Gorditas / Masa Pockets
These fat little tortillas are like Mexican pita bread. Easy to make and fun to eat.
• 1-3/4 c. masa harina
• 1 c. warm water
• 1/3 c. all- purpose flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• ¾ t. salt
Prepare masa: Reconstitute the masa harina with I cup warm water. Knead the masa to make it pliable adding up to 2 T. water to get the right consistency. Like a soft cookie dough. Knead in the flour, baking powder and salt. Divide the dough into 10 equal balls, cover with a dish towel to keep from drying out.
Make Gordita: Line tortilla press with rounds of plastic (cut from a freezer bag). Place a masa ball in the middle of the bottom plastic. Gently close the lid on the press so the flattened masa is ¼” thick and 4” in diameter.
Bake Gordita: Heat a well seasoned non-stick griddle or heavy skillet over med. high heat. Pick up the gordita and peel off the top sheet of plastic, flip over into palm of hand with a bit of edge over the fingers. Carefully let that edge touch the hot grill while quickly sliding your hand out from underneath. Cook gordita about 1/12 minutes on each side. They will look lightly browned on the top and bottom, the sides barely cooked. Place on cookie sheet while the rest are baked.
Fry Gordita: Cover the bottom of a deep heavy saucepan with ½ inch of vegetable oil or peanut oil. Heat to 350 degrees or until the side of a gordita sizzles when it touches the oil. Fry the first side for 15 seconds flip and fry other side 30 seconds. The gordita will puff up (and make that nice little pocket) near the end of cooking. Remove with a slotted spoon and blot gently with a paper towel.
Eat Gordita: Slice along the edge of pocket, halfway around. Stuff the opening with any combination of shredded meats, beans, cheese, guacamole, onions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. So good!
Makes 10
This recipe was adapted from the Rick Bayless book, Mexico, One Plate at a Time
