Pupusas

Pupusas are an El Salvadorian specialty. These are made from masa, a cornflour dough, with various fillings, and then pan friend. For this I used leftover meat from making pollo en chicha, another El Salvadorian treat, but any leftover shredded meat will work. Other popular fillings are cheese, refried beans, and loroco flowers. 

I tried cooking them several ways. The first time I added a decent amount of oil to the pan and they didn't come out quite right. So then I removed all the oil from the pan and dry fried them. And they still didn't' come out quite right that way either. Bother were delicious, but they best way was a tiny drizzle of oil spread in the pan. Just enough to add a add a bit to the bottom and help them crisp in spots but not really fry them. 

Serve with curtido and salsa roja on top and enjoy!

4 c. masa harina

2 c. warm water

2 tsp. salt

1 c. filling

Oil to grease the pan

Curtido and Salsa Roja

Mix the masa and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and mix until fully incorporated. The texture should be like playdough. It should hold together and be easy to work with, without being sticky or crumbling. 

Pre-heat a cast iron pan. 

Divide the dough in to 10 pieces. Roll a piece of dough in to a smooth ball. Make a deep indent in the middle of the ball and fill with a tablespoon and a half of the filling, pressing it in to the bottom. Bring the sides of the dough together to seal the filling in to the dough. Flatten the dough in to a large flat disk, between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. 

Brush the heated pan with a little of the oil. Add the flattened disks to the pre-heated pan and cook, without disturbing, until browned in spots. About 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other sides, another 3-4 minutes. 

Remove from the pan and serve with curtido and salsa roja. 

Original Picture - Post Updated 10/18/2020