Sopes

Make it better with masa this Cinco de Mayo, and try your hand at Sopes. They’re a traditional snack or street food in Mexico, loaded with tasty toppings that will leave you yearning for some mariachi music and a margarita!

📝 Ingredients

• 2 Cups Masa Harina
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 3/4 Cups Water
• As Needed Corn Oil
• 1/2 Cup Lard or Shortening
• Refried Beans
• Carnitas or Leftover Shredded Pork
• Leftover Shredded Beef
• Leftover Shredded Chicken
• Lettuce or Cabbage (Shredded)
• Pico de Gallo
• Mexican Crema or Sour Cream
• Monterey Jack Cheese (Shredded)
• Radishes (Thinly Sliced)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1In a medium bowl, blend the Masa harina and salt. Add the water and fold in with a rubber spatula. Keeping the dough in the bowl, knead the mixture with your hands, until the dough becomes soft, and uniform in texture, about 1-2 minutes. The dough should be similar to the texture of Playdoh--not too sticky, not to dry. Cover with a damp dish towel and allow the dough to rest 5 minutes.
2. 2Roll the dough into 12 equal balls. Keep covered with the damp towel.
3. 3Line a cookie sheet with 3-4 layers of paper towels and set aside.
4. 4Heat up a griddle or 12 inch skillet. Wipe griddle with a very light coating of corn oil. Cut two sides of a 1 quart ziploc bag, leaving the bottom connection intact.
5. 5Working with one ball of dough at a time, open the ziplock (like a book) placing one side directly flat on a tortilla press, place one ball of dough in the center then cover the top of the ball of dough with the top part of the ziplock and gently press the dough flat into a 3 1/2 inch diameter circle. They should be about 1/4 inch thick.
6. 6Place directly on hot griddle/skillet and cook on medium-low until the bottom is set and begins to have brown spots. Turn them and cook until the other side begins to brown as well. Remove from griddle and quickly pinch edges to form a 1/2 inch rim around the edges. Place on a baking rack.
7. 7In a 12 inch skillet with straight sides, melt lard or shortening over medium high heat. When the lard/shortening is hot, add half the grilled sopes, flat side down, without crowding the pan. Cook until bottoms of the sopes are golden, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully turn sopes and continue to cook until the sides of the sopes are golden (center won't get much color), another 2-3 minute. Drain on paper towel lined cookie sheet.
8. 8Assembly: spread warm sopes with warmed refried beans then top with pork, chicken, or beef, lettuce or cabbage, Pico de Gallo, Mexican Crema or Sour Cream, Cheese and Radishes.