Gorditas Mexicanas Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the masa harina, salt and hot water. Gradually mix in the shortening and flour. If the dough seems dry, add a little more hot water. Form the dough into balls that will fit into the palm of your hand.
• Line a work surface with waxed paper or plastic. Sprinkle with water. Flatten balls on the wet surface until about 1/4 inch thick.
• Heat a griddle or comal over medium heat. Cook the gorditas on each side until they are cooked through.
• Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat until hot. Fry each gordita until puffed, pressing it down into the oil occasionally with a spatula. Drain briefly on paper towels, cut the tips off and stuff full of your favorite foods.

Steps:

• To make the chicharrón prensado, toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 2 minutes; they should be richly aromatic but not burned. Put in a blender with the garlic, onion, and 2 cups water, and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
• In a large pot combine the carnitas with pork skin and the salsa over low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the salsa is reduced enough to thickly coat the meat. You shouldn't need to add any salt here, as the carnitas should be well seasoned.
• Place all the ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth (some people prefer a coarse purée). Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, using a spoon to mash the avocados into the other ingredients. It's up to you how much to mash-I like mine pretty lumpy!
• To make the gordas, knead the masa with the lard or oil until it's fully incorporated (it's impossible to overwork masa since there's no gluten, and in fact it only improves in quality the more you work it). Separate the masa into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Place a ball between two sheets of plastic (cut from a plastic bag) and flatten to create a ½-inch-thick tortilla shape with a tortilla press or with this cookbook. Repeat for all the balls.
• Heat a griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add as many gordas as will comfortably fit in the skillet. Cook for about 20 minutes, flipping every 3 minutes or so. They should get golden brown on the outside, with some charred specks; reduce the heat if they brown too quickly. They're done when the inside is soft and fluffy, and the outside crisp and crunchy. (Gordas are best straight from the griddle, but can be kept in a 250ºF oven until ready to serve, if necessary.)
• Slice open the gordas three-fourths of the way around, then fill each pocket with about 2 tablespoons of the chicharrón prensado, then queso, onion, cilantro, salsa, guacamole, and lime to taste.

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add chicken, chicken bouillon, onion, and garlic. Cover and simmer until chicken is no longer pink the middle, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat a pancake grill to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix corn flour, 1 1/4 cups water, and salt together in a bowl until a smooth, moist dough is formed. Add more water if the dough seems too dry. Divide dough into 8 to 10 medium-sized balls and pat each into a 1/4-inch thick round.
• Cook dough rounds on the preheated grill until cooked on the outside, about 3 minutes per side. Pull the edges out while still hot, making a little indention in the center of each gordita.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Deep fry gorditas until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 5 minutes per gordita. Set aside on a wire cooling rack.
• Pour beans into a small saucepan and warm over medium heat.
• Drain chicken, reserving cooking liquid. Remove meat from the bones and transfer meat to a food processor. Add a few tablespoons of cooking liquid and chop to desired consistency.
• Spread a layer of warm beans on each gordita, then top with chopped chicken, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and cotija cheese. Finish with a dollop of sour cream.