Authentic Salvadorean Pupusas Recipes

PUPUSAS

Steps:

• Combine tomato sauce, water, cilantro, green bell pepper, onion, crushed garlic, bouillon cube, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Let salsa roja cool for 10 minutes.
• Fill a blender halfway with the salsa roja. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a bowl. Repeat with remaining salsa roja. Return to saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes more stirring occasionally. Allow to cool completely, about 1 hour, and refrigerate.
• Place cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Add 4 cups boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well. Mix in vinegar, scallions, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Chill curtido until serving.
• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until almost fully cooked and not yet crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer bacon and grease (if desired) to a food processor. Add tomatoes, quartered green bell pepper, Monterey Jack cheese, and minced garlic. Puree and season the chicharron with salt.
• Mix masa harina and 1/2 cup water together in a bowl by hand. Add the remaining water slowly, about 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition, until dough is moist but still firm. Cover with a wet towel.
• Heat 1/2 cup oil a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Take a golf ball-sized piece of dough and roll into a ball in your hands. Make a hole in the dough ball with your thumb; put a small amount of chicharron inside the hole, close it up, and flatten the ball with your hands into a thick tortilla shape. Place pupusa in the skillet and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining dough and chicharron.
• Serve each pupusa topped with 2 tablespoons of curtido and 1 tablespoon of salsa roja.

SALVADORAN PULLED PORK PUPUSAS WITH PICKLED CABBAGE

Steps:

• For the pickled cabbage: Combine the vegetables in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, add the vinegar, water, spices, brown sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables. Mix the ingredients well and let stand for at least 24 hours before serving, stirring occasionally. This mixture will keep for 2 to 3 weeks covered in the refrigerator.
• For the pork filling: Season the pork with the salt and pepper and place in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2-inches, about 6 cups. Bring to a simmer and partially cover the pot; cook until the meat is very tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours. Uncover the pork and let it slightly pan fry in its own fat, stirring, until golden brown.
• Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, oregano and cinnamon in a blender. Puree until smooth. Add the tomato mixture to the pork in the saucepan and stir to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until pork is falling apart and most of the liquid has reduced from the sauce. The pork mixture should be very thick. Set aside to cool while you prepare the masa dough. (This will yield more pork than you need for this recipe but any leftover can be frozen and/or used in other recipes. It makes a great filling for tacos, burritos, quesadillas or enchiladas and also works well as a sandwich filling when mixed with a tangy barbecue sauce.)
• For the dough: In a bowl, combine the masa harina with the warm water and salt mix until soft dough forms. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in up to a 1/4 cup of cold water, until the dough become soft but not sticky. Divide the dough into 16 golf ball size pieces. Keep the dough covered as you work.
• To form a pupusa: Rub the palm of your hands with a little olive oil. While holding of the dough balls in 1 hand, press the thumb of the other hand in the middle of the ball of dough to form an indentation, then turning the dough, begin to flatten it with your fingertips into a 4-inch concave disk resembling a small bowl. In the center of the disk add 2 tablespoons of the pork and 1/2 tablespoon of the shredded cheese. Bring the edges of the dough together over the filling and squeeze to form a seal. Working gently, press the dough into a flattened disk, flattening the dough middle and edges to form a thick pancake shape about 4-inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Lightly rub the pupusas with oil and place them on a heated, greased griddle over medium-high heat. Cook each side until golden brown in spots and slightly puffy, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve hot, with a serving of the pickled cabbage on the side.

SALVADORAN PUPUSAS AS MADE BY CURLY AND HIS ABUELITA RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the curtido: In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, onion, and carrots. Pour the boiling water over the vegetables and toss. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain.
• In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the vinegar, oregano, and salt. Pour over the slaw and toss to coat. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer the curtido any any leftover liquid in the bowl to an airtight jar or container.
• Chill for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator, or chill overnight for best results.
• Make the chicharrón: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork shoulder and salt. Cook for 15 minutes without disturbing. If the pork is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Turn the pork over and let cook on the other side for 10 minutes more, or until crispy and golden brown.
• Transfer the pork to a food processor and add the tomato, green bell pepper, and onion. Pulse until a thick paste forms. The mixture should not be watery. Set aside.
• Make the pupusa dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina and salt, then add the water. Use your hands to mix until the dough comes together with a clay-like texture.
• Fill a small bowl with water and a bit of oil and set near your work station. You'll wet your fingers with the mixture as you work to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
• Take a golf ball-sized portion of dough and roll into a ball, then flatten into an even round.
• Fill the dough round with ½ tablespoon chicharrón paste, 1 teaspoon refried beans, and 1 teaspoon mozzarella cheese. Fold the dough over the filling until it's completely sealed. Then, pat out the ball between your hands until flat. If the pupusa cracks, patch it with a bit of dough and a little oil. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Heat a large pan or griddle over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil, then place 2-3 pupusas on the pan and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side for 2-4 minutes more, until golden brown and warmed through. Repeat with the remaining pupusas.
• Serve the pupusas with curtido.
• Enjoy!

