We looked and looked for “higher welfare chicken” for this blog recipe. Oh, how we love the Brits and their expressions! And, after finishing a few test recipes, Andy was busily scrubbing the dirty roasting pan when lights flashed. Scrubbies! Read Andy’s Corner for more. And Annatto seeds are a pain to find and grind up to use in a Mexican rub. But you don’t need to do that. Use achiote paste; delicious, easy, and available.
It all began about 5 years ago. Our SF Familia, Joe & Sara, were talking about their love of El Pollo Loco, back in its good old early days, the 1980s. Andy and I recalled the mandatory visits we’d make to the one in Chino, CA every time we visited Andy’s folks. We’d pick up a spit-roasted chicken, delicious pinto beans, and slaw, bring it back to the house and 3 generations were all well-fed and content.
So we couldn’t have been more pleased to hear that Joe & Sara were thinking of doing an updated version of that concept in SF. But we were perplexed by the name they chose: MF Chicken. I assumed “Mexican Fighting Chicken,” thus tying the name into their Mexican-themed restaurant, Tacolicious. We do, after all, have a family history of fighting chickens (see the photo below of Andy’s dad, circa 1935, Norco, CA). I even went so far as to buy 2 lovely little wire Mexican-made fighting chickens – one for J&S and one for us – to commemorate the name (see photo above).
Andy, who always sees things in a happier light than I do, thought MF Chicken meant “Mom’s Finest Chicken.” Or maybe “My Favorite Chicken.”
Long story short: MF Chicken, whatever that means, is finally coming to fruition, but as a delivery-based option for you lucky SF-ers, not a restaurant.
Because the recipe for MF Chicken is known only to a few special souls, plus includes brining, a dry rub, and a rotisserie, I decided to make my own version of a Mexican achiote-based roasted chicken, since there’s no spit-roaster in our house – and probably not in yours either. And I wanted it to be really really simple. Continue reading