Best Pupusas Recipes

SALVADORAN PUPUSAS AS MADE BY CURLY AND HIS ABUELITA RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the curtido: In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, onion, and carrots. Pour the boiling water over the vegetables and toss. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain.
• In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the vinegar, oregano, and salt. Pour over the slaw and toss to coat. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer the curtido any any leftover liquid in the bowl to an airtight jar or container.
• Chill for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator, or chill overnight for best results.
• Make the chicharrón: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork shoulder and salt. Cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. If the pork is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Turn the pork over and let cook on the other side for 10 minutes more, or until crispy and golden brown.
• Transfer the pork to a food processor and add the tomato, green bell pepper, and onion. Pulse until a thick paste forms. The mixture should not be watery. Set aside.
• Make the pupusa dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina and salt, then add the water. Use your hands to mix until the dough comes together with a clay-like texture.
• Fill a small bowl with water and a bit of oil and set near your work station. You'll wet your fingers with the mixture as you work to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
• Take a golf ball-sized portion of dough and roll into a ball, then flatten into an even round.
• Fill the dough round with ½ tablespoon chicharrón paste, 1 teaspoon refried beans, and 1 teaspoon mozzarella cheese. Fold the dough over the filling until it's completely sealed. Then, pat out the ball between your hands until flat. If the pupusa cracks, patch it with a bit of dough and a little oil. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Heat a large pan or griddle over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil, then place 2-3 pupusas on the pan and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side for 2-4 minutes more, until golden brown and warmed through. Repeat with the remaining pupusas.
• Serve the pupusas with curtido.
• Enjoy!

PUPUSAS

Steps:

• Combine tomato sauce, water, cilantro, green bell pepper, onion, crushed garlic, bouillon cube, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Let salsa roja cool for 10 minutes.
• Fill a blender halfway with the salsa roja. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a bowl. Repeat with remaining salsa roja. Return to saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes more stirring occasionally. Allow to cool completely, about 1 hour, and refrigerate.
• Place cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Add 4 cups boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well. Mix in vinegar, scallions, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Chill curtido until serving.
• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until almost fully cooked and not yet crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer bacon and grease (if desired) to a food processor. Add tomatoes, quartered green bell pepper, Monterey Jack cheese, and minced garlic. Puree and season the chicharron with salt.
• Mix masa harina and 1/2 cup water together in a bowl by hand. Add the remaining water slowly, about 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition, until dough is moist but still firm. Cover with a wet towel.
• Heat 1/2 cup oil a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Take a golf ball-sized piece of dough and roll into a ball in your hands. Make a hole in the dough ball with your thumb; put a small amount of chicharron inside the hole, close it up, and flatten the ball with your hands into a thick tortilla shape. Place pupusa in the skillet and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining dough and chicharron.
• Serve each pupusa topped with 2 tablespoons of curtido and 1 tablespoon of salsa roja.

AUTHENTIC SALVADOREAN PUPUSAS

Steps:

• The Beans:.
• Heat the corn oil in a large soup pan on medium high heat. Once the oil is heated fry the onion until golden brown.
• While the onions are cooking, place half of the beans and 1/2 cup of the reserved bean liquid in a blender and blend for 1 minute.
• Once the onion is golden in color, about 4 minutes take the onion out with a slotted spoon.
• Carefully stir the beans from the blender into the hot oil. Turn your heat down to medium low.
• Next add the onion and the rest of the beans and reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid into the blender and liquefy for a minute. Add the beans to the rest of the mixture that is already cooking.
• Carefully stir the beans until no oil appears in the beans, about 3 minutes. Cook on medium stirring about every 5 minutes until the beans have darkened about 3 shades and are the consistency of refried beans in a can.
• The Cheese:.
• Place the shredded mozzarella, lorocco, and bell pepper in a food processor and process until the bell peppers and lorocco are chopped into tiny pieces and fully incorporated into the cheese.
• Next, place the cheese mixture into a plastic bowl and warm the mix in the microwave for no more than 20 seconds.
• Next -- and yes this sounds gross, squeeze the cheese mixture with your hands until it becomes like a soft putty consistency.
• Set the cheese aside and get ready for the masa.
• The Masa:.
• Place the masa mix and water in a bowl and stir until fully mixed. The masa should be very sticky but should form an easy ball when rolled. If not, add water until it is sticky but easy to work with.
• Next, Place an egg size ball of masa in your hand (it helps to place a tiny bit of oil on your hands before doing this) and press the masa out in one hand to represent a small plate the size of your palm.
• Place about a tablespoon of cheese down onto the masa, then a tsp of beans. Pull the sides of the masa up around the beans and cheese and roll it into a ball. Next, flatten it a tiny bit with your palms to form a thick disc. Pat the disc turning it between your hands about 6 times to flatten it more but to keep it in a round shape.
• The pupusa should be a little less than 1/2 inch thick.
• Place the pupusa on a large oiled non stick surface and cook on medium high until each side is golden brown, around 3 minutes on each side.
• Enjoy!

