>> Pati Narrates: You might be looking at the tastiest breakfast in the whole world.

A meal at La Cocina de Doña Esthela is an experience in pure satisfaction.

Burritos, machaca, pancakes, carnitas - Doña Esthela's recipes became so popular that she had to turn her house into a restaurant to accommodate all her hungry customers.

This is a must stop on the incredible Baja food journey.

Doña Esthela - ooh, ooh!

In my kitchen, a Baja inspired breakfast for my boys.

We love breakfast so much here at home.

Hearty Border Pintos with bacon, poblanos and chorizo.

Sweet Dulce de Leche Caramel and Ricotta Pancakes, and one of the classics Guajillo Migas.

They're even better than what I remember!

>> I love it.

>> Mmm.

♪ ♪ >> Pati's Mexican Table is made possible by: ♪ epic music plays ♪ >> La Costeña.

Taste that transcends.

More information at: mexicorico.com Over 40 years, bringing authentic Latin American flavors to your table.

Tropical Cheese.

>> Coronado Dulce de Leche Caramel, proud to support Pati's Mexican Table.

♪ Avocados from Mexico >> The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Mexbest.

>> We love breakfast so much here at home, and I think it really is my favorite meal.

Today I'm gonna make a Baja inspired breakfast, and I'm gonna start with Border Pintos or Frijoles Fronterizos.

You know I'm in love with so many words, and I think "frontera" is one of my favorite words because it implies so many things.

I'll add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Frontera doesn't only mean where something ends or something different begins, but frontera also implies that there's a lot of possibilities.

So in that respect, in this house we do eat a lot of beans.

We love them so much, but this is like a new frontier for me because it's a different way of making my beloved beans.

So I have 1/2 a pound of Mexican style chorizo.

Before I go wash my hands, I still have to chop some bacon, and I'm gonna cut it into chunks, not too small 'cause I wanna bite into the bacon.

On the weekend I really get in the kitchen and play with breakfast because we wake up late, we try not to do too many activities, and I just take my time to prepare a delicious breakfast, and then we eat only 2 meals a day.

A huge breakfast around 11AM or 12PM, and then we just do dinner if you were wondering what we do on weekends at home (laughs) When you're frying the chorizo, you want to continue to break it apart.

It already smells delicious.

The next thing I'll add in, once the bacon browns, is poblano chiles.

Poblano chiles are so magical in that you can use them in so many ways, and they add so much to your dish.

I roasted 2 raw poblano chiles under the broiler, put them in a plastic bag so they will sweat, and then you just peel the skin, remove the seeds, and then I cut them into strips.

What happens is that the flavor really transforms from the raw poblano to the roasted poblano I'm going to dice 1 tomato and keep the seeds 'cause we want the flavor of the seeds, and we also want the juices.

This is screaming "amazing breakfast!"

It's just so meaty, you have your breakfast meats, the chorizo, the bacon, a lot of the flavor from the poblano chile.

You have the tomatoes that are starting to soften, and they're not softening just anywhere, they're softening inside of the chorizo and bacon fat.

That's a good thing.

Then I'm going to add pinto beans.

These beans were cooked here for an hour.

I just grabbed 1 pound of dry pinto beans, rinsed them, did not pre-soak them, and then just drop them in the pot, cover them with a generous amount of water, added a piece of onion and brought them to a simmer, cooked them for over an hour just until they were nice and soft just like these.

When you put them between your fingers, they come apart.

Mmm I love beans!

They're so giving, so earthy, so filling!

This is a homestyle recipe from the Baja peninsula.

Now you know the Baja peninsula is divided into 2 states: you have Baja North and Baja South, well these beans come from North Baja.

Pinto beans are king in the North, so just like the flour tortillas rule in the North and corn tortillas rule in the South, people have a preference for pinto beans in the North.

I'm just gonna pour the rest of the broth.

Mexicans love the cooking broth of beans so much that we sometimes will make rice and cook it, instead of with chicken or vegetable broth, with the bean broth, and they're delicious.

They look so pretty!

Come see how pretty this looks.

We wanna cook it further 'cause we do want it to be a bit soupy, but we want it to be a lot thicker, so we'll let these cook down another 6 - 7 minutes.

>> Pati: It has been called "the ultimate road trip", Mexico's Baja Peninsula.

Over 1000 miles of open highway stretching from the Northern border with California to the Southern tip in Los Cabos.

Breathtaking views and incredible food all along the way.

One of Baja's best food destinations is just an hour South of the border in the heart of Valle de Guadalupe, Baja's wine country, home to some of the best wine in all of Mexico.

But to hit this destination, you gotta get on the road early.

It's not wine time yet.

I'm here for one of the best breakfasts in the whole world.

Hola!

>> (Pati laughs) >> Pati: I've come to La Cocina de Doña Esthela, where the food is just as inviting as Doña Esthela herself.

Esthela is like the queen of the valley.

>> Pati: Doña Esthela wakes at 2AM or 3AM to cook breakfast... for you!

