AI-generated image
Gorditas de migajas
Masa cakes with pork crackling
Querétaro's thick masa cakes filled with crunchy pork crackling crumbs and asiento
MexicanIn Querétaro, gorditas de migajas are a breakfast and market favourite, cooked on wide griddles in the old town and in the street stalls of the Sierra Gorda. They are thick corn cakes filled with migajas, the crunchy crumbs of pork crackling left at the bottom of the carnitas or chicharrón vat, bound with asiento, the brown, savoury pork lard full of toasted bits. This is very much a pork dish; plain pork lard and finely crushed pork crackling make a good substitute if you can't find asiento. Split open while hot, they are filled with red salsa, onion, coriander and crumbled cheese. Chef's tip: cook them over a medium, not high, heat so the inside cooks through before the outside burns.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz pork crackling (chicharrón)crushed into fine crumbs, or migajas from a carnitas stall
- 2 ⅛ oz asiento (unrefined pork lard)or pork lard
- ¼ tsp saltonly if the crackling is unsalted
For the dough
- 14 oz masa harina
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups warm wateras needed
For the salsa
- 3 tomatoes
- 3 dried chiles de árbolstems removed
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp salt
To serve
- ½ white onionfinely chopped
- 1 handful corianderchopped
- 2 ⅞ oz queso fresco or feta (optional)crumbled
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 5 ½ oz pork crackling (chicharrón) with 2 ⅛ oz asiento (unrefined pork lard) and ¼ tsp salt into a crumbly, moist paste.
Step 2: Mix 14 oz masa harina and 1 tsp salt, then work in 2 cups warm water until the dough is soft and smooth, like play dough, and doesn't crack when pressed. Cover with a damp cloth.
5 minStep 3: Roast 3 tomatoes and 3 dried chiles de árbol in a dry pan over a medium heat, the chillies for only 20 seconds, the tomatoes until blistered and soft. Blend with 1 clove garlic and ½ tsp salt.
10 minStep 4: Roll 12 balls of dough. Flatten one in your palm into a thick cup, put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the middle, close the dough around it and pat it into a disc about 10 cm across and 1 cm thick. Repeat with the rest.
15 minStep 5: Cook the gorditas on a dry comal or heavy pan over a medium heat, turning every couple of minutes, until both sides have brown spots and they puff slightly. The most common mistake is a pan that is too hot: the outside scorches while the centre stays raw and pasty.
20 minStep 6: While hot, slit each gordita open along one side like a pitta. Spoon in salsa, ½ white onion, 1 handful coriander and 2 ⅞ oz queso fresco or feta, and eat at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gorditas de migajas take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Taiwanese grilled corn
At Raohe and Shilin night markets the grilled-corn stalls are easy to find: look for the queue and the smoky, sweet smell. Cobs are par-cooked, then turned slowly over charcoal while the cook brushes them with a dark glaze of sacha sauce, thick soy paste, garlic and chilli, layer after layer, until the kernels are sticky, slightly charred and deeply savoury. It is eaten hot from a paper sleeve while walking the market. Sacha (shacha) sauce, a Taiwanese barbecue paste, usually contains dried fish and shrimp; vegetarian sacha is sold in Asian shops. Contains soy, wheat and fish. Chef's tip: brush thin coats and turn often; one thick coat burns before the corn chars.
Taiwanese
Masala khakhraCrisp roasted wheat crackers
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Indian
Lumpiang sariwaFresh vegetable spring rolls
Lumpiang sariwa ('fresh lumpia') is the unfried cousin of the crisp Filipino spring roll, served at fiestas, family gatherings and as a substantial afternoon merienda around Manila and the Tagalog provinces. A thin, soft egg crepe is wrapped around a lettuce leaf and a warm sauté of sweet potato, jicama, carrot, green beans, cabbage and tofu, then covered in a glossy brown garlic sauce and a shower of crushed peanuts. In Negros the filling is heart of palm (ubod) instead. It is eaten with a knife and fork, or carefully by hand. Chef's tip: make the crepes thin enough that you can almost see light through them; thick ones turn rubbery and hide the filling.
Filipino