Salvadorian Pupusas Recipes

Steps:

• Make the curtido: In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, onion, and carrots. Pour the boiling water over the vegetables and toss. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain.
• In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the vinegar, oregano, and salt. Pour over the slaw and toss to coat. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer the curtido any any leftover liquid in the bowl to an airtight jar or container.
• Chill for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator, or chill overnight for best results.
• Make the chicharrón: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork shoulder and salt. Cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. If the pork is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Turn the pork over and let cook on the other side for 10 minutes more, or until crispy and golden brown.
• Transfer the pork to a food processor and add the tomato, green bell pepper, and onion. Pulse until a thick paste forms. The mixture should not be watery. Set aside.
• Make the pupusa dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina and salt, then add the water. Use your hands to mix until the dough comes together with a clay-like texture.
• Fill a small bowl with water and a bit of oil and set near your work station. You'll wet your fingers with the mixture as you work to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
• Take a golf ball-sized portion of dough and roll into a ball, then flatten into an even round.
• Fill the dough round with ½ tablespoon chicharrón paste, 1 teaspoon refried beans, and 1 teaspoon mozzarella cheese. Fold the dough over the filling until it's completely sealed. Then, pat out the ball between your hands until flat. If the pupusa cracks, patch it with a bit of dough and a little oil. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Heat a large pan or griddle over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil, then place 2-3 pupusas on the pan and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side for 2-4 minutes more, until golden brown and warmed through. Repeat with the remaining pupusas.
• Serve the pupusas with curtido.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• The Beans:.
• Heat the corn oil in a large soup pan on medium high heat. Once the oil is heated fry the onion until golden brown.
• While the onions are cooking, place half of the beans and 1/2 cup of the reserved bean liquid in a blender and blend for 1 minute.
• Once the onion is golden in color, about 4 minutes take the onion out with a slotted spoon.
• Carefully stir the beans from the blender into the hot oil. Turn your heat down to medium low.
• Next add the onion and the rest of the beans and reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid into the blender and liquefy for a minute. Add the beans to the rest of the mixture that is already cooking.
• Carefully stir the beans until no oil appears in the beans, about 3 minutes. Cook on medium stirring about every 5 minutes until the beans have darkened about 3 shades and are the consistency of refried beans in a can.
• The Cheese:.
• Place the shredded mozzarella, lorocco, and bell pepper in a food processor and process until the bell peppers and lorocco are chopped into tiny pieces and fully incorporated into the cheese.
• Next, place the cheese mixture into a plastic bowl and warm the mix in the microwave for no more than 20 seconds.
• Next -- and yes this sounds gross, squeeze the cheese mixture with your hands until it becomes like a soft putty consistency.
• Set the cheese aside and get ready for the masa.
• The Masa:.
• Place the masa mix and water in a bowl and stir until fully mixed. The masa should be very sticky but should form an easy ball when rolled. If not, add water until it is sticky but easy to work with.
• Next, Place an egg size ball of masa in your hand (it helps to place a tiny bit of oil on your hands before doing this) and press the masa out in one hand to represent a small plate the size of your palm.
• Place about a tablespoon of cheese down onto the masa, then a tsp of beans. Pull the sides of the masa up around the beans and cheese and roll it into a ball. Next, flatten it a tiny bit with your palms to form a thick disc. Pat the disc turning it between your hands about 6 times to flatten it more but to keep it in a round shape.
• The pupusa should be a little less than 1/2 inch thick.
• Place the pupusa on a large oiled non stick surface and cook on medium high until each side is golden brown, around 3 minutes on each side.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Combine tomato sauce, water, cilantro, green bell pepper, onion, crushed garlic, bouillon cube, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Let salsa roja cool for 10 minutes.
• Fill a blender halfway with the salsa roja. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a bowl. Repeat with remaining salsa roja. Return to saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes more stirring occasionally. Allow to cool completely, about 1 hour, and refrigerate.
• Place cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Add 4 cups boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well. Mix in vinegar, scallions, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Chill curtido until serving.
• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until almost fully cooked and not yet crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer bacon and grease (if desired) to a food processor. Add tomatoes, quartered green bell pepper, Monterey Jack cheese, and minced garlic. Puree and season the chicharron with salt.
• Mix masa harina and 1/2 cup water together in a bowl by hand. Add the remaining water slowly, about 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition, until dough is moist but still firm. Cover with a wet towel.
• Heat 1/2 cup oil a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Take a golf ball-sized piece of dough and roll into a ball in your hands. Make a hole in the dough ball with your thumb; put a small amount of chicharron inside the hole, close it up, and flatten the ball with your hands into a thick tortilla shape. Place pupusa in the skillet and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining dough and chicharron.
• Serve each pupusa topped with 2 tablespoons of curtido and 1 tablespoon of salsa roja.

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine refried beans and cheese. Set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine 2 cups Masa with 1 ¼ cups water and ¼ tsp salt, mixing thoroughly until it is a soft dough (this dough dries out fast- hence the divided measurements. But if it starts to dry out while you are still working, you can add a touch more water as needed). Pinch a bit of dough off and roll it into a ball about 2 inches in diameter (about the size of a golf ball). Using your thumb, push down on the ball to make more of a "bowl".
• Place a spoonful of the bean and cheese mixture into the "bowl". Pinch off and flatten a bit more dough to cover the bowl with. Carefully flatten the filled ball to make a disc, making an effort to make it as thinly as possible- about ½ inch thick. This takes a lot of practice!
• Pour ¼ cup of oil into a nonstick skillet and place as many pupusas as will fit, and cook over medium / medium- high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden and browned. Repeat with the next batch, adding more oil if necessary. When the masa dough has run out, make another fresh batch and repeat the process. Serve with warmed tomato sauce and curtido.

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, gradually stir water into masa harina until dough forms a ball that can be handled.
• Into another bowl, empty the refried beans. Place the grated cheese into a separate bowl.
• Divide dough into about 25 pieces. Roll each into a ball and flatten between the palms of your hands to about 1/2-inch thick. Put a spoonful of beans and a small handful of cheese into the center of each pupusa. Flatten again with the filling inside.
• Heat a heavy, wide-bottomed or flat skillet until hot. Brush with oil and cook pupusas on each side 4-5 minutes until a pale golden-brown. The outside should be firm.