By Flavor & The Menu
March 8, 2022

         

Walter Rivas is the innovation chef of On the Border Grill & Cantina, a casual-dining concept headquartered in Irving, Texas. The menu features Tex-Mex fare, including a number of modern takes on fan favorites, like the Spicy Chorizo Quesadilla with mixed cheese and spicy avocado ranch, served with fresh guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo and a side of spicy avocado ranch, and Birria Queso Tacos with beef barbacoa, Mexican cheese, onion and cilantro in crispy flour tortillas, served with hot consommé for dipping.

We asked Rivas to share a trifecta of ingredients that inspires him. He answered with a trio that invites passage to Central America: pineapple vinegar, yuca root and red radish. “I’ve gone with foods that are very familiar to me and my home country of El Salvador,” he says. “Yuca is versatile and easy to cook, and very tasty when fried. Pineapple vinegar is used primarily in making curtido, a Salvadoran version of pickled cabbage that often tops our pupusas. The vinegar is what gives the pickled cabbage that distinct yellow tint. And radishes are such a fun vegetable with great flavor range. They can be mild and crunchy, ideal for salads, but also spicy, which is great for adding heat to a stew.”

Rivas’ trifecta comes together in a dish that consists of pan-fried yuca, which has a mild, nutty flavor, tossed in sea salt and dried oregano, then layered over a bed of dressed arugula and topped with vegetables (sliced red radishes, julienned carrots, minced garlic and shredded cabbage) that are pickled in pineapple vinegar.

“This really does deliver a salty, savory and tangy flavor experience,” says Rivas. “When creating recipes, I like to use ingredients that are readily available, and play with flavors that alone may seem simple, but create something unique when combined.”