PUPUSAS DE QUESO (CHEESE-STUFFED TORTILLAS)

Steps:

• Stir the masa harina and water together in a mixing bowl until smooth; knead well. Cover bowl, and let the dough rest 5 to 10 minutes.
• Shape the dough into eight, 2 inch diameter balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into 6 inch diameter round. Sprinkle 1/4 cup queso fresco over each round. Place a second tortilla over the cheese, and pinch the edges together to seal in the cheese.
• Heat ungreased skillet over medium-high heat. Place one tortilla into the skillet at a time, and cook until cheese melts and tortillas are lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side.

SALVADORAN PULLED PORK PUPUSAS WITH PICKLED CABBAGE

Steps:

• For the pickled cabbage: Combine the vegetables in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, add the vinegar, water, spices, brown sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables. Mix the ingredients well and let stand for at least 24 hours before serving, stirring occasionally. This mixture will keep for 2 to 3 weeks covered in the refrigerator.
• For the pork filling: Season the pork with the salt and pepper and place in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2-inches, about 6 cups. Bring to a simmer and partially cover the pot; cook until the meat is very tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours. Uncover the pork and let it slightly pan fry in its own fat, stirring, until golden brown.
• Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, oregano and cinnamon in a blender. Puree until smooth. Add the tomato mixture to the pork in the saucepan and stir to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until pork is falling apart and most of the liquid has reduced from the sauce. The pork mixture should be very thick. Set aside to cool while you prepare the masa dough. (This will yield more pork than you need for this recipe but any leftover can be frozen and/or used in other recipes. It makes a great filling for tacos, burritos, quesadillas or enchiladas and also works well as a sandwich filling when mixed with a tangy barbecue sauce.)
• For the dough: In a bowl, combine the masa harina with the warm water and salt mix until soft dough forms. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in up to a 1/4 cup of cold water, until the dough become soft but not sticky. Divide the dough into 16 golf ball size pieces. Keep the dough covered as you work.
• To form a pupusa: Rub the palm of your hands with a little olive oil. While holding of the dough balls in 1 hand, press the thumb of the other hand in the middle of the ball of dough to form an indentation, then turning the dough, begin to flatten it with your fingertips into a 4-inch concave disk resembling a small bowl. In the center of the disk add 2 tablespoons of the pork and 1/2 tablespoon of the shredded cheese. Bring the edges of the dough together over the filling and squeeze to form a seal. Working gently, press the dough into a flattened disk, flattening the dough middle and edges to form a thick pancake shape about 4-inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Lightly rub the pupusas with oil and place them on a heated, greased griddle over medium-high heat. Cook each side until golden brown in spots and slightly puffy, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve hot, with a serving of the pickled cabbage on the side.

SALSA FOR PUPUSAS

Steps:

• Place the first 5 ingredients in the blender and blend on high.
• Heat the canola oil on medium high heat and pour the salsa into the pan.
• Bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Add the vinager and the chicken bouillon powder and continue boiling for 10 minutes until the salsa is reduced by half.
• Allow the salsa to come down to room temperature and serve.

BASIC CHEESE PUPUSAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add cabbage and cook uncovered until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
• Mix cabbage, apple cider vinegar, water, onion, carrot, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1 pinch salt together in a large bowl. Refrigerate until flavors combine, 8 hours to overnight.
• Combine masa harina, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl; knead until a smooth, moist dough forms. Add water if dough cracks when you press down on it. Let dough rest, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, heavy cream, and scallion together in a bowl to make a paste.
• Divide dough into 8 balls. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to form an indentation. Fill indentations with ricotta cheese paste. Pinch edges together around the filling; flatten and smooth into round 1/4 inch-thick patties between your palms.
• Grease a skillet with cooking spray; preheat over medium heat. Cook pupusas in batches until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Drain cabbage mixture and serve alongside pupusas.

