Organic, regional ingredients are a driving passion for chef Steve McHugh. His new restaurant, Cured, in San Antonio, Texas, celebrates the finest local and handcrafted cured foods. With the city’s deep roots in Mexican and Tex‑Mex cuisine, San Antonio provides the ideal setting for McHugh’s yearlong exploration of food traditions and his effort to craft a historically informed menu that embraces contemporary techniques and flavors.
© Rich Cortez, Cured
Housed in a carefully restored 1904 building, Cured offers a warm, historic atmosphere that complements the menu’s focus on provenance and technique. Dishes reflect both tradition and innovation: a Red Wattle Pork Chop arrives paired with capirotada, a savory-sweet Mexican bread pudding flavored with clove, dates, raisins and Mexican cinnamon. Bison tartare is finished with a cured farm egg yolk and served alongside brioche and huitlacoche, the distinctive corn fungus often likened to a Mexican truffle. For dessert, a mesquite cake is presented with kumquats, horchata anglaise, fig, raspberry, blueberry and shards of honeycomb, highlighting seasonal produce and thoughtful pairings.
Throughout the menu, cured meats and locally sourced ingredients take center stage, reflecting McHugh’s commitment to regional producers and time-honored preservation methods. The restaurant’s approach blends historical research with contemporary culinary perspective, offering diners a chance to taste dishes rooted in place and history yet refreshed by modern technique. Whether you’re drawn to traditional flavors, artisanal charcuterie, or inventive desserts, Cured presents a carefully considered dining experience that honors San Antonio’s culinary heritage.