Chef Lupita
Birria Tacos with Consome
Jalisco's goat birria, born around Cocula and carried into Guadalajara's markets, slow-braised in ancho, guajillo, cascabel, and chile de arbol, then tucked into corn tortillas crisped in its own red fat.
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Pressed Chicharron Quesadillas from Guadalajara
Created by
Jalisco's market quesadilla, built with chicharron prensado softened in salsa de chile de arbol from Yahualica, queso adobera, and corn tortillas pressed fresh on the comal.
Sandwiches & Wraps
Mexican
Quick Meal
Budget Friendly
Weeknight
25 min
Active Time
30 min cook•55 min total
Yield8 quesadillas
Jalisco first. Guadalajara specifically, the mercados, tianguis, and corner antojitos stands where a cook keeps guisados warm in clay cazuelas and turns them into lunch before you finish counting your coins. This quesadilla belongs there: chicharron prensado stewed until soft, salsa roja sharp with chile de arbol, and queso adobera melting into a corn tortilla browned on the comal.
The chile matters. In Jalisco, chile de arbol from Yahualica has a reputation because it earned one: thin skin, clean heat, red color that stains the salsa without making it muddy. You toast it carefully, blend it with jitomate, garlic, and a little onion, then fry it in manteca de cerdo before the pressed chicharron goes in. No me vengas con atajos. If you pour raw blender salsa over the meat and call it done, the guisado will taste thin.
My mother kept chicharron prensado for the end of the week, when money was tight and everyone still expected dinner. She would say, 'Una mujer que sabe cocinar no pasa hambre.' She was right. This is budget food, but not careless food. The tortilla must be corn because this is Guadalajara, not the north. The cheese should be queso adobera if you can find it, soft enough to melt but not so bland that it disappears. Cada estado, su propia cocina.
Chicharron prensado developed as a practical use for the browned pork bits and skins left after rendering lard, pressed into dense slabs that could be sold cheaply in markets across central and western Mexico. Jalisco's version often leans on chile de arbol, especially the Yahualica chile that received a Mexican denomination of origin in 2018 for production in parts of Jalisco and Zacatecas. Quesadillas in Guadalajara are part of the broader antojito tradition built around corn masa, comal cooking, and market guisados, not the flour-tortilla format associated with northern states.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
chicharron prensado
Quantity
8 ounces
chopped into small pieces
dried chile de arbol, preferably Yahualica
Quantity
10
stemmed
ripe Roma jitomates
Quantity
3 medium
halved
white onion
Quantity
1/4 medium
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
unpeeled
dried Mexican oregano
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
manteca de cerdo
Quantity
2 tablespoons
water or light pork broth
Quantity
1/4 cup
as needed
fresh corn masa for tortillas
Quantity
1 pound
or 2 cups masa harina mixed with 1 1/2 cups warm water and 1/2 teaspoon salt
queso adobera de Jalisco
Quantity
8 ounces
grated or thinly sliced
finely diced white onion (optional)
Quantity
for serving
chopped cilantro (optional)
Quantity
for serving
lime halves (optional)
Quantity
for serving
extra salsa de chile de arbol (optional)
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| chicharron prensadochopped into small pieces | 8 ounces |
| dried chile de arbol, preferably Yahualicastemmed | 10 |
| ripe Roma jitomateshalved | 3 medium |
| white onion | 1/4 medium |
| garlic clovesunpeeled | 2 |
| dried Mexican oregano | 1/2 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| manteca de cerdo | 2 tablespoons |
| water or light pork brothas needed | 1/4 cup |
| fresh corn masa for tortillasor 2 cups masa harina mixed with 1 1/2 cups warm water and 1/2 teaspoon salt | 1 pound |
| queso adobera de Jaliscograted or thinly sliced | 8 ounces |
| finely diced white onion (optional) | for serving |
| chopped cilantro (optional) | for serving |
| lime halves (optional) | for serving |
| extra salsa de chile de arbol (optional) | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Cast iron comal or heavy griddle
- •Tortilla press
- •Blender
- •12-inch clay cazuela or heavy skillet
- •Spatula for pressing quesadillas
Instructions
- 1
Toast the salsa base
Heat a dry comal over medium. Toast the chile de arbol for 10 to 15 seconds per side, just until fragrant and a shade darker. Do not let them blacken. Roast the jitomates, onion, and unpeeled garlic on the same comal until the tomato skins blister, the onion has brown spots, and the garlic softens inside its skin.