BEAN AND CHEESE PUPUSAS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the curtido: In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, onion, carrots, and serrano, if using. Pour the boiling water over the vegetables and toss to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain.
• In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar, oregano, and salt.
• Pour the vinegar mixture over the slaw and toss to coat. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer the curtido and any leftover liquid in the bowl to an airtight jar or container. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, but ideally overnight. The curtido will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Make the refried black beans: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the oil to the pan. Once hot, add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant and softened.
• Add the black beans, along with their liquid, to the pan and increase the heat to medium. Add the salt. Mash the beans with a potato or bean masher, ensuring no beans are left whole. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the beans don't immediately flood the pan when you drag a spatula across the bottom. If you prefer a perfectly smooth consistency, use an immersion blender to purée the beans in the pan, or transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Season with more salt to taste, then set aside to cool completely before making the pupusa dough.
• Make the pupusa dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina and salt, then add the water. Use your hands to mix until the dough comes together with a clay-like texture; it should be elastic and not sticky. You may need to knead it for a few minutes.
• Assemble the pupusas: Once the beans have cooled completely, fold in the mozzarella cheese.
• Fill a small bowl with water and set it near your work station. Wet your hands as you work to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
• Heat a large pan or griddle over medium-high heat for at least 5 minutes.
• While the pan heats, form the pupusas: Take a large, golf ball-sized portion (about 3½ ounces) of dough and roll into a ball, then flatten into an even round, using the fingers of your dominant hand to press the dough against the palm of your non-dominant hand (rather than smashing your palms together), about 5 inches in diameter.
• Fill the dough round with about 3 tablespoons of the bean mixture, or slightly less than the amount of masa used to make the disc. Gently fold 2 sides of the dough over the filling, then rotate and fold up the other 2 sides until the filling is completely encased. Pinch off any excess dough overlapping at the top and return to the remaining masa. Then, carefully pat out the ball between your hands into a roughly 4-inch disc. If the filling breaks through, patch it with a tiny bit of dough. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Lightly brush the hot pan with the vegetable oil, then place 4-5 pupusas (or as many as will fit without touching) in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness, until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side for 3-5 minutes more, until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining pupusas.
• Serve the pupusas with the curtido.
• Enjoy!

PUPUSAS

Steps:

• Mix the masa harina, water into a dough which is soft but not sticky. Be prepared to add more flour if necessary. If it is too dry, add more water.
• To make a 3 inch round pupusa, take about half a cup of dough and roll it into a ball. flatten with your hand.
• Put the filling in the centre [in this case, cheese, cilantro, salt and pepper].
• Work the edges up over the filling and again form a ball, completely enclosing the filling.
• Flatten each ball to about 1/4 inch or less and cook the pupusas on a hot, lightly oiled griddle for about 3 minutes per side, or until both sides are lightly browned.
• Serve warm.

PUPUSAS

Steps:

