Simple Sopes with Beans and Cheese
The sope's secret is pinching warm masa into a corn wall that holds beans and cheese. A Mexican market classic, made right at home.
35 min
Easy
Mexicana
3 servings
The story behind
Pinching the rim of the dough the moment it leaves the comal isn't decoration: that little hand-raised wall of corn is what keeps the beans, crema and cheese from sliding off. That's why a sope is first cooked flat, then pinched while still warm, when the masa gives but has already set inside; let it cool and it cracks. Sopes belong to the broad family of Mexican antojitos, the nixtamalized-corn street food sold in markets and on corners across central and western Mexico, with deep roots in Jalisco, Mexico City and the Bajío. They were originally food on the move: cheap, filling, built from whatever was at hand, refried beans and a scatter of crumbly aged cheese. Nixtamalization, a pre-Hispanic technique, doesn't just soften the kernel; it releases niacin and gives real masa the earthy aroma no industrial flour can fake. Serve them straight off the heat, when the cheese starts melting against the hot beans and steam rises off the griddle. Taste one before plating the rest: the goal is a base crisp outside, tender within.
Instructions
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1Form medium balls with the dough and flatten them slightly to create a thick circle.
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2Cook on a griddle on both sides; upon removing, pinch the edges with your fingers to form the characteristic rim.
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3Lightly fry the sopes in a bit of hot oil or lard so the base gets slightly golden and crisp.
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4Spread a generous layer of refried beans in the center of each sope.
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5Add a dollop of cream and top with plenty of shredded cheese before serving on the decorated plate.
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