What do you get when you bring together arrachera seasoned with a northern-style rub, a grilled rib eye, and a puff pastry dessert with guava? They are all part of a collaboration between Porfirio’s and SMP®, featuring four special creations available through December 31.
The selection explores different flavor profiles and cooking techniques. It includes beef, piquín chili sauces, traditional accompaniments, and a dessert featuring a rub developed specifically for sweet preparations. Each recipe has its own personality, but they all share one common element: the idea of exploring how seasoning can transform the way we experience an ingredient.
The Rub as a Starting Point
The flavor of a dish depends on more than just its main ingredient. Seasoning, cooking techniques, and accompaniments also play an important role in shaping the final result.
That is why SMP® rubs take center stage in this selection created in collaboration with Porfirio’s. SMP® Northern Rub accompanies dishes such as Frijoles con Veneno and Barbachera, while SMP® Pacific Rub is featured in the Rib Eye Cap. Meanwhile, SMP® Dessert Rub makes its way into a sweet creation.
This variety offers an opportunity to explore different combinations in a single visit, from dishes inspired by northern Mexican cuisine to a dessert that brings a different rhythm to the menu.
Two Ways to Bring Northern Mexican Flavors to the Table
Frijoles con Veneno and Pork Belly
Pinto beans provide the foundation for this preparation, which features pork stew seasoned with SMP® Northern Rub and 80 grams of crispy pork belly.
The combination brings together contrasting textures and layers of flavor. The beans provide a soft base, the pork stew adds depth, and the pork belly introduces a crispy contrast. The dish finds its character in the interplay of these elements while staying true to ingredients associated with traditional northern Mexican cuisine.
Barbachera
Barbachera puts arrachera, a traditional Mexican cut of beef, at the center of the experience with a 200-gram portion seasoned with SMP® Northern Rub.
It is served with northern-style piquín chili sauce, onion, cilantro, lime, corn tortillas, and flour tortillas. These accompaniments allow for different combinations, letting guests customize each tortilla to their taste, while the sauce adds a spicy counterpoint to the beef.
The inclusion of both corn and flour tortillas also gives the dish versatility. Each combination can vary depending on the proportions of beef, sauce, and toppings.
Although both dishes feature SMP® Northern Rub, each incorporates it in a different way. One builds on beans and pork stew, while the other puts arrachera front and center. This contrast is part of what makes exploring the entire selection so interesting.
Rib Eye Cap: A Dish Built Around the Grill
For those who prefer cuts of beef, the Rib Eye Cap features a 300-gram portion grilled with SMP® Pacific Rub.
The cut is served with French fries, Parmesan cheese, and a signature sauce made with piquín chili, lime, and roasted garlic. The sauce brings together distinct flavor profiles: the heat of the chili, the acidity of the lime, and the characteristic taste of roasted garlic.
The accompaniments complete the dish without taking the spotlight away from the rib eye. The beef remains the centerpiece, while the sauce and potatoes add contrasting elements that create a more layered experience.
In this creation, the collaboration comes to life through the grill and the role the rub plays in seasoning the beef.
Golden Puff Pastry Bites: When the Collaboration Reaches Dessert
A special selection does not have to end with the last savory dish. The Golden Puff Pastry Bites bring the collaboration between Porfirio’s and SMP® into the sweet course.
The dessert combines layers of puff pastry with diplomat cream and guava paste. Vanilla ice cream served alongside adds a cool, creamy contrast, while candied pecans introduce another layer of texture. SMP® Dessert Rub completes the recipe.
Guava lends a distinctive fruity character to the dessert, while the puff pastry creates a crisp contrast with the smooth cream. The combination of temperatures and textures allows each component to contribute to the final result.
This creation also expands the scope of the collaboration: the rubs are not limited to savory preparations but are also incorporated into a recipe designed to bring the meal to a sweet finish.
Four Dishes, Different Ways to Explore the Menu
The collaboration between Porfirio’s and SMP® offers more than one way to explore this special selection. Those looking for a dish featuring traditional ingredients can start with Frijoles con Veneno and Pork Belly. For an option centered on arrachera, Barbachera brings together beef, tortillas, and complementary toppings. The Rib Eye Cap puts the focus on grilling, while the Golden Puff Pastry Bites take the experience in a sweeter direction.
The four creations differ in their ingredients, techniques, and the way they incorporate SMP® rubs. Together, they offer a culinary journey that goes beyond a single style of dish.
Available at Porfirio’s Through December 31
The four dishes featured in this collaboration will be available through December 31, making them part of a limited-time selection.
From SMP® Northern Rub to SMP® Pacific Rub and SMP® Dessert Rub, each creation offers a different interpretation of the collaboration between the two brands.
An opportunity to discover all four creations, find a new favorite, and explore how an ingredient, a seasoning, or a cooking technique can transform the character of a dish.