• A complete Salvadoran pupusas has many components.
• 1 - Filling - Fillings will vary based on your taste but the two most popular fillings are pupusas de queso, pupusas made of cheese only, or pupusas revueltas, pupusas made of a few different fillings. The most common revueltas are made of beans and cheese or chicharron and cheese - see my post on making chicharrones to make this one. My personal favorite is pupusas de queso con loroco, which are pupusas filled with cheese and a type of edible green flower called loroco that is quite similar to asparagus in both look and taste.
• 2. Masa dough - This is the standard dough used to make corn tortillas - see my recipe for tortillas de maiz here.
• 3 - Curtido - A mix of fermented cabage with a little bit of onion, shaved carrot, and hot chile peppers mixed inches Curtido is either served on the side or put on top of the pupusa to be eaten together in same bite.
• 4 - Salsa Roja, or "Red Sauce", served on the side or poured over the curtido and pupusa to be eaten together in same bite.
• Now for the secrets to making authentic Salvadoran pupusas! Are you ready? Sshhh! Don't tell anyone!
• Make your own refried beans. Handmade refried beans carry much more flavor and are less greasy and watery than the canned refried beans you can buy at the store. To make your own refried beans, simply prepare small Central American red beans the way you would to make arroz curtido. When the beans are done cooking, blend some of them up in a blender and cook them in a saucepan with a few tablespoons of oil over low heat for about 30-40 minutes.
• Add butter or margarine to your Mozzarella cheese. When you pour out the amount of mozzarella you will use, add a few scoops of cold butter or margarine to it. The butter/margarine makes the flavor pop and will prevent you from needing to grease the pupusas with oil when you cook them. I personally use margarine because the extra oils in it create a better pupusa than butter will.
• Only use Mozarella cheese for your cheese filling! This is a very important secret. Some international stores sell what they call "queso para pupusas", or "pupusas cheese". This cheese is an imposter! A fake I tell you, run as fast as you can from it! This cheese looks like Mozarella cheese but tastes terrible and if you read the ingredients you will find that it doesn't even contain any milk at all. This cheese is made out of nothing but hydrogenated oils and trans fats. This cheese is cheaper than buying real Mozarella cheese but it destroys the taste and also destroys your health. I have also seen a lot of videos on the web that add all sorts of other dairy products to their mozarrella filling - crema, hard cheese, and panella cheese are just a few I have seen. While these videos say they are making authentic Salvadoran pupusas, I can assure you that this is not an authentic pupusa and will surely not taste like one either.
• Cook your pupusas over a gas stove or skillet, not on an electric one. The reason for this is that gas stoves and skillets can get much hotter than electric ones. When the heat is too low, you will get cracks on the outter tortilla skin of your pupusa. You want to cook each side of the pupusa for about 30 seconds, and flip on each side about three times. Once the pupusa starts to puff up and fillings begins to ooze out of, they are done cooking.
• Directions:.
• -Prepare the re-fried beans the day before by boiling Central American small red beans until soft, (takes about three hours, see my post for Arroz Curtido for exact directions).
• - Blend about half of the soft red beans in a blender and cook this puree in a skillet on low heat for 30-40 minutes.
• -The day you make the pupusas, mix all ingredients for red sauce in blender and blend until pureed.
• -Pour red sauce into a small skillet covered with a tablespoon of oil and heat on medium-high until boiling.
• -Once sauce boils, turn off heat but leave pot on burner so sauce will be remain warm when you serve the pupusas.
• -Prepare the tortilla dough in a bowl using directions found on my tortillas de maiz post.
• -Place Mozzarella, butter, and refried beans into a bowl and mix with hands until well mixed.
• -Turn your gas skillet to medium-high, (high if have to use an electric stove), and place a pancake skillet (we are pretending this is our comal) on top of the gas burners so it can start to get hot.
• -Wet your hands in the small bowl of water you have near you and then grab a ball of tortilla dough in your hand.
• -Flatten the dough into a flat circle using your hands and then put about 2 small spoonfuls of the bean/cheese mix in the middle.
• -Once you have placed filling in center of dough, close the dough back up using your hands to form a ball again that surrounds and covers your filling.
• -While reforming the ball, pinch off any extra dough at the top to prevent an over-sized pupusa. You want just enough dough to completely surround your filling and no more.
• -Place ball of dough with filling inside between two plastic baggies, flatten with a plate or your hands, and then peel off flattened pupusa and place onto the hot skillet.
• -Cook each side of the pupusa for about 30 seconds each, flipping total about six times so that each side gets the heat about three times.
• -Once the pupusa begins to puff up or fillings begin to ooze out of it and burn on surface, remove the pupusa from the heat and place onto a big piece of aluminum foil.
• -Repeat process until you have used up all your dough and filling. If you run out of either, just make more.
• -Serve the pupusas with curtido and red sauce.
• http://www.postresdelacipota.com/2012/09/pupusas.html.

PUPUSAS (EL SALVADOREAN TORTILLA)

Steps:

• Combine dry ingredients.
• Cut shortening into dry ingredients with pastry blender.
• Add warm water a few drops at a time until dough is manageable.
• Knead dough 15-20 times.
• Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Form dough into balls the size of an egg.
• Roll out until 6 inches in diameter.
• Add some of the cheese to the top of one tortilla and then add another tortilla on top of that.
• Place on hot ungreased griddle .
• Cook 2 minutes on each side.
• Serve with cabbage and shredded carrots on top, or with sauerkraut or coleslaw or even a tomato sauce would be good. Topped off with shredded cheese.

