Chalupitas Guerrerenses de Chilapa

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast iron comal for toasting chiles and roasting vegetables
• •Tortilla press lined with plastic
• •Wide heavy skillet or small cazo for frying in manteca
• •Blender
• •Clay cazuela for simmering the caldillo
• •Wire rack set over a sheet pan

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the chicken

   Place the chicken breast, water, half onion, 2 peeled garlic cloves, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is firm but not dry. Skim the gray foam in the first minutes. Pull the chicken out, let it cool just enough to handle, and shred it by hand. Strain and reserve at least 2 cups of the broth. That broth is the backbone of the caldillo.

2. 2

   Toast the chipotles

   Heat a dry comal over medium. Toast the chile chipotle morita for 5 to 8 seconds per side, just until the skin shines and the smell turns smoky and sweet. Do not blacken them. Put the chiles in a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes. Chipotle burns fast because it has already been smoked. Burn it now and your caldillo will taste harsh.

   If you want less heat, open two of the soaked chipotles and shake out some seeds. Do not rinse them. You paid for that smoke and fruit.
3. 3

   Roast the vegetables

   On the same comal, roast the Roma tomatoes, quarter onion, and 2 unpeeled garlic cloves. Turn them until the tomatoes are blistered and soft, the onion has browned edges, and the garlic feels tender inside its skin. Peel the garlic. This is not decoration. Roasting gives the caldillo its depth before the piloncillo ever touches the pot.

4. 4

   Fry the caldillo

   Drain the chipotles and blend them with the roasted tomatoes, roasted onion, peeled roasted garlic, and 1 1/2 cups reserved chicken broth until completely smooth. Strain if the chile skins look tough. Melt 2 tablespoons manteca de cerdo in a clay cazuela or heavy saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the puree. It will sputter. Add the piloncillo, canela, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and vinegar. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce turns glossy and coats a spoon but still pours easily. Remove the canela and cloves. Taste it. It should be sweet, smoky, salty, and sharp enough to wake up the fried masa.

5. 5

   Knead the masa

   Put the fresh masa in a bowl with 2 tablespoons softened manteca de cerdo and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Knead until the lard disappears into the corn and the masa feels smooth. Pinch off a small piece and flatten it. If the edges crack, knead in warm water 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 10 minutes. Masa tells you what it needs if you touch it. Preguntale a las senoras del mercado.

6. 6

   Shape the cups

   Divide the masa into 24 balls, each about the size of a large walnut. Press each one between plastic in a tortilla press into a 3-inch round, thicker than a tortilla. Pinch up the edges with your fingers to make a shallow cup with an uneven rim. These are chalupitas, little boats. Keep them covered as you work so the masa does not dry and split.

7. 7

   Fry in manteca

   Melt 2 to 3 cups manteca de cerdo in a wide heavy skillet, enough to come about 1 inch up the sides. Heat to 350F, or until a tiny piece of masa sizzles immediately and rises. Fry 3 or 4 chalupitas at a time, cup side up. Spoon hot lard over the rims for the first 20 seconds so they set their shape. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottoms are firm and the edges are deep gold. Turn for 10 seconds only, then drain cup side down on a rack. La manteca es el sabor. Vegetable oil gives you a shell. Manteca gives you chalupitas.

   If the lard is too cool, the masa drinks fat. If it is too hot, the rim browns before the center cooks. Keep the heat steady and do not crowd the pan.
8. 8

   Assemble and serve

   Warm the shredded chicken with 1/2 cup of the caldillo so it is moist, not swimming. Set the fried chalupitas on a barro platter. Fill each cup with chicken, then spoon more hot caldillo over the top so it pools inside and stains the rim. Finish with chopped raw white onion and crumbled queso anejo. Serve immediately, in rounds, the way fiesta food is served from a kitchen that is still working. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Buy fresh masa from a tortilleria if you can. It should smell like corn and feel cool and alive in your hand. Masa harina works only as a compromise: use 3 cups masa harina, 2 1/4 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons manteca de cerdo, and 1 teaspoon salt, then rest it 20 minutes before shaping.
• •Use dried chile chipotle morita that is pliable and smells fruity, not dusty. If the chiles crack like old paper, they have been sitting too long and your caldillo will taste tired.
• •The caldillo should be loose enough to spoon over the chalupitas but not watery. If it thickens too much, add reserved chicken broth a few tablespoons at a time. Do not add plain water unless you want plain flavor.
• •Queso anejo is salty and dry, which is why it works here. Queso fresco is wetter and softer. It will not ruin the dish, but it will not give the same bite. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •Do not assemble these early for a potluck. Carry the fried cups, chicken, caldillo, onion, and queso separately, then build them on site. A soggy chalupita is what happens when a cook wants applause more than good texture.

Advance Preparation

• •The chicken can be cooked and shredded one day ahead. Keep it covered with a little broth so it does not dry out.
• •The chipotle-piloncillo caldillo can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently with a splash of chicken broth before serving.
• •The masa can be kneaded and held under a damp cloth for up to 2 hours. Shape the chalupitas close to frying time so the rims do not crack.
• •Fried chalupita shells are best the same day. If needed, fry them up to 2 hours ahead and rewarm on a dry comal before filling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 305g)