and tainted ingredients.
Makes my mouth water. Nice explanation lol.
In 1961, on a Navy Med cruise, we often saw skinned dogs, cats and bald chickens hanging in butcher shop windows. That was in Naples and just South of Athens... in the Summer.
We refrained from eating meals ashore and instead limited ourselves to alcoholic beverages. We survived.