Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador. They are very similar to tamales, but with a fabulous crispy outside. They are traditionally filled with either plain cheese, cheese and beans, or meat, cheese and beans. The 3 variations are all included in the recipe below. They are served drizzled with salsa.
2 cups (8 oz) masa harina
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (16 oz) boiling water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cheese Filling:
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
Bean and cheese filling:
6 ounces Monterey jack cheese
6 ounces refried beans
Meat, bean, and cheese filling:
4 ounces leftover cooked chicken, beef, etc
4 ounces refried beans
4 ounces monterey jack cheese
In a large bowl, mix masa harina and salt. Add boiling water and oil and stir together to form a soft dough. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to fully hydrate.
Shred the cheese extremely fine. (Pulse in a food processor if you have one.) If making meat filling, shred the meat extremely fine, pulsing in the food processor. If making a filling with beans, mix the beans with the meat (if using) and cheese.
Roll the filling into 8 balls, 1.5 ounces each.
Once the dough has rested, wet your hands and roll into 8 balls, 3 ounces each. Re-wet your hands as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Make the balls as smooth as possible. Keep them covered so they don't dry out.
Take a gallon zip bag and cut it open along the side seams. Draw a 4 inch circle with a marker on the outside of one side of the bag.
Place one ball of dough inside the bag in the middle of the marker circle and cover it with the top of the bag. Very gently press into a 4 inch circle with a clear pie plate. Peel off the top plastic, flip the dough onto your hand and peel off the bottom plastic. Take a ball of filling and wrap the circle of dough around it. Roll into a smooth ball.
Place the filled ball back on the plastic in the marker circle, cover with the top plastic and very gently press with the clear pie plate into a 4 inch circle. Peel off the top plastic, flip it onto your hand and peel off the bottom plastic. Place the pupusa on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover to keep it from drying out. Repeat to make remaining 7 pupusas.
At this point, pupusas can be frozen and then transferred to a freezer bag. They can be cooked directly from frozen, just add an extra minute or two to the cooking time.
Heat a cast iron (traditional) or nonstick skillet over medium to medium high heat. Cook pupusas 2 to 4 minutes per side until lightly golden brown and crisp. Serve with salsa.
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