CHEESE PUPUSAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the salt well into the masa harina. With your hands, knead the water into the masa harina in a few additions; work in all the water evenly. The dough will feel like stiff mashed potatoes. Lay a 12-inch square of plastic wrap or a zip-lock on a smooth work surface.
• Divide the cheese into 9 equal piles. Roll a 2-ounce ball of dough in your hands, about the size of a golf ball, and pat it out in your hand to form a disc a little larger than your palm. (If the dough is very sticky, lightly moisten or oil your hands.) Pat a pile of cheese onto the masa, leaving just a little space around the edges (cup your hand slightly if it helps). Carefully close your hand to bring the edges of the disc closer, and use your other hand to pat and pinch it together to enclose the cheese in a rough ball. Patch any holes with a little more masa, but don't worry too much - cheese that leaks out will brown deliciously in the pan. Moisten or oil the plastic wrap, and pat out the pupusa on it, forming a disc about 4 inches wide. Repeat, forming a second pupusa.
• Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, and very lightly grease it with oil. When the oil appears thin, lay the pupusas in the pan, and cook until richly browned in spots, about 4 minutes. (If you can fit 3 or 4 pupusas at a time in the pan, increase heat to medium-high.) It's O.K. if the cheese starts to bubble out. Flip the pupusas, and cook another 4 minutes, until they're browned and cooked through. Serve finished ones immediately with curtido, and repeat forming and cooking the remaining pupusas.

EL SALVADORIAN BEAN AND CHEESE PUPUSAS

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine refried beans and cheese. Set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine 2 cups Masa with 1 ¼ cups water and ¼ tsp salt, mixing thoroughly until it is a soft dough (this dough dries out fast- hence the divided measurements. But if it starts to dry out while you are still working, you can add a touch more water as needed).
• Pinch a bit of dough off and roll it into a ball about 2 inches in diameter (about the size of a golf ball). Using your thumb, push down on the ball to make more of a "bowl". Place a spoonful of the bean and cheese mixture into the "bowl".
• Pinch off and flatten a bit more dough to cover the bowl with. Carefully flatten the filled ball to make a disc, making an effort to make it as thinly as possible- about 1/2 inch thick. This takes a lot of practice!
• Pour 1/4 cup of oil into a nonstick skillet and place as many pupusas as will fit, and cook over medium / medium- high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden and browned. Repeat with the next batch, adding more oil if necessary. When the masa dough has run out, make another fresh batch.
• Serve with warmed tomato sauce and curtido.

PUPUSAS CON CURTIDO (MASA CAKES WITH SPICY SLAW)

Steps:

• Combine vinegar, sugar, oregano, chiles, carrots, onions, and cabbage in a bowl. Season with salt; toss; let chill.
• Put masa harina and 1 3⁄4 cups water into a bowl; stir to form a dough.
• Pinch off a 1 1⁄2 oz piece of dough; roll it into a ball. Pat dough into a thin disk.
• Squeeze 1 1⁄4 oz cheese into a ball. Press cheese into center of dough; cupping dough, stretch edges of dough around cheese and seal.
• Pat dough to form a 3 1⁄2" wide disk. Repeat to make 12 pupusas in all.
• Heat a 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 3 batches, cook pupusas, turning, until golden, 10-12 minutes. Serve hot with slaw.

