Pupusas

Overview

When you make pupusas, you join a 2,000-year-old Central American tradition. Only with this recipe, we’ve added one, relatively modern item: irresistible Tillamook Shredded Mexican 4-Cheese Blend.

"Pupusas are a classic El Salvadorian street food. While the recipe is very simple, it takes practice getting them just right. The good news is that masa is very cheap! So practice making them without the cheese until you feel comfortable, then the sky is the limit. You can garnish these with just about anything: salsa, beans, slaw, fried egg, bacon…" - Hosea Rosenberg of Blackbelly Catering

Ingredients

2 cups (16 oz) Masa Harina (finely ground corn meal)
2-3 cups (16-24 oz) warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups (8 oz) Tillamook Shredded Mexican 4-Cheese Blend Cheese
2 jalapenos, remove seeds and stem, diced very small
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Any garnishes you desire

Preparation

Measure out 2 cups Masa into a bowl. Add salt, then gradualy add warm water until you have a firm mixture that doesn’t break apart, but is still moist enough to easily work with. Your masa should be moldable and not sticky. Form into large ball, cover and let rest for 30 minutes. While waiting, make filling by combining diced jalapenos, cheese, cilantro, and any other garnishes in a medium-sized bowl.

Roll each piece into a ball. Balls should be a little larger than a golf ball. Using thumb, make an indentation in ball and fill with about 1 tablespoon of filling. Pinch sides together to cover filling with dough. Place in tortilla press (or press gently by hand) and press gently to make a 5” disk that is about ¼” thick. Repeat with all the dough.

Cook each pupusa on a medium, ungreased griddle or in canola oil in a cast iron skillet for 4-5 minutes on each side, until pupusas are golden brown. Serve immediately, or cool down and wrap. Try topping papusas with salsa, sour cream, or even a fried egg!