Tinga de Pollo or Chicken Tinga

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Tinga de Pollo or Chicken Tinga is a recipe for stewed chicken that is primarily used for chalupas, but is also delicious in tacos, salads, enchiladas or stuffing chiles.  All I can say is that however you choose to use it, it makes for a wonderfully tasty dish.  Like I have said before, I like versatility and this simple recipe has it - especially if you like Mexican food and I do.  Don't be deterred by the chipotle chiles because after cooking the heat is milder than you would think and the flavor is amazing.  I love some heat so I tend toward spicy and have added extra chipotle or cayenne to take it up a notch.

The literal translation for Tinga de Pollo is "scolding of the chicken" or the "quarrel of the chicken".  Of course, that explains everything doesn't it.  Literal translations are a very interesting part of understanding another language, that is, how a culture words something and their intended meaning. It does make sense though when you look up the culinary meaning of Tinga.  Tinga is a Mexican culinary term that implies torn or pieces of meat.  In the case of Tinga de Pollo, it is shredded chicken stewed in a tomato based, somewhat spicy sauce.  This is a very common technique for preparing meats for chalupas, tacos, enchiladas and other Mexican dishes.