IN IT TO WIN IT STUFFED PUPUSAS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, add the masa harina, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt and combine well. Add the water, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough forms a ball that can be handled. Form the dough into 12 equal tangerine-size balls, cover with a damp paper towel and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon canola oil and when hot, add the chorizo, saute for 5 to 6 minutes, then add onions, bell pepper and chile pepper. Saute until the onion is translucent, then add the granulated garlic and the beans. Heat through and add the lime zest and juice. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.
• Combine the queso quesadilla cheese with the pepper jack in a small bowl, and set aside. Slice the avocado flesh and set aside.
• Put 2 balls of masa between 2 sheets of parchment, about 6 inches apart. With a small saute pan or pie dish, apply even pressure until the masa is flat and about 6-inches in diameter. Pull back the parchment and top 1 of the discs with about 2 slices of avocado, then 3 tablespoons of the black bean mixture, and about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Top with the second, plain masa round. Replace the parchment over the pupusa and gently press down with the pie plate until 3/8-inch thick, being careful not to crack or blow out the sides.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat a large seasoned cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add about 2 tablespoons canola oil. With a pastry brush, brush 1 side of the pupusa with remaining oil and add it, oiled side down, to the hot skillet. Cook until golden with darkening areas, about 4 to 5 minutes. Brush the exposed side with oil and gently turn over. Transfer the pupusa to a small sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Arrange the pupusas on a serving platter and serve with plain yogurt, cilantro and Curdito Slaw.
• Put the cabbage and carrots into a large heat-proof bowl and toss to combine well.
• In a small saucepan, over medium heat, add the white vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling mixture into the bowl, covering the cabbage and carrots and set aside for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain off the liquid and spin in a salad spinner or drain in a colander, pressing out as much liquid as possible.
• Return the cabbage to bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Let set at room temperature until cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve as an accompaniment to pupusas or as a side dish. Can be made ahead or canned, if desired.

PUPUSAS DE QUESO

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together masa and salt. Add water, a little bit at a time, until a soft, pliable, nonsticky dough is formed.
• Using damp hands, form dough into 2 1/2-inch balls. Flatten each ball into a 4-inch patty and place 1/4 cup cheese in the center of each. Fold sides of patties over cheese to enclose and reshape into a ball. Flatten each ball into another 4-inch patty.
• Preheat a griddle and lightly coat with oil. Place patties on skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve immediately with curtido and salsa.

EL SALVADORIAN PUPUSAS

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine refried beans and cheese. Set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine 2 cups Masa with 1 ¼ cups water and ¼ tsp salt, mixing thoroughly until it is a soft dough (this dough dries out fast- hence the divided measurements. But if it starts to dry out while you are still working, you can add a touch more water as needed). Pinch a bit of dough off and roll it into a ball about 2 inches in diameter (about the size of a golf ball). Using your thumb, push down on the ball to make more of a "bowl".
• Place a spoonful of the bean and cheese mixture into the "bowl". Pinch off and flatten a bit more dough to cover the bowl with. Carefully flatten the filled ball to make a disc, making an effort to make it as thinly as possible- about ½ inch thick. This takes a lot of practice!
• Pour ¼ cup of oil into a nonstick skillet and place as many pupusas as will fit, and cook over medium / medium- high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden and browned. Repeat with the next batch, adding more oil if necessary. When the masa dough has run out, make another fresh batch and repeat the process. Serve with warmed tomato sauce and curtido.

PORK & SHRIMP PARTY PUPUSAS #RSC

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for spice mix, set aside.
• Peel and de-vein thawed shrimp, then chop very fine or use a food processor to grind to similar consistency of the ground pork. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork and shrimp. Reserve 1 Tablespoon of spice mix, and pour the rest into the pork/shrimp mixture, along with 2 Tablespoons of the lime juice and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the oil. Stir to combine, cover, and place in the fridge to marinate for an hour.
• Remove pork/shrimp from fridge. Using a large skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet) saute the pork/shrimp mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cooked through and lightly browned (about 15 minutes). Place cooked mixture in another large bowl, set aside, and return skillet to heat. Add the other 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil to skillet, along with the shallots and garlic, saute about 2 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the frozen corn kernels and continue to saute, another 2 minutes, then add the bell peppers, poblano pepper, black beans, and reserved Tablespoon of spice mix and continue to cook until all the veggies are cooked through (about another 15 minutes). Remove pan from heat and combine the veggie mixture with the shrimp/pork mixture in bowl and add the other 2 Tablespoons of lime juice. Set this aside & let cool to about room temperature. Once cooled, add the shredded cheese, mix well, & set aside while you make the pupusa dough. Rinse & wipe skillet clean to use again.
• In another large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients for the pupusa dough. Add the water, about a half cup at a time, until the dough forms a large, easy to handle ball. Form the dough into 32 equal sized balls (a little larger than a golf ball), cover with a damp cloth/paper towel & let rest 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 250`F.
• Place 2 pupusa balls about 6" apart between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Press each ball flat using a 6" skillet or plate or whatever you have on hand, to make 2 equal sized rounds. Top one round with 1 - 2 Tablespoons of the filling mixture, then place the other round on top. Press the edges together to enclose the filling and then LIGHTLY press to flatten/even out the thickness of the pupusa, doing your best not to crack the dough or blow out the filling. Perfection is not necessary -- they will still be delicious even if they are "bulging" a little, trust me, we found that out :).
• Put your skillet back over medium heat. Brush one side of the filled pupusa with oil and place, oil side down, in skillet. Cook about 2 minutes (until brown spots begin to form), brush the other side of the pupusa with oil, flip and cook another 2 minutes until browned on that side. Place the pupusa on a cookie sheet in oven to keep warm. Continue this process until all the pupusas are done.
• Serve these with cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges, and Hidden Valley Original Ranch dressing for dipping!
• Note: we had a nice little assembly line going, cooking 2 pupusas at a time in the skillet. Some were brushing with oil and flipping, while others were pressing and forming. Tons O' Fun! FYI, if you have a little filling left over, freeze for later or stuff in some taco shells, super yummy!

