Salvadoran Pupusas

Preparation

The curtido really needs to sit at least overnight, so prepare that first. Toss the shredded cabbage, carrots, jalapeño, salt, oregano and coriander together well in a large, glass bowl that has a sealable lid. Pour the apple cider vinegar and warm water over it and give it all another thorough toss. Seal the bowl with the lid and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight to meld together.

Next, start on the filling. This can also be done the day before or on the day you want to make the pupusas. Get out a large dutch oven and heat the dash of olive oil in it over medium high heat. Cook the jalapeño, onion and garlic in it for a minute to get them fragrant. Then add the pork in and brown it on all sides. It does not need to be cooked through at this point, just brown. Season it while it browns with the seasoned salt, dried oregano and smoked paprika. Once it is browned and seasoned, add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste and let them cook with it for a minute. Finally, add the chicken stock and bay leaves. Let the chicken stock come to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Cover the pot with its lid and let the pork simmer low and slow for 3 hours.

While the pork cooks, make the red sauce (salsa roja) for topping the pupusas. This can also be done either the day before or the day of making the pupusas. Combine the tomato, jalapeño, onion, salt, garlic powder and water in a large blender. Blend it until it is smooth and liquified. Then pour it into a small pot and heat it up over medium high heat. Let it gently bubble for 5–10 minutes until it cooks through and turns into a gorgeous, thin red liquid. Seal it in a container and refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.

Once the pork is done cooking, remove it from the pot and bring the liquid up to a gentle boil again. Shred the pork off of the bone and discard the fat back. Then return the shredded pork to the pot and also add the refried beans. Let it all cook together until the liquid is pretty much cooked off for about 15 minutes. Take the pot off of the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Set up a food processor and transfer the cooled mixture into its bowl. Pulse it a few times to make it a fine, uniform mixture. At this point you can put the filling in a sealed container and refrigerate it.

When you are ready to make the pupusas, put together the simple masa dough. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Then start by pouring 5 1/2 cups of the warm water in. With clean hands, work it all together into a dough. If it is still a little crumbly, add more water gradually and keep working it until it is a soft, slightly wet dough. Then get out an electric griddle and heat it up to 375ºF.

Grease your hands liberally with olive oil. Then take a 1/4 cup portion of the dough and roll it into a smooth ball. Press it with your hands into a disc and transfer it between your hands while you press firmly to thin it out. It is basically like clapping hard while you transfer it between your hands. Then take a tablespoon of the pork filling and a pinch of the queso fresco and place it in the middle of the disc. Bring the edges over the filling almost like closing a dumpling. Since it will almost be like a little ball at this point, smooth out the ball in your hands and press it out again into a thin disc with the filling inside.

Get the pupusa onto the hot griddle and cook it for about 3 minutes on each side. It should get golden with little sun spots on the outside. Keep forming and cooking the pupusas this way until the dough is all used up. As they finish cooking, transfer them to a plate and cover them with foil to keep them warm. There will be some pork filling and cheese leftover. They go perfectly in tacos for leftovers! Serve the pupusas warm with the salsa roja and curtido on top. They also make great leftovers and reheat well in the oven!