Grandmas Gorditas Recipes

Steps:

• Roast the poblanos and Anaheim chiles on a hot grill until charred. Let them sit in a sealed container for 10 minutes, then peel them and cut into strips.
• Heat the oil, then saute the onion with the jalapenos and serranos until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Blend the cream cheese with 3 cups water and add it to the pot of chiles. Add the roasted peppers, salt, pepper and cumin. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Fill Gorditas with finished product. Top with shredded cheese and serve with Refried Beans.
• For the gorditas: In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour, baking powder and salt; mix to combine. Add the shortening and mix for about 5 minutes. Slowly add the warm water and milk; mix until the dough is firm but soft and won't stick to your fingers. (You might not use all the liquid, or you might need to add more.) Let rest for 10 minutes.
• Portion the dough out into 2.2-ounce balls and refrigerate overnight.
• Press the dough balls into tortillas by hand. Toast the tortillas on a griddle over medium-high heat. Slice open the tortillas.
• In a pot over medium heat place pinto beans, salt and 6 cups cold water, and let simmer until softened, about an hour.
• In a pan, heat canola oil, then add 3 cups pinto beans (save the remainder for another use) and stir for about 5 minutes. Add warm water and let simmer, about 10 minutes. Use a hand blender to blend until pureed.

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, baking powder and shortening; mix until shortening is blended. Add water; mix well.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board; knead until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Roll dough into a ball; place into a plastic bag.
• Separate and roll out enough dough to make six 4- to 6-inch thin, flat rounds.
• In a cast iron skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees F.
• Place rounds in oil; cook each side 20 to 30 seconds or until light golden brown.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove rounds from skillet; drain on paper towel.
• Fill with prepared fillings as desired.

Steps:

• To make the chicharrón prensado, toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 2 minutes; they should be richly aromatic but not burned. Put in a blender with the garlic, onion, and 2 cups water, and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
• In a large pot combine the carnitas with pork skin and the salsa over low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the salsa is reduced enough to thickly coat the meat. You shouldn't need to add any salt here, as the carnitas should be well seasoned.
• Place all the ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth (some people prefer a coarse purée). Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, using a spoon to mash the avocados into the other ingredients. It's up to you how much to mash-I like mine pretty lumpy!
• To make the gordas, knead the masa with the lard or oil until it's fully incorporated (it's impossible to overwork masa since there's no gluten, and in fact it only improves in quality the more you work it). Separate the masa into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Place a ball between two sheets of plastic (cut from a plastic bag) and flatten to create a ½-inch-thick tortilla shape with a tortilla press or with this cookbook. Repeat for all the balls.
• Heat a griddle or large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add as many gordas as will comfortably fit in the skillet. Cook for about 20 minutes, flipping every 3 minutes or so. They should get golden brown on the outside, with some charred specks; reduce the heat if they brown too quickly. They're done when the inside is soft and fluffy, and the outside crisp and crunchy. (Gordas are best straight from the griddle, but can be kept in a 250ºF oven until ready to serve, if necessary.)
• Slice open the gordas three-fourths of the way around, then fill each pocket with about 2 tablespoons of the chicharrón prensado, then queso, onion, cilantro, salsa, guacamole, and lime to taste.

Steps:

• Combine corn masa flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add a little water at a time until a firm dough forms. Divide dough into equal pieces and roll between your hands to form small balls. Press dough into 1/4-inch circles.
• Heat a griddle or comal over medium heat. Add dough circles to the hot griddle and cook until light brown, slightly inflated, and cooked on the outsides, about 3 minutes per side.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry gorditas in batches, if necessary, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.