I prepared the following for a pre-Cinco de Mayo event with friends and they were a hit! These little masa boats are topped with a seasoned beef & chorizo mixture and garnished with fresh lettuce, tomato, guacamole, salsa and queso fresco…
*Special thanks to my friend, Eli, for his pic since I was without a camera yesterday!
3 cups masa harina
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon salt
Oil for frying
Mix together masa, 2 cups of water and salt until a soft dough forms. Add in additional water by the tablespoonful if dough seems too dry. Knead on a lightly floured surface until all ingredients are well combined and dough is softened, about 5 minutes.
Make small balls out of the dough. 1-inch for small (think large marble,) 2-inch for regular size (think walnut,) 3-inch for large sopes (think golf ball.)
Press each ball by hand to about 1/2 inch thick. Or sandwich a ball between two pieces of parchment paper and press with a plate. Or you can roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thick and cut out with cookie or biscuit cutters.
Find a glass, or an object with a smaller diameter than the dough patties. The idea is to press the object into the sopes dough to flatten the center more while creating a raised edge. Do this through the parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Fry in a 1/4 inch of hot oil on both sides until lighlty golden brown and cooked through.
Top and serve immediately.
original Joelen recipe
1 lb ground beef (85/15), crumbled
1 lb Mexican (soft) chorizo
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon taco seasoning (I used Pilsen seasoning)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a saute pan over medium high heat, place oil, minced garlic and diced onions. Saute until softened.
Add crumbled ground beef and chorizo; stir and allow to brown.
Add taco seasoning; stir and season with pepper to taste.
Use mixture to top sopes and garnish as you wish with shredded lettuce, beans, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, queso fresco, etc.
I have nothing Mexican planned for sinner, and seeing what everyone has done makes me crave it that much more.
I love this filling and I’ve been wanting to use masa harina. Although we can get good Mexican food here, sometimes, we just don’t feel like driving. This gives me something else to make rather than the usual tacos/burritos!