Gorditas

SERVES Serves 6

TIME 2½ hours

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

To make tender, Las Cruces–style gordita shells (gordita means “little fat one” in Spanish), we started with corn flour (masa harina), which forms a dough with less structure than dough made with wheat flour. To avoid dry and crumbly or wet and pasty corn cakes, we combined 5 cups masa harina with just the right amount of water to form a soft, putty-like dough and kneaded in a handful of shredded Colby Jack cheese for extra savoriness. Rather than use the typical cooking method (griddling without fat), we fried the corn cakes to give them exteriors with clear corn flavor and a captivating crispness. A version of picadillo the test kitchen developed a few years back—a mixture of ground beef, cubed potato, and plenty of seasoning—was the perfect fit as a filling. We further stuffed the gorditas with shredded iceberg lettuce and diced tomatoes for freshness and then topped it all off with hot sauce and more tangy shredded Jack cheese to make them even tastier. To make tender, Las Cruces-style gordita shells (gordita means “little fat one” in Spanish), we started with corn flour (masa harina), which forms a dough with less structure than dough made with wheat flour. To avoid dry and crumbly or wet and pasty corn cakes, we combined 5 cups masa harina with just the right amount of water to form a soft, putty-like dough and kneaded in a handful of shredded Colby Jack cheese for extra savoriness. Rather than use the typical cooking method (griddling without fat), we fried the corn cakes to give them exteriors with clear corn flavor and a captivating crispness. A version of picadillo the test kitchen developed a few years back-a mixture of ground beef, cubed potato, and plenty of seasoning-was the perfect fit as a filling. We further stuffed the gorditas with shredded iceberg lettuce and diced tomatoes for freshness and then topped it all off with hot sauce and more tangy shredded Jack cheese to make them even tastier.

INGREDIENTS

subheading: Filling:

1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef

1 russet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces

1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 onion, chopped fine

1 tomato, cored and chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

¾ cup water

subheading: Dough:

5 cups (20 ounces) masa harina

2 teaspoons table salt

3 ⅔ cups water, room temperature

3 ounces Colby Jack cheese, shredded (¾ cup)

1 ½ quarts vegetable oil

note: BEFORE YOU BEGIN

We developed this recipe using Maseca Instant Corn Masa Flour. Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese can be substituted for the Colby Jack. Add hot sauce, shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, and shredded cheese to your filled gorditas, if desired.

Directions at cookscountry.com

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