Sopes Estilo Patzcuaro

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Comal de barro darkened by lena, or a heavy cast iron comal
• •Tortilla press or two flat plates with plastic sheets
• •Volcanic stone molcajete for chile peron salsa
• •Clay cazuela from Capula or Patamban for refrying beans

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the masa

   Put the masa nixtamalizada in a bowl and knead in the salt. Press a little between your fingers. It should feel soft and damp, not cracked at the edges. If it splits, knead in warm water one tablespoon at a time. Fresh masa from a tortilleria already knows what to do. Masa harina needs more attention because it has been dried and brought back to life.

2. 2

   Shape the sopes

   Divide the masa into 8 balls, each about the size of a small lime. Flatten each one between plastic in a tortilla press or with your palms until it is about 3 inches wide and 1/3 inch thick. Do not make them thin like tortillas. A sope needs body so the rim can hold the beans and salsa.

3. 3

   Cook on the comal

   Heat a comal de barro over lena if you have it, or a heavy cast iron comal over medium heat. Lay the masa rounds down and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until pale brown freckles appear and the surface looks set. The center should still be tender. Too much heat burns the outside before the masa cooks through. That is impatience, not technique.

   A comal de barro gives a dry, even heat and a faint earthiness to the masa. Cast iron works. A nonstick skillet is a compromise, not an upgrade.
4. 4

   Pinch the rims

   Move one hot sope at a time to a clean towel. While it is still hot, pinch up the edge with your thumbs and forefingers to form a low rim all the way around. Pinch a little masa in the center too, making shallow ridges that catch the lard and beans. Work fast. Once the masa cools, it cracks instead of obeying.

5. 5

   Refry the beans

   Melt 2 tablespoons manteca de cerdo in a clay cazuela or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the minced garlic for 30 seconds, then add the beans and a splash of their cooking liquid. Mash until thick but spreadable, leaving some texture. Salt them properly. Beans without enough salt taste tired. La manteca es el sabor.

6. 6

   Make chile peron salsa

   Roast the tomatillos, chile peron, and small garlic clove on the comal until the tomatillos slump and spot brown and the chile skins blister. Remove the chile stems. For less heat, take out some of the black seeds. Grind in a molcajete with salt, then stir in cilantro and lime juice. A blender works if you must, but stop before it becomes foam. This salsa should taste bright, sharp, and alive.

7. 7

   Crisp the charales

   If using charales, heat a thin layer of manteca or corn oil in a small skillet. Pat the fish very dry, salt lightly, and fry until firm and crisp at the edges, 2 to 4 minutes depending on size. Drain on paper or a clay plate lined with hoja de maiz fresca de la planta. Do not confuse that fresh green leaf from the plant with dried corn husk. They are different things.

8. 8

   Finish the sopes

   Brush the cooked sopes with the remaining 2 tablespoons manteca and return them to the comal for 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until the bottoms crisp and the edges deepen in color. They should be sturdy enough to pick up but still soft in the middle. No me vengas con atajos. This second pass is what makes them taste like mercado food, not steamed masa.

9. 9

   Top and serve

   Spread each hot sope with a spoonful of frijol refrito. Add queso ranchero, a thread of crema, salsa de chile peron, diced white onion, cilantro, and a few charales if you have them. Serve immediately with lime halves. Sopes wait for nobody. The masa is best while the bottom is crisp and the beans are still glossy.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for masa nixtamalizada at a tortilleria or Mexican market that sells fresh masa by weight. If the masa smells sour or old, do not buy it. Si no conoces el mercado, no conoces la cocina.
• •Chile peron is also sold as chile manzano in many markets. It is round, thick-fleshed, yellow to orange or red, and has black seeds. That is how you know it. A habanero is not the same chile and will change the salsa.
• •Charales from Lake Patzcuaro are regional and fragile. Buy from a fishmonger who can tell you where they came from. If you cannot source them responsibly, leave them off. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •The P'urhepecha tamal family is not one dish. Corunda is triangular, charicorunda carries chile in the masa, jahuacata layers masa and beans for Candelaria, chapatta is sweet with piloncillo and beans, tsikanarhikata belongs to the Meseta, nacatamal appears for Day of the Dead in Angahuan, and toquera works with maiz nuevo. Learn the names. The names carry the technique.
• •Use manteca de cerdo, never shortening. Shortening gives you grease without memory. Manteca gives flavor, aroma, and the right crisp edge.

Advance Preparation

• •The beans can be cooked up to 3 days ahead. Refry them the day you serve the sopes so the manteca is fresh and the texture is glossy.
• •The chile peron salsa can be made 4 hours ahead and held at room temperature. Refrigeration dulls the aroma, so bring it back to room temperature before serving.
• •Shape and first-cook the sopes up to 6 hours ahead. Keep them wrapped in a clean towel, then brush with manteca and crisp on the comal just before topping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)