The Tostada That Wants To Be A Memela Recipes

THE TOSTADA THAT WANTS TO BE A MEMELA

Steps:

• Black beans and assembly:
• Place beans, onion, garlic, epazote, and bay leaf in a large pot. Pour in water to cover by 3" and bring to a simmer; cook, uncovered, until beans are very tender, 2-2 1/2 hours.
• Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Pluck out epazote and bay leaf and transfer beans to a large bowl. Using a potato masher, crush beans, adding 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid a few tablespoons at a time, until a coarse texture forms. There should still be some bits of beans visible. Season with salt. If using avocado leaves, grind in a mortar and pestle or spice mill; mix into beans.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add beans (be careful as oil may bubble and spit at you) and fry, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Stir and fry for another 2 minutes. Repeat process two more times, scraping up any browned bits. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Remove beans from heat.
• Toast a tortilla in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until golden brown in spots but not crunchy, about 2 minutes. Turn; toast on other side, another minute or so. Spread a thin layer of fat over one side of tortilla (about 1 tsp.). Spread 2 Tbsp. bean mixture over; sprinkle with one-quarter of 3 oz. queso fresco. Cook until edges of tortilla curl up a bit and beans are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Repeat process with 7 more tortillas.
• Top tortillas with rajas or chorizo and eggs and more queso fresco if desired. Serve with salsa.
• Rajas variation:
• Roast poblanos over an open flame, rotating occasionally, until charred and blistered all over, 10-12 minutes. (Or broil on a rimmed baking sheet 8-10 minutes). Remove stems, skins, and seeds. Slice flesh into 1/2" strips.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and softened, 10-12 minutes. Mix in chiles and oregano; taste and season with more salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and vegetables are very soft, 5-8 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• Chorizo variation:
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook chorizo, using a spoon or heatproof spatula to break up any large pieces, until cooked through and starting to brown, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle some salt onto the skillet. Crack eggs onto salt and immediately break yolks. Cook until underside is starting to brown, about 1 minute. Turn eggs and cook another 30 seconds (yolk won't be entirely runny but shouldn't be cooked through, either).

MEMELAS

Steps:

• Assemble the masa into balls measuring 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide (weighing 55 g each) and set them aside. Press each one individually on a plastic-lined tortilla press. Each ball should be about 5 inches (12 cm) in diameter after pressing.
• Place a nonstick griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Carefully transfer each memela to the comal. Cook each side for about 2 minutes until the tortilla is fully cooked.
• Using your fingertips while the memela is still really hot, fold up a quarter inch of the edges so that the memelas start to look like little boats. Using a knife, make a few slits in the middle. Spread about 1⁄2 teaspoon of aciento on each memela, and layer with another 1½ teaspoons of beans on top.
• Return the memelas to the hot comal, bean side up, and cook until the bottoms get a bit crispy. Top with crumbled queso fresco. Allow the cheese to get warm on the tortilla, then top with salsa. Remove from the heat and serve hot.