The Tostada That Wants To Be A Memela Food

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN TOSTADAS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot halfway with water and add chuck roast. Add onion and 4 cloves garlic, and season with salt. Cook over medium-low heat until meat is falling apart, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool slightly and shred using 2 forks. Set aside and keep warm.
• Bring water to a boil in a large pot; add pinto beans and salt to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Drain and let cool slightly. Smash beans using a potato masher; set aside and keep warm.
• Place red onions, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl and combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Bring tomatoes, jalapenos, and enough water to cover to a boil in a small pot. Continue to boil until semi-soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly and transfer to a blender. Add remaining 2 cloves garlic; season with salt. Blend hot sauce until smooth.
• Top each tostada evenly with cooked beans, sour cream, shredded beef, lettuce, Cotija cheese, marinated red onions, and hot sauce, in that order.

TOSTADAS

Steps:

• Cook ground beef, onions, crushed red pepper, cumin and chili powder in a skillet until no longer pink, stirring to break into crumbles.
• Stir in refried beans.
• Place equal amounts of the beef and bean mixture on each tostada shell.
• Top with cheese, lettuce and tomato; dress tostada with the optional toppings of your choice.

MEMELAS

Steps:

• Prepare Sauce: Broil the tomatoes and green chile(s) about 2-3" from the coils, on both sides. Peel tomatoes and chiles, core tomatoes, puree with onion in food processor with a little salt.
• Heat oil in frying pan over medium high heat, pour in sauce, a little first, then the rest, heat bubbling until it thickens 2-5 minutes. Add coriander
• Memelas: Mix 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups masa harina and 1 1/3 cups of water with a wooden spoon Turn into a nice dough.
• Divide into 16 pieces
• Heat frying pan over medium high heat
• Roll out memelas to about 3" x 4" between sheets or parchment, wax paper or plastic.
• Fry 3-4 at a time until lightly golden on each side
• If possible, shape them into little dishes with raised edges
• Sprinkle cheese on each memela, spoon on sauce, heat them in a 350F oven for 2-3 minutes.

TOSTADA WITH MEXICAN CORN SALAD

Steps:

• Toast the tortilla in a dry skillet until golden brown, flip to second side and repeat. Once tortilla is toasted, place it on your plate and add a smear of refried beans. Top with a big handful of shredded lettuce and a large scoop of Mexican Corn Salad. Top with toppings of choice. And, enjoy your yummy tostada!

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).