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Garnachas Juchitecas
Garnachas are antojitos (appetizers) most typically thick masa cakes topped with a variety of meats, beans, chiles with a sauce and cheese. The most simple street vendor recipe uses fried wedges of tortillas and tops them with refried beans and cheese.
This recipe is from Diana Kennedy's My Mexico. The recipe is the regional version from Juchitan.
Ingredients
The Meat
12 ounces boneless steak, trimmed of fat and cubed
1/2 medium white onion, roughly sliced
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
salt to taste
heaped 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
Garnachas
1 rounded cup masa fresh or prepared for tortillas
1/4 cup (or more) pork lard or oil for frying
1/2 cup (Or more) salsa para garnacha (see recipe)
1/2 cup finely grated queso añejo or Romano
1 heaped cup chilito (see recipe)
Instructions
In a saucepan, barely cover the meat with water, add the sliced onion, garlic and salt to taste, and cook gently until the meat is tender, about 50 minutes. Set aside to cool off in the broth, then drain and chop. Mix with the 1/4 cup of onion.
Divide the masa into 12 small balls and cover them with a cloth while you make the garnachas. Press one of the balls into a thickish circle about 3 inches in diameter and cook as you would a tortilla on an ungreased comal or griddle. Cover each cooked garnacha with a cloth while you cook the rest.
Melt half of the lard in a large skillet, place the garnachas in one layer in the pan, top each with a tablespoon of the meat mixture and a good teaspoon of the sauce, and cook gently flipping the lard over the surface of the garnachas from time to time for about 5 minutes. They should be slightly crispy on the bottom.
Set aside, cover and keep warm while you cook the rest. Sprinkle very lightly with the cheese and serve with the chilito on the side.
Chilito can also be used as a relish for cold meats or in sandwiches.
Makes 4 cups
2 pasilla de Oaxaca or 6 chipotle mora chiles
3 fresh jalapeno chiles
1 large carrot
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/3 cup pineapple vinegar or mild vinegar
salt to taste
Slit the pasilla chiles open and remove the seeds and veins. Douse quickly in hot water, wipe dry and clean. Tear them into several pieces. Slice the jalapenos crosswise without removing the seeds. Shave the carrot into think, broad ribbons with a potato peeler. Mix all of the ingredients together. The vinegar should just moisten, not drown, the ingredients. Set aside to season for about 1 hour.