Sopes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Put the masa harina in a large bowl, pour in the water and get in there with your hands, kneading until you have a uniform dough. It should take only a minute or two. You want a nice, moist dough, so work in a little more warm water if it's dry. If it's sticky, work in a little more masa harina.
• Break the dough into four equal pieces and roll each one into a ball. Put the balls on a plate or cutting board and cover them with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out. One at a time, roll them out with a rolling pin or clean wine bottle until they're a thin circle about 1/4-inch thick. Brush a little of the vegetable oil on a skillet or comal and heat it over medium-high heat until it's good and hot. Carefully add the first sope and cook it until little brown blisters appear on the bottom, about 45 seconds. Flip it over with a spatula and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Flip it over again, count to 10 and transfer to the towel-lined baking sheet. Keep it warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining 3 sopes (adding a little more oil if you need to), and keep them in the oven until you're ready to serve them.
• Pour a couple of tablespoons of the oil into a skillet and add the chile, garlic and onions. Set the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the huitlacoche (or mushrooms) along with a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the huitlacoche is heated through, about 5 minutes (or until the mushrooms are a little browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes). Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
• Arrange your sopes on a platter. Cover with a thin layer of Roasted Tomato-Chile de Arbol Salsa, the huitlacoche or mushrooms, a drizzle of the crema fresca and a sprinkle of queso fresco. Serve the remaining salsa on the side.
• Preheat the boiler.
• Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet and broil until the tomatoes are nice and charred, 10 to 12 minutes. Take the tomatoes out, let them cool just until you can handle them, slip off the skins and cut out the tough cores. Transfer the tomatoes to a big bowl (don't you dare forget the tomato juice that has leaked out and reduced to awesomeness on the baking sheet), and then roughly chop them.
• While the tomatoes are broiling, heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles (in batches, if necessary), flipping them over occasionally, until they just begin to smoke, about 5 minutes. Set them aside in a bowl.
• Put the olive oil, garlic and onions in a saucepan, set it over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the toasted chiles, tomatoes and 2 cups water, bring to a simmer and cook for another 12 minutes, so the flavors come together. Let it cool a bit.
• Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the cilantro, salt and pepper and puree until the mixture is very smooth. Pour the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Store the salsa in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to a week, or in the freezer for a month.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine masa harina and salt; stir in water. Knead until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough into 16 portions; shape into balls and cover with plastic wrap. , Working between two sheets of plastic wrap, press four balls into 3-1/2-in. circles. On an ungreased griddle, cook dough circles over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly set. Turn and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; quickly pinch edge of circles to form a 1/2-in. rim. Return to the griddle; cook 2 minutes longer or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks; cover. Repeat with remaining dough., In a small saucepan, combine chicken and 1/2 cup salsa. Cook over medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. In a large skillet, melt shortening. Cook sopes over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side or until crisp and lightly browned. Remove to paper towels to drain. , To assemble, layer each sope with refried beans, chicken mixture and remaining salsa. Sprinkle with lettuce and queso fresco. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Put the masa harina in a bowl and add the warm water, reserving about 1/4 cup of water until you see how much the flour will absorb. Work well with your hands until smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a cool spot for about 1 hour. This gives the starch particles time to swell and absorb the moisture thoroughly, giving more flexibility to the dough. Alternatively, make the Dried Corn Tortilla Masa (see recipe).
• Work the masa until very soft and smooth, and divide into 12 equal parts. Roll each into a ball about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and cover with a damp cloth while you work. Warm an ungreased comal over medium heat.
• Take 1 of the balls and press out gently in a lined tortilla press or by hand to a disk about 3 1/2 inches; it will be thicker than a tortilla, about 1/4-inch. Place carefully on the comal and cook over medium to low heat until the underside is opaque and speckled with brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the sope over and cook on the second side for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the comal and immediately (although you may burn your fingers a little) pinch up the dough around the periphery of the sope, return it to the comal, and cook briefly until the dough is firm and cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Continue with the rest of the balls.
• Heat a very small amount of the lard or oil in a skillet and let the sopes heat through for about 1/2 minute on each side. Spread with the bean paste and top liberally with the rest of the ingredients. Serve immediately.
• Heat the lard in a heavy 10-inch skillet, add the onion and fry over medium heat without browning, until translucent, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the beans and their broth and continue cooking over fairly high heat, mashing them down to a paste texture, about 10 minutes.
• Melt the lard in a small skillet. Skin and crumble the chorizo into the pan, and cook over low heat until the fat has been rendered out. Add the potatoes and chile, if using, and continue cooking over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the skillet from time to time to avoid sticking, until well seasoned, about 8 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside to cool a little before using.
• Crush or blend the garlic, chiles and salt to a paste. Gradually add the tomatoes (unpeeled), grinding well after each addition. The sauce should be textured and the skin will never all completely disappear.
• Sprinkle the top with the onion and cilantro and serve.
• Chiles Asado:
• Place the whole chilies on an ungreased griddle over medium heat and turn them from time to time until the flesh is fairly soft; there will be brownish patches on the skin and the color will have faded somewhat. Then, if they are to be ground with other ingredients, chop roughly before blending. *
• Tomatoes Asados:
• The whole tomatoes are cooked on a ungreased comal or griddle until they are slightly charred and mushy to guarantee a specially delicious table or cooked sauce. About half the cooks I know then skin the tomatoes, while others, including me, blend them unskinned. While the appearance of the sauce may not be as attractive, the flavor and texture are incomparable. This method of cooking tomatoes is particularly recommended for freezing and storing for the months when tomatoes are not at their best (not a problem in Mexico).
• You may want to broil them in a more practical way. Choose a shallow pan in which the tomatoes will just fit in 1 layer, not too large or the juice that is exuded will dry up. (I used to line the pan with foil, but no longer. It is high time that we gradually ease foil out of the kitchen or use it very, very sparingly. The mining of bauxite for the production of aluminum has destroyed far too many tropical forests on this planet.) Place the pan about 2 inches below a heated broiler and broil until the top halves of the tomatoes are soft and the skin is blistered and slightly browned. Turn the tomatoes over and repeat on the other side. The exuded juice will be sweet and syrupy so save it to blend with the tomatoes.

