Cooking Latino

(FILLING, RELISH, DOUGH)

PORK FILLING

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean pork

1 tablespoons vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1 cube or pack chicken bouillon

1 pack Sazon Goya with Achiote

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cover the meat with water. Add the vinegar, garlic, chicken boouillon, and Sazon with Achiote. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to mid low, and simmer until meat is fork tender, about 30 minutes.

Shred the meat with your fingers or two forks, and mix the cheeses in.

CURTIDO- Pickled Cabbage Relish

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage, shredded

2 big carrots, shredded

3 jalapenos, minced

4 cups hot water

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbs. dried oregano

1 tbs. salt

Put the cabbage, carrots, and jalapenos in a large bowl and add the hot water to make the vegetables tenderize a little. Stir around for a couple of minutes and drain. Season the vegetables with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Transfer to a plastic container or glass jar with a secured lid. Refrigerate for up to a month.

Notes: Try to prepare the curtido at least a day before you prepare the pupusas for all the flavors to marry. The jalapenos can be minced with or without the seeds. Leaving the seeds in gives it more heat. If you don’t have jalapenos, you con season with 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes.

SALSA for the pupusas

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. can whole tomatoes

2 jalapenos

2 tablespoons oil

Salt

Blend the tomatoes and the jalapenos in a blender.

In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the tomato mix. Season with salt and simmer for 5 minutes,

PUPUSA DOUGH (MASA)

6 cups Maseca flour

5 cups water, approximately

Salt

1 pack Goya- Powdered Chicken Bouillon

In a large bowl, season the flour with the salt and chicken bouillon and mix well.

Pour water one cup at a time, and with your hands incorporate it with the flour.

Knead with both hands until the masa is smooth but not too wet. Add more water if necessary.

Wash and dry your hands. Pour some vegetable oil on a small plate and wet your hands with it. This will prevent the masa from sticking to your hands.  

Take some masa in your hands and make a ball about two inches in diameter.

Press the ball into 5-inch diameter disc using the palm of your hands in a clapping motion.
Close your hands to create a pocket or cavity and place about 1 rounded tablespoon filling on the center of the tortilla. Close the cavity with the edges of the tortilla and flatten again using the palm of your hands.

Once you have three or four pupusas done, preheat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Brush with oil.

Place the pupusas on the preheated griddle and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining masa and filling.

Serve hot on a plate with the curtido and salsa on the side.

Notes: Pupusas freeze pretty well. Just cook them, let them cool, place them on a tray, and put in the freezer. When they get hard freeze them again in a Ziploc bag. When you are ready to eat them, microwave for a couple of minutes. They will taste like you just prepared them.