Pancakes, eggs, burritos, handmade flour tortillas, cafe de olla and salsas!

Ahh!

This dish is what Doña Esthela is known for, it translates to something like "charred lamb", but it's marinated in adobo.

>> Mmm, mmm!

Pati: Esthela's dish is marinated lamb slow cooked in the fire pit, then seasoned and grilled to perfection.

Oh, I love the crispy meats.

Pati: And when the queen serves it on a warm tortilla with onions, cilantro and lime juice, you are in heaven.

>> Mmm.

Mmm!

>> Pati: When you come to La Cocina de Doña Esthela, she makes you feel right at home, and that's because you are in her home!

>> Pati: But when she moved to Valle de Guadalupe from Sinaloa, she never thought of owning a restaurant.

>> Pati: Without cattle to make cheese, Doña Esthela got creative.

She started making burritos with whatever vegetables she could grow.

>> Pati: The burritos were so popular that word spread, and people started coming from all over the valley.

Now she needed room for people to eat, and before she knew it, she had a restaurant.

Some of those first burrito customers actually helped her build tables and chairs.

>> Pati: Outside, Doña Esthela's backyard is still the main source for most of the ingredients in her restaurant.

Oh yes, fresh rosemary!

Pati: Now everyone in the valley knows when you come to Doña Esthela's, you come hungry.

So that's exactly what I did!

And there's one thing I've been dying to try here, her famous Machaca.

For people that don't know what machaca is, it means nothing but mashed, and it's beef laid down to rest under the sun until it really dries and toasts.

So this is what it looks like.

>> Uh-huh.

>> A little oil >> Uh-huh.

>> So she's combining white and red onion, so it's shredding even a little bit more.

Pati: The machaca is served with or without eggs.

Of course, I love eggs!

>> Mmm!

>> It's a machaca burrito - no, no, no!

Burro.

Mmm.

Mmm!

Imagine a really delicious jerky that has been softened as it cooks, but also crisped.

It has the melted cheese all over the place, and with these really good tortillas.

(rooster crows) >> That breakfast at Doña Esthela's was so incredibly delicious.

There was so much food, there was something savory, there was coffee, there was something sweet.

I always like to have something sweet when I make a big breakfast, and right now I'm gonna make Dulce de Leche Caramel Ricotta Pancakes.

So I'm gonna start with 1 cup of ricotta cheese, and then I'm gonna combine this with 1 cup of dulce de leche caramel.

I want these pancakes to be caramel-y, I want them to be fluffy, and I want them to be just puffy and very smooth.

You can already tell this is a good combination because you have the very soft, mild cheese which has barely a hint of acidity, and then you have the very rich, complex flavor of caramel.

These dulce de leche caramel pancakes are another combination of Mexico and America because pancakes are just so American to Mexicans, even though we eat them a lot, it's like when we're eating pancakes, we're eating a little piece of that American dream.

Gonna crack 3 eggs.

I have here 1 cup of flour, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda.

I like mixing the baking powder and baking soda because it makes a double fluff.

Then a pinch of salt.

And yes, you can have all that.

When you make a batter of any kind, it's a really good idea to let the batter sit for a little 'cause they rise better.

When I was growing up, we used to go out and get pancakes at American style coffee shops.

So there was one that was actually right under the movie theater which played Hollywood and American blockbuster films that had the American style pancakes for breakfast, and all the American pies and milkshakes, and they used to have the big pancakes and the little dollar pancakes.

So you know what we used to do?

We used to drizzle a lot of dulce de leche caramel on top, and then confectionary sugar.

Then one last thing to add a little brightness to this dulce de leche caramel ricotta batter.

I'm gonna add the zest of 1/2 a lime.

This will add a little brightness to the taste because everything in here is soft and sweet and caramel-y, and this will just add a hint of acidity to brighten it up and cut across.

I'm gonna use 1/2 the zest of the lime to make banana and raspberry fruit topping, and then I'm gonna squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime into the batter, and the other 1/2 into the fruit topping.

You know what's great about adding both the zest and the lime juice to both the batter and fruit topping?

When we put the fruit over the pancakes, they're gonna marry together.

There will be this element that connects them.

So now I have my zest and lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

These bananas are large so I think I'll go with one.

I'm gonna go with two, I changed my mind 'cause I love bananas.

So Juju loves bananas just like me.

We're gonna find out how much Sammy likes bananas, but I can tell you Alan hates bananas, and it kills me because he used to eat so many bananas as a little boy, and then one day he stopped and said "I hate bananas", and he hasn't eaten bananas since then.

So I'm gonna add also a cup of raspberries.

You're just gonna toss.

Mmm!

Come take a look 'cause I want you to see what happens when the batter rests.

See?

It fluffs and puffs more than before, and it is just ready to be ladled here.

We really want the heat at low-medium heat.

It's a great batter, but it's a little delicate in that you don't want it to burn.

When to flip the pancake?