Steps:

• Whisk masa harina and salt together; stir enough water into mixture until dough is smooth and holds together. Form dough into 2-inch balls. Flatten each ball to a 1/2-inch thick circle.
• Heat oil to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or large saucepan.
• Fry dough in the hot oil until sopes are just lightly browned, about 30 seconds per side. Remove sopes with tongs and place on a paper towel-lined plate; cool just until sopes can be handled. Pinch the edges of each sope together forming little 'boats'. Return to hot oil and fry until golden and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Steps:

• Mix the masa and water together into a smooth consistency for about 3 to 5 minutes. If working in large amounts cover bowl with a damp towel to keep from drying out.
• Take a piece of the dough about the side of a cue ball, and roll into a firm ball. In a tortilla press or with a hard flat book or cutting board, line with 2 pieces of plastic. Place masa ball in the middle and apply pressure until ball pushes out to 4 to 5-inch diameter. (if edges of patty are cracked deeply the dough maybe too dry or if the patty does not remove from the plastic easily the dough maybe too moist.)
• Heat a cast iron pan to very hot. Place masa patty on pan without any oil, brown on both sides, approximately 1 minute on each side. Remove and let cool.
• While still warm, remove the center of the dough, and form the edges up, making a hollow tart like shell.
• Heat 1-inch of canola oil to 350 degrees F. Add sope shells to oil and cook on both sides until crispy and golden brown. Hold warm for service.

Steps:

• Pour masa and salt into a bowl, add in enough water to moisten masa. Masa should be slightly sticky to the touch.
• Form masa into balls the size of a large egg. Once all are formed into balls cover with a damp towel.
• Place a piece of plastic wrap on the tortilla press or your kitchen counter. Place the ball of masa in then center. Cover with the other piece of plastic. Press down on the tortilla press or using a flat bottomed plate or skillet until the tortilla is formed and about 1/4 inch thick.
• Heat a griddle or comal on medium high, cook each sope for 1 minute. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds, once you take the sope off the comal, place it on a dry towel and on the side you cooked first, pinch from the inside of the sope to the edge to form a rim all around the sope, this will look like a tostada with a 1/2 edge around.
• Once all sopes are cooked and formed cover them with a dry towel. Heat oil in a pan or deep fryer to 350 degrees. Fry each sope on both sides for 3 minutes. Place them on paper towels to blot off some of the extra oil.
• Serve topped with beans or meat of your choice, and then top with your choice of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, crumbly cheese such as cotija or crema.
• Note: See Recipe #378725 for a good recipe for shredded chicken as pictured above.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix the masa flour and ½ cup (120 ml) of water together with your hands. Once combined, add the rest of the water and knead until the dough forms a smooth ball.
• Heat a large pan or griddle over medium-high heat.
• Pat the dough out into 6 flat circles.
• Fry the dough, turning frequently, until just lightly brown about 5 minutes.
• Once the dough is cooked, shape the sopes by pinching the sides up to form a wall around the edge. Set aside to cool.
• Rip the stems off the dried chiles and discard the seeds. Rinse the chiles, if necessary.
• Add the chiles to a small pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove the pot from the heat.
• Transfer the chiles and their cooking liquid to a blender and add 1 teaspoon of salt and the garlic. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Add the tomatoes to a small pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until the tomato skins split, then remove from the heat and drain, reserving ½ cup (120 ml) of the tomato water.
• Transfer the tomatoes to a blender with the reserved cooking liquid, oregano, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat a large pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Add the skirt steak and season with the meat seasoning and remaining teaspoon of salt. Cook the meat, flipping frequently until seared and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the meat to a cutting board and cut into small pieces. Set aside.
• Heat the corn oil in a deep, large pan over high heat.
• Dip the sopes in the chile sauce, turning to coat completely.
• Once the oil is hot, fry the sopes, flipping frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain the sopes on paper towels or a wire rack.
• To serve, fill the sopes with refried beans, carne asada, shredded lettuce, tomato sauce, Mexican crema, and queso fresco.
• Enjoy!