Chile de arbol is thin and burns fast. Burned chile gives you bitterness, not character. If one turns black, throw it out. - 2
Blend the salsa
Peel the garlic. Put the toasted chiles, roasted jitomates, onion, garlic, oregano, salt, and 1/4 cup water or broth in a blender. Blend until smooth enough to pour. This is a market salsa, not a raw pico. The color should be brick red and the smell should be roasted chile, garlic, and tomato.
- 3
Fry the salsa
Melt 1 tablespoon of manteca de cerdo in a small clay cazuela or heavy skillet over medium heat. Pour in the salsa. It will sputter, so stand back and let it do its work. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the salsa darkens slightly and the fat shines at the edges. La manteca es el sabor.
- 4
Stew the chicharron
Add the chopped chicharron prensado to the fried salsa. Stir until every piece is coated. Lower the heat and cook 8 to 10 minutes, adding a splash of water or broth if the pan gets dry. The chicharron should soften and drink in the salsa, but it should not become soup. Taste before salting again. Pressed chicharron is already salty.
- 5
Prepare the masa
If using fresh masa, knead it with wet hands until smooth and soft. If using masa harina, mix it with warm water and salt, then rest it 10 minutes before kneading. The masa should feel like soft clay, not cracked putty. If the edges split when pressed, knead in water one tablespoon at a time.
- 6
Press the tortillas
Divide the masa into 8 balls, each about the size of a small lime. Press each ball between plastic in a tortilla press to about 6 inches wide. Keep them covered with a damp towel. Corn dries out because corn is honest. It tells you when you have neglected it.
- 7
Cook and fill
Lay one tortilla on a hot comal and cook 30 seconds. Flip it. Add a small handful of queso adobera to one half and spoon 2 tablespoons of the chicharron guisado over the cheese. Fold the tortilla over and press gently with a spatula. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until the tortilla has brown freckles, the edges are sealed, and the cheese has melted into the salsa.
- 8
Serve from the comal
Serve the quesadillas immediately, cut in halves if you want them easier to eat. Set out diced white onion, cilantro, lime halves, and extra salsa de chile de arbol in small clay dishes. Do not bury them in lettuce, sour cream, or yellow cheese. This is Guadalajara market food. Así se hace y punto.
Chef Tips
- •Ask for chicharron prensado at a Mexican carniceria or mercado. It should look dense and reddish brown, not like airy pork rinds. If the butcher only has crisp chicharron botanero, that is a different ingredient.
- •Yahualica chile de arbol is worth seeking out. If you cannot find it, use good dried chile de arbol that smells fruity and sharp, not dusty. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
- •Queso adobera is the Jalisco choice. If you cannot find it, use queso Oaxaca or a mild asadero, but understand what you are missing: adobera has a clean dairy flavor and melts without turning greasy.
- •Do not use flour tortillas here. Flour tortillas are a northern tradition with their own dignity. Guadalajara's market quesadilla sits on corn masa.
- •The chicharron guisado should be thick enough to spoon, not watery. If it drips out of the tortilla before the cheese melts, cook it down longer.
Advance Preparation
- •The chicharron prensado guisado can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Rewarm it gently with a splash of water before filling the quesadillas.
- •The salsa can be toasted, blended, and fried 2 days ahead. Keep it refrigerated in a covered jar or clay container.
- •Fresh masa is best the day it is bought. If using masa harina, mix it 30 minutes ahead so the corn hydrates fully before pressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 150g)
Calories
445 calories
Total Fat
28 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
14 g
Cholesterol
55 mg
Sodium
650 mg
Total Carbohydrates
31 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
18 g
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