Pupusas Revueltas (Salvadoran Stuffed Masa Cakes)

About This Recipe

Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador and arguably the most beloved street food of Central America. They are thick, hand-shaped corn masa cakes — somewhere between a thick tortilla and a stuffed flatbread — filled with combinations of seasoned pork (chicharrón), melty quesillo cheese, refried beans (frijoles refritos), and sometimes squash blossoms (ayote) or loroco buds. 'Revueltas' literally means 'mixed' and refers to the most popular variety: a triple stuffing of all three classic fillings — pork, cheese and beans — in a single pupusa. The masa is mixed with a touch of water and salt, hand-patted around a pinch of filling, sealed, then flattened gently and cooked on a hot comal until the outside is golden-mottled and the inside is molten. Every pupusería in San Salvador has its own technique, but every pupusa in the country is served the same way: with curtido (a sharp pickled-cabbage slaw of vinegar, oregano and chili) and a small ramekin of warm salsa roja for dipping. You eat with your hands, tearing off pieces and topping each bite with a tangle of curtido. National Pupusa Day is the second Sunday of November in El Salvador, but a real Salvadoran family will tell you any day is pupusa day. Outside El Salvador, pupuserías run by Salvadoran immigrants are central institutions in Los Angeles, Washington DC and New York's diaspora communities.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 gmasa harina (Maseca or P.A.N. — fine corn flour for masa, not cornmeal)
• 550 mlwarm water (plus more as needed)
• 1.5 tspkosher salt
• 1 tbsplard or vegetable oil (for the dough)
• 300 gcooked seasoned pork (chicharrón molido — see notes), finely shredded
• 300 gSalvadoran quesillo or low-