Pupusas...Funny Name, Delicious Meal

Pupusas may be a typical choice for Salvadorean cuisine, but they certainly have changed my life since began making them a few years ago. You know how busy life can get.  So busy that, in this country at least, more than $110 billion dollars will be spent on fast food in one year. Not me...not anymore!

Prepare a few pupusas, and you've got lunch / dinner / a snack on the go that's packed with hearty, natural goodness that tastes amazing. So, while pupusas may be kin to Mexico's tacos and quesadillas, or to arepas from Venezuela, there is something special about the filling being stuffed inside, hidden in that flat cake of masa. In El Salvador, pupusas are usually filled with cheese, cheese and beans, pork or loroco, an edible flower. Pork, mixed with refried beans was the choice for my family, packing the pupusas with iron, fiber and protein, not to mention showcasing dinner with serious flavor, and an all-in-one kind of meal. I used pork tenderloin in place of the usual shoulder or butt to produce a more tender (and healthier) filling. The corn flavor of the masa, the smooth and creamy beans and the hearty pork stretch a buck and make for a truly impressive hand-held meal.

Pupusas

Makes 12-14 pupusas

For the Masa:

4 cups Masa Harina, such as Maseca

3 cups warm water

1/4 cup vegetable oil plus additional for the pan

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp cumin

For the Filling:

prepared, refried beans (see note)

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 lb, or an equal amount of pork shoulder or butt

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 cups chicken, vegetable or beef stock

1. Prepare the pork:  Heat a tsp of oil in a medium sized pot and saute onion until slightly soft. Add garlic and cook one minute more.

2. Cut pork into manageable pieces (about 4 per tenderloin) and add to pot. Pour stock over pork and raise heat. Cover the pan until the stock boils, then reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes, or until meat is cooked.

3. Let the meat cool slightly, then remove from pan. Shred the pork, or chop it into small pieces. Return to the pan to reheat and absorb the juices.

** I have also used roasted and grilled pork leftovers to make my pupusas. It is just as delicious and can be done for a meal earlier in the week for an even easier weeknight meal!

4. Meanwhile, prepare the masa.  Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl, stiring to combine.  Add water and oil and stir, then work with the hands to knead into a workable dough. Keep additional warm water on hand to add in if necessary.

5. When the pork is complete, mix with the beans, about half of each in your mixture.

6. Divide the dough in quarters. Take one quarter piece and divide again into 3 or 4 smaller pieces. Cover the dough that you are not using with a moist towel.

7. Roll the dough into a ball. Then flatten into a pancake.

8. Place about 1/4 cup of the mixture on the pancake.

9. Fold edges in.

10. Wrap other sides in, encasing your filling in the dough.

11. Slowly pat the ball into a pancake. Dip your fingers in warm water and rub over the dough if it begins to crack on the sides.

12. Heat a small amount of oil on a griddle and cook pupusas over medium to medium high heat for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Cook in batches until complete, allowing to cool slightly on parchment paper or a wire rack until serving.

13. Serve with traditional Salvadorean coleslaw or creamy avocado (or guacamole, as shown), and spicy tomato salsa to round out the dish.