THE TOSTADA THAT WANTS TO BE A MEMELA

The Tostada That Wants to Be a Memela image

Memelas are ubiquitous in Oaxaca, where they're made with fresh masa dough. Since finding similar masa in the U.S. is hit or miss, we call for fresh corn tortillas, which technically makes this a tostada, hence the cheeky recipe name.

Categories Bon Appétit Tortillas Chile Pepper Bean Garlic Dinner

Yield 6-8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 25

Ingredients

Black beans and assembly:
1 pound dried black beans
1 white onion, peeled, halved
1 head of garlic, cloves separated, smashed
4 sprigs epazote or oregano
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
2 dried avocado leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 white corn tortillas
3 tablespoons rendered pork fat, bacon grease, or lard
3 ounces queso fresco, crumbled, plus more for serving if desired
Toasted Chile de Árbol and Tomatillo Salsa, or store-bought salsa [TK LINK]
Rajas variation:
4 poblano chiles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Chorizo variation:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 links fresh chorizo (about 8 ounces), casings removed
Kosher salt
4 large eggs

Steps:

Black beans and assembly:
Place beans, onion, garlic, epazote, and bay leaf in a large pot. Pour in water to cover by 3" and bring to a simmer; cook, uncovered, until beans are very tender, 2-2 1/2 hours.
Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Pluck out epazote and bay leaf and transfer beans to a large bowl. Using a potato masher, crush beans, adding 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid a few tablespoons at a time, until a coarse texture forms. There should still be some bits of beans visible. Season with salt. If using avocado leaves, grind in a mortar and pestle or spice mill; mix into beans.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add beans (be careful as oil may bubble and spit at you) and fry, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Stir and fry for another 2 minutes. Repeat process two more times, scraping up any browned bits. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Remove beans from heat.
Toast a tortilla in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until golden brown in spots but not crunchy, about 2 minutes. Turn; toast on other side, another minute or so. Spread a thin layer of fat over one side of tortilla (about 1 tsp.). Spread 2 Tbsp. bean mixture over; sprinkle with one-quarter of 3 oz. queso fresco. Cook until edges of tortilla curl up a bit and beans are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Repeat process with 7 more tortillas.
Top tortillas with rajas or chorizo and eggs and more queso fresco if desired. Serve with salsa.
Rajas variation:
Roast poblanos over an open flame, rotating occasionally, until charred and blistered all over, 10-12 minutes. (Or broil on a rimmed baking sheet 8-10 minutes). Remove stems, skins, and seeds. Slice flesh into 1/2" strips.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and softened, 10-12 minutes. Mix in chiles and oregano; taste and season with more salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and vegetables are very soft, 5-8 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Chorizo variation:
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook chorizo, using a spoon or heatproof spatula to break up any large pieces, until cooked through and starting to brown, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle some salt onto the skillet. Crack eggs onto salt and immediately break yolks. Cook until underside is starting to brown, about 1 minute. Turn eggs and cook another 30 seconds (yolk won't be entirely runny but shouldn't be cooked through, either).