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1
Put the masa harina in a bowl and add the warm water, reserving about 1/4 cup of water until you see how much the flour will absorb.
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2
Work well with your hands until smooth.
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3
Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a cool spot for about 1 hour.
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4
This gives the starch particles time to swell and absorb the moisture thoroughly, giving more flexibility to the dough.
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5
Alternatively, make the Dried Corn Tortilla Masa (see recipe).
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6
Work the masa until very soft and smooth, and divide into 12 equal parts.
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7
Roll each into a ball about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and cover with a damp cloth while you work.
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8
Warm an ungreased comal over medium heat.
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9
Take 1 of the balls and press out gently in a lined tortilla press or by hand to a disk about 3 1/2 inches; it will be thicker than a tortilla, about 1/4-inch.
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10
Place carefully on the comal and cook over medium to low heat until the underside is opaque and speckled with brown, about 2 minutes.
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11
Turn the sope over and cook on the second side for a further 2 minutes.
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12
Remove from the comal and immediately (although you may burn your fingers a little) pinch up the dough around the periphery of the sope, return it to the comal, and cook briefly until the dough is firm and cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
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13
Continue with the rest of the balls.
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14
Heat a very small amount of the lard or oil in a skillet and let the sopes heat through for about 1/2 minute on each side.
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15
Spread with the bean paste and top liberally with the rest of the ingredients.
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16
Serve immediately.
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17
About 1/3 cup lard, melted
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18
1 heated tablespoon finely chopped white onion
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19
3 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans in their broth
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20
Heat the lard in a heavy 10-inch skillet, add the onion and fry over medium heat without browning, until translucent, about 30 seconds.
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21
Gradually add the beans and their broth and continue cooking over fairly high heat, mashing them down to a paste texture, about 10 minutes.
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22
Approximately 1 tablespoon lard or vegetable oil
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23
1 Mexican chorizo, about 3 ounces
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24
6 ounces waxy new potatoes, diced and cooked al dente, about 1 rounded cup
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25
1 chipotle en adobo, chopped
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26
Sea salt
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27
Melt the lard in a small skillet.
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28
Skin and crumble the chorizo into the pan, and cook over low heat until the fat has been rendered out.
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29
Add the potatoes and chile, if using, and continue cooking over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the skillet from time to time to avoid sticking, until well seasoned, about 8 minutes.
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30
Season with salt.
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31
Set aside to cool a little before using.
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32
2 garlic cloves
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33
4 serrano chiles, asado, and roughly chopped, technique follows
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34
Sea salt
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35
1 pound tomatoes, asado, technique follows
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36
About 1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
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37
About 1/3 roughly chopped cilantro leaves
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38
Crush or blend the garlic, chiles and salt to a paste.
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39
Gradually add the tomatoes (unpeeled), grinding well after each addition.
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40
The sauce should be textured and the skin will never all completely disappear.
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41
Sprinkle the top with the onion and cilantro and serve.
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42
Place the whole chilies on an ungreased griddle over medium heat and turn them from time to time until the flesh is fairly soft; there will be brownish patches on the skin and the color will have faded somewhat.
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43
Then, if they are to be ground with other ingredients, chop roughly before blending.
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44
Note well: they are to be neither peeled nor seeded.
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45
Tomatoes Asados:
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46
The whole tomatoes are cooked on a ungreased comal or griddle until they are slightly charred and mushy to guarantee a specially delicious table or cooked sauce.
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47
About half the cooks I know then skin the tomatoes, while others, including me, blend them unskinned.
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48
While the appearance of the sauce may not be as attractive, the flavor and texture are incomparable.
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49
This method of cooking tomatoes is particularly recommended for freezing and storing for the months when tomatoes are not at their best (not a problem in Mexico).
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50
You may want to broil them in a more practical way.
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51
Choose a shallow pan in which the tomatoes will just fit in 1 layer, not too large or the juice that is exuded will dry up.
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52
(I used to line the pan with foil, but no longer.
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53
It is high time that we gradually ease foil out of the kitchen or use it very, very sparingly.
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54
The mining of bauxite for the production of aluminum has destroyed far too many tropical forests on this planet.)
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55
Place the pan about 2 inches below a heated broiler and broil until the top halves of the tomatoes are soft and the skin is blistered and slightly browned.
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56
Turn the tomatoes over and repeat on the other side.
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57
The exuded juice will be sweet and syrupy so save it to blend with the tomatoes.
