Recipe: Beef Sopecitos with Salsa Verde

Sopecitos (also known as sope) originated in central and southern Mexico, and are made from fried, ground maize, and are topped with cheese, meat, black beans… or any other Mexican staple that takes your fancy.

They might not be the most well known part of Mexican cuisine (in this country at least), but if you want to mix things up we recommend that you ditch the burritos and give them a go — once you’ve prepped, they’ll take less than 20 minutes to cook.

Makes: 24 pieces

Prep: 40–60 mins Cook: 15 -20 mins

Ingredients:

Sopes / Sopecitos

325ml masaharina (Mexican tortilla flour)

250ml water

Oil, for frying

Salsa Verde

10 tomatillos

8 serrano (chilli peppers)

onions (sliced)

1 tbsp chopped garlic

2 tbsps salt

Beef with Encona Mexican Smokey Jalapeno Sauce

700g of Steak — 1/2cm / 1cm Diced — Sirloin best.

Encona Mexican Smokey Jalapeno Sauce??? Sauce to taste.

Oil to cook.

Fresh Coriander to garnish

What to do:

To make the Sopes / Sopecitos:

1. Mix the masa and water together into a smooth consistency for about 3 to 5 minutes. If working in large amounts cover the bowl with a damp towel to keep from drying out.

2. Divide the dough into 24, and roll each into a firm ball. Line both sides of a tortilla press or 2 cutting boards with 2 pieces of cling film. Place the masa balls, one at a time, in the middle and apply pressure until dough spreads out to a 6cm diameter.

3. Take each disk and carefully mould the edge between thumb and forefinger to create a lip or edge.

4. Heat 2.5cm of vegetable oil to 180C. Add the sope shells to the oil, one at a time, and cook on both sides until crispy and golden brown.

5. Keep the shells warm until they are all cooked and ready to serve.

Tip: When you press the dough into a flat circle, if the edges are cracked deeply the dough may be too dry. If the disk of dough does not remove from the cling film easily, the dough maybe too moist.

To make the Salsa Verde:

1. Place the tomatillos, serrano chilli peppers, onion slices and garlic in a saucepan, and add enough water to just cover them. Sprinkle the salt over the top, bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the tomatillos are soft and have turned slightly brownish in color, 20 to 30 minutes. Add more water if needed to keep the mixture from burning as it cooks.

2. Pour the cooked vegetables into a food processor and blend until the required texture / coarseness is achieved.

Tip: Good, readymade Salsa Verde is available if you prefer.

Beef with Encona Mexican Smokey Jalapeno Sauce

1. Heat oil in frying pan over moderate to high heat.

2. Season meat and carefully add to pan. Fry until meat starts brown.

3. Add Encona Mexican Smokey Jalapeno Sauce

Tip: You can use most meat, poultry, fish and even seafood to make your sopecitos and pre-marinade your choice in Encona Mexican Smokey Jalapeno Sauce for added flavour.

To serve:

Take one Sopecito, fill with a few pieces of Encona Mexican Beef, top with a little Salsa Verde and sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander.

Tip: For a more filling dish add a layer refried beans before finishing with the Encona Mexican Beef

Recipe courtesy of Encona Sauces. Find out more.

Originally published at https://www.thenationalstudent.com.