When you see bubbles all over the surface of the pancake, and when you see that the edges have more definition and have begun to brown and crisp a little.

So we have to be patient, just stay put, and then when they're puffy you take them out.

It's usually less on the second side than the first side.

I know my boys are hungry 'cause it's already late, so I'm just gonna make a bunch of these.

You've heard the word "migas", I'm gonna show you one of my favorite takes on migas, and this is called "dance with your wife" in Spanish, and I love the name even more!

You know these really well by now, and you know this chile is called a guajillo chile!

I have 3 guajillo chiles that I stemmed, seeded.

I'm gonna put the chiles in the sauce pan, I'm gonna drop in 2 peeled garlic cloves, and I'll add 3/4 pounds of ripe roma tomatoes, which is about 3.

I'm going to cover them with water.

This is such a basic technique of Mexican cooking, and so many sauces and salsas, stews and soups.

It's gonna cook here over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.

I have about 1 inch of oil heating over medium heat.

I have a dozen corn tortillas, and you can cut your tortillas in any shape you want, most people do triangles, but I find for migas, or a dish that has scrambled eggs and sauce in them, I like the pieces to be a little more friendly and bite-sized.

So I'm gonna cut them in very uneven rectangles.

Migas are a dish famous for being loved the day after.

You go partying or out really late, they're a messy, delicious concoction that has the fried tortilla, some scrambled eggs.

This name of "dance with your wife" is sort of an ironic way of saying you got into trouble with your wife, and you have to fix it, so dance with your wife, and eat your migas.

That temperature is perfect.

So I'm gonna go ahead and add them in batches.

This goes so fast, it's so easy to make your tortilla chips at home, it really takes 1 minute, and you want to stop before you think the tortilla chips are ready because they continue to brown after you take them out, so if you think they're beginning to brown, that's when you take them out.

Don't wait to take them out until they're a deep brown because when you take 'em out they'll be a bit burnt.

As they drain on this plate covered with paper towel, I'm gonna sprinkle a little salt because this is when they can absorb the salt.

(chip crunches) >> Mmm, mmm, mmm.

This is the proper definition of a mushy tomato.

So everything I just cooked goes into the blender.

The tomatoes, garlic, chiles and a teaspoon of salt, and 1.5 cups of cilantro, and I'm adding the leaves and stems 'cause the stems are packed with flavor.

I'm gonna puree this until completely smooth.

(blender whirs) >> Mmm - it smells like migas.

Mmm!

It has that packed cilantro flavor with the cooked guajillo, it's delicious.

While my pan heats up with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, I'm gonna whisk 5 eggs to scramble for my migas.

I'm gonna add all the tortilla chips we just fried.

>> Juju: Hola.

>> Hola!

>> Hi ma.

>> You guys are gonna love this!

>> What are you making?

>> I'm gonna make migas, and I'm adding some eggs.

This is gonna shock you.

Like this.

>> Wow.

>> Sammy, let's pour that sauce in here.

>> Just like, around?

>> Just go wherever you want, it's gonna be a mess anyway.

Is that beautiful?

So we're gonna garnish with scallions and cilantro.

Is this ripe?

>> Yeah, it's mushy.

>> (Pati laughs) And these are the Border Pintos, you guys are gonna love these.

Juju, any preference?

Okay, so here's - you can see, oh!

>> That looks so good.

>> These Border Pintos have chorizo and bacon, and poblano chiles.

Mmm!

They're even better than what I remember.

>> I feel like they go really well together.

>> What do you think of the sauce of the "dance with your wife"?

>> I love it.

>> Mmm!

>> Mmm.

>> What's the difference between the "dance with your wife", and the regular migas?

>> The sauce, which is this very simple but super flavorful guajillo salsa, and the garnishes.

>> There's a little bit, like (Spanish word), but even more.

>> (Pati laughs) >> I hope you guys saved a little room.

These are Dulce de Leche Caramel Ricotta Pancakes.

>> That's good.

>> And I'm gonna give you some of this fruit.

>> Mmm!

These are really good.

>> They taste good with the fruit that's a little sour.

>> Like the strong aftertaste of Dulce de Leche.

>> Mhmm!

When I went to the Baja peninsula I found mostly new things, so I wanted to bring you guys some of that.

>> We should have these, like, every day - every weekend at least.

>> So cheers to more new dishes?

>> Yeah.

>> Cheers to you guys, so you can keep eating them with me.

>> Pati: For recipes and information from this episode and more, visit patijinich.com, and connect!

Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @PatiJinich.

>> Pati's Mexican Table is made possible by: ♪ epic music plays ♪ >> La Costeña.

Taste that transcends.

More information at: mexicorico.com A tradition of authentic Latin flavors and family recipes.

Tropical Cheese.

>> Coronado Dulce de Leche Caramel, proud to support Pati's Mexican Table.

♪ Avocados from Mexico >> The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Mexbest.

Proud to support Pati's Mexican Table on public television.