BLACK BEAN PUPUSAS

Steps:

• Divide the dough in half and return half to the mixing bowl, covering it with plastic wrap. (If you like, you can refrigerate half the dough to use later, as I did.) Take the other half of the dough and divide it into 9 equal pieces. Cover 8 of the pieces with plastic wrap or a damp cloth while you work on one piece. Form the piece of dough into a ball, and place it in the palm of your hand. Use your fingers to make a hole in the dough and work it until you form a cup that has walls that are about 1/4-inch thick: Add about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of beans to the "bowl," enough to cover the bottom but leave at least 1/2-inch clean at the top: Pinch the sides together, leaving a little extra "nub" at the top: Pinch off the little nub of dough, sealing the top, and return the piece of dough to the bowl (you can gather all the pieces at the end to make another pupusa) Now's the tricky part. Gently but firmly press on the dough to flatten it out. Try putting it in your left hand and pressing down on it with your right as your right thumb also compresses it from the side. When it's flat, put it down on a cutting board and use your hands to flatten it even more, until it's between 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick and about 4-5 inches in diameter. Take care not to squeeze the filling out, and repair any small tears by pinching them closed (or even take a bit of dough to make larger repairs.) You can make all the pupusas this way and then heat your griddle and cook them all, or you may cook each one as you make it. (I prefer to make a couple, get them started on the stove, and continue shaping pupusas as the first two cook--it seems to be quicker this way.)

PUPUSAS (MASA CAKES) WITH BACON AND CHEDDAR

Steps:

• 1. Gather your ingredients.
• 2. Put the bacon in a pan.
• 3. Chef's Note: The pan should be big enough to cook the Pupusas.
• 4. Cook the bacon until lightly browned.
• 5. Place on a paper towel to drain, and reserve the pan with the bacon grease.
• 6. Combine masa harina, salt, and water in a mixing bowl, along with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the bacon grease. The bacon grease is optional... good, but optional.
• 7. Knead to form a smooth, moist dough with a play dough-like consistency... Remember play dough?
• 8. Chef's Note: What is Masa Harina? Masa harina is the traditional flour used to make tortillas, tamales, and other Mexican dishes. Literally translated from Spanish, it means "dough flour," because the flour is made from dried masa, a dough from specially treated corn.
• 9. Divide the dough into six equal portions and roll into balls.
• 10. Chef's Note: The balls should be about 2 inches in diameter. I suspect you will get from 6 to 8.
• 11. Using your thumb, poke a nice hole in the center of each of the balls.
• 12. Fill up the hole with bacon and cheese.
• 13. Wrap the dough around the filling, and seal. Make sure that there is no leakage.
• 14. Pat the dough between your hands until you have a nice round disk about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
• 15. Add the vegetable oil to a pan (just to cover the bottom), and bring the heat up to medium high, and then add the Pupusas.
• 16. Cook for several minutes per side (about 2 or 3) until each side is golden brown.
• 17. Chef's Tip: I went crazy and used the same pan that I cooked the bacon in... So, I cooked them in bacon grease (I think I have a death wish). If you don't want to use the bacon grease, just wipe out the pan and use the vegetable oil.
• 18. Serve warm with a nice runny egg or two. Enjoy.
• 19. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.