BASIC CHEESE PUPUSAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add cabbage and cook uncovered until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
• Mix cabbage, apple cider vinegar, water, onion, carrot, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1 pinch salt together in a large bowl. Refrigerate until flavors combine, 8 hours to overnight.
• Combine masa harina, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl; knead until a smooth, moist dough forms. Add water if dough cracks when you press down on it. Let dough rest, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, heavy cream, and scallion together in a bowl to make a paste.
• Divide dough into 8 balls. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to form an indentation. Fill indentations with ricotta cheese paste. Pinch edges together around the filling; flatten and smooth into round 1/4 inch-thick patties between your palms.
• Grease a skillet with cooking spray; preheat over medium heat. Cook pupusas in batches until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Drain cabbage mixture and serve alongside pupusas.

PUPUSAS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine masa harina with salt. Add water and mix for 2 minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes to hydrate the mix fully.
• Coat your hands with oil. Form a small ball and with your thumb, create a well in the middle. Fill with cheese and pinch to close. Flatten the ball to create a small disk.
• Add oil to the skillet and heat it over medium heat. Once hot, place the pupusas and cook for 4 minutes per side.

AUTHENTIC SALVADOREAN PUPUSAS

Steps:

• The Beans:.
• Heat the corn oil in a large soup pan on medium high heat. Once the oil is heated fry the onion until golden brown.
• While the onions are cooking, place half of the beans and 1/2 cup of the reserved bean liquid in a blender and blend for 1 minute.
• Once the onion is golden in color, about 4 minutes take the onion out with a slotted spoon.
• Carefully stir the beans from the blender into the hot oil. Turn your heat down to medium low.
• Next add the onion and the rest of the beans and reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid into the blender and liquefy for a minute. Add the beans to the rest of the mixture that is already cooking.
• Carefully stir the beans until no oil appears in the beans, about 3 minutes. Cook on medium stirring about every 5 minutes until the beans have darkened about 3 shades and are the consistency of refried beans in a can.
• The Cheese:.
• Place the shredded mozzarella, lorocco, and bell pepper in a food processor and process until the bell peppers and lorocco are chopped into tiny pieces and fully incorporated into the cheese.
• Next, place the cheese mixture into a plastic bowl and warm the mix in the microwave for no more than 20 seconds.
• Next -- and yes this sounds gross, squeeze the cheese mixture with your hands until it becomes like a soft putty consistency.
• Set the cheese aside and get ready for the masa.
• The Masa:.
• Place the masa mix and water in a bowl and stir until fully mixed. The masa should be very sticky but should form an easy ball when rolled. If not, add water until it is sticky but easy to work with.
• Next, Place an egg size ball of masa in your hand (it helps to place a tiny bit of oil on your hands before doing this) and press the masa out in one hand to represent a small plate the size of your palm.
• Place about a tablespoon of cheese down onto the masa, then a tsp of beans. Pull the sides of the masa up around the beans and cheese and roll it into a ball. Next, flatten it a tiny bit with your palms to form a thick disc. Pat the disc turning it between your hands about 6 times to flatten it more but to keep it in a round shape.
• The pupusa should be a little less than 1/2 inch thick.
• Place the pupusa on a large oiled non stick surface and cook on medium high until each side is golden brown, around 3 minutes on each side.
• Enjoy!

PUPUSAS WITH CURTIDO FROM EL SALVADOR

Steps:

• Combine the masa harina, warm water and salt, mixing thoroughly. Let mixture stand for five minutes.
• Knead with your hands for about 3 minutes, moistening your hands with water as you work.
• Form 8 small balls with the dough. Place each ball between 2 plastic bags and with a flat pot cover, flatten to 1/2 inch.
• Remove the top plastic of 4 tortillas, sprinkle the cheddar cheese, queso fresco and mozarella cheese over the bottom of each tortilla. Add the refried beans evenly on top of the cheese, then top with chicharron. Top with another tortilla. Press the borders to close the pupusa so the filling does not come out.
• Add the oil to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the pupusas in the pan, and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until a crust forms or they are golden brown. Serve warm with curtido.

PUPUSAS

Steps:

• Make Dough: Add masa harina (corn flour) and salt to a large mixing bowl. Add the warm water, little by little, mixing the dough with your hand. You may not need all of the water. You want the masa to be the consistency of a soft play dough. If the dough is too wet, mix in some more masa harina. If it's too dry, add a little more water. Mix in butter and chicken bouillon, if using.
• Scoop into balls: Scoop the dough into large, golf-ball-size portions. You can scoop all of the dough into balls before continuing, or make 1 pupusa at a time. Be sure to keep the dough covered with a damp cloth as you work, to keep it from drying out.
• Flatten and add filling: Use the palms of your hands to pat the dough into a disc, about 4 inches in diameter. Scoop about half a tablespoon of the beans and place it in the center of the dough circle, followed by a pinch of shredded cheese.
• Shape into disc: Gently bring the edges of the dough up and around the filling, pinching it closed into a ball. Gently pat the dough between your palms to form it into a disc again. Be gentle so you don't have big cracks of filling come through, but if you do have some, its fine! They don't need to be perfect.
• Cook: Heat a large un-greased skillet or pan over medium heat. Place pupusas on the hot pan and cook for about 2-4 minutes on each side. You will know the pupusas are ready to flip when the edges are set and the bottom is lightly golden.
• Serve immediately, topped with Curtido and Salsa Roja.