MASA PATTIES STUFFED WITH BEANS AND CHEESE

Masa Patties Stuffed with Beans and Cheese image

Number Of Ingredients 3

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups refried beans, canned or homemade
1 cup shredded Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese
jarred pickled jalapeño pepper (en escabeche), seeded and cut into strips or rings

Steps:

1. Prepare the dough. Have ready a tortilla press and 2 (8-inch) squares of plastic wrap or 2 small plastic sandwich bags. Then, make 12 egg-size tortilla balls. Put on a plate cover to keep moist. 2. Open the tortilla press. Lay 1 piece of plastic on the bottom and drape the second piece over the hinged lid. Put 1 ball of dough on the plastic on the bottom of the press and lay the other piece of plastic on top of the dough. Lower the hinged lid and press gently to form a 4-inch tortilla about 1/3-inch thick. Open the lid and pick up the fat tortilla. Peel off the top piece of plastic. Flip over the tortilla and carefully peel off the second piece of plastic. 3. Lay the tortilla on the hot pan. Cook until the edges look dry, about 40 seconds. With a spatula, turn and cook the second side for 1 minute. Turn again and cook for 15 seconds. (If it puffs, that's good, it will be easier to cut open for the filling.) Put the tortillas on a plate, cover to keep moist and repeat making small fat tortillas until all are finished. 4. With a small sharp knife, cut a slit in one side of each tortilla and gently slide the knife blade back and forth to make a pocket for the filling. Stuff the pockets with about 2 tablespoons refried beans, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 2 or 3 strips of jalapeño. Brush the gorditas on both sides with oil and cook on a hot griddle or in a hot skillet, turning 2 to 3 times, until flecked with brown but still soft, about 2 minutes total. Serve at once. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutrition Facts : Nutritional Facts Serves