Dinner Tonight: Sopes
The first time I had a sope was at this little restaurant called Maize in Chicago. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it the first time I had one; it just looked like a fried tortilla shell, but the corn flavor was much more intense, and it didn't taste greasy at all. I've been smitten with them since, but I haven't been able to find them in Ohio, nor have I recreated them at home since I'm always a little leery about frying in the apartment. That is, until I ran across this website that walked through the process. I didn't use the exact same recipe that they did, but I did find their instructions wonderful.
Turns out sopes are pretty easy to recreate. I'm not sure if this is the most authentic version of them, but it is an incredibly tasty one. The only part that might scare off people is the moment the thermometer comes out to measure the hot fat. Instead of filling a large pot with gallons of oil and frying them all at once, I poured just a tiny amount into the smallest pot I could find and fried each sope individually. It took a little longer than I had originally planned, but it made for a cleaner process. As for the fillings, I just decided to use what I had on hand, which included a can of black beans, some leftover roast pork, salsa, and sour cream—whatever filling you decide is up to your own preference. These little guys make for a great alternative to tortillas.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a co-founder of The Paupered Chef, a blog dedicated to saving time and money while enjoying food in every way possible. He sells wine for a living and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Sopes
- serves 3-4 -
Ingredients
1 cups masa harina
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups water
Black beans
Roast pork
Salsa
Sour cream
Canola oil
Procedure
1. Mix together the masa, salt, and water with your hands until it forms a smooth ball. Add more water if it's too dry and not coming together. Divide into 8 balls.
2. Place a ball in between two 6 inch square pieces of plastic wrap. Flatten with a tortilla press or with a large pot, until about 1/4 inch thick and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Fold up the sides to create a 1/2 inch or so edge all the way around. Repeat with the other balls.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. When it's hot, place one sope in the skillet at a time, flat side down, for about a minute until the bottom firms up. Repeat with the other balls.
4. Pour about 1/2 inch of the canola oil into a small pot. Heat to 350°F. Prick the inside of the sopes a few times with fork. When ready, place one sope in the pot and cook until it browns, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and drain upside down. Repeat with the other sopes.
5. Fill with your favorite taco accessories. I had some black beans, roast pork, salsa, and sour cream. Something as simple as guacamole would work wonderfully too.
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7 Comments:
I wish my mom had washed out my mouth with these sopes when I used bad words, instead of Ivory soap! First time I've heard of them.
PerkyMac at 4:40PM on 06/30/08
I've never heard of these before either. Sounds tasty!...although I too am leery about frying.
Robyn Lee at 4:51PM on 06/30/08
Wow, these look terrific! I love sopes, but have not attempted making them at home. Thanks for the recipe!
Paula T at 5:06PM on 06/30/08
I make these as well, but if I don't want to dig out the deep fryer, I just spray 'em with a bit of olive oil and bake them until crisp.
kaszeta at 9:00PM on 06/30/08
Coincidentally, my friend left her bucket of masa here last night after she made a few dozen corn tortillas to go with dinner ... sounds like sopes are in order to go along with the leftover ropas viejas!
maered at 11:42PM on 06/30/08
I love sopes! The first time I ever had them I went to a Mexican friend's house for lunch. We made them together. She put in refried beans with sauteed onions, mexican chorizo, and sour cream. Gosh, they were good. I still make them from time to time. Yum!
puppymomma at 2:12PM on 07/01/08
A little advice from Mexico.
You don't need a lot of fat to fry the Sopes, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan or skillet. You need first to cook them in a pan without oil until they are firm and start to blister a little. Then you can fry them a little just to bring out the flavor. The cooking is done on the first step, not while frying.
I usually eat sopes with refried black beans, shredded chicken breast, some salsa (whatever you have in hand) and some cream.
Hope this tip serves you.
velascomike at 9:55PM on 07/01/08