Pupusas
A pupusa is a stuffed corn-tortilla, usually served with a spicy coleslaw called curtido. Pupusas originated in El Salvador, but immigrants have taken the dish to other Central American countries and beyond. Pupusas are hand-made and thick. Like all corn tortillas, they are made using corn masa. They are stuffed with one or more of the following:
- Prep
- 22 min
- Cook
- 53 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Follow the instructions on the bag of masa for making tortilla dough, and make as much dough as needed. One pupusa uses about as much dough as two tortillas.
Procedure
Set the dough aside while you prepare the filling.
Procedure
Make a paste with all of the ingredients. To avoid the paste leaking out of the pupusas, it should not be too soft.
Procedure
Cook the bacon with some garlic. Set fat aside but do not discard.
Procedure
Once cooked, grind bacon with the tomatoes, green pepper, and salt to taste.
Procedure
Mix in some of the bacon fat until it has a soft consistency.
Procedure
Prepare the ground and fried beans as desired.
Procedure
Shape and fill 2 tbsp of the dough per pupusa using one of the two methods below. When filling the pupusas add some of the bean, chicharrón, and/or cheese fillings. Beginner method: Shape the dough into a ball, and clap it between your hands until you make a round, thin tortilla about ⅛ in thick. Continue making more tortillas this way. Put some filling on one tortilla, cover with another, and press the sides to seal them. Experienced method: Shape the dough into a ball, then insert your thumb in the ball to make a hole in the center. Fill the hole with some filling, and seal the hole by pushing and pinching the dough on the sides up. Carefully clap the pupusa between your hands to flatten it without pressing out the filling.
Procedure
Cook the pupusas on a lightly greased griddle, pan, or electric pancake griddler over low-medium heat (325–350°F) on one side, then the other until they are cooked. Each side will be ready when it no longer sticks to the pan (depending on the thickness of the tortillas, this might take 4 minutes or more per side).
Procedure
Top the pupusas with curtido and tomato sauce.
Notes, tips, and variations
There are different brands of corn masa to make the dough. MASECA, which can be found in most large American supermarkets in the international section, is one of them but there are others.
Notes, tips, and variations
If you can find it, try replacing the cheese filling with prepared queso con loroco. You won't get the authentic flavor from a pupusa if you use American ingredients.
Photo: Renee Comet (photographer) · Public domain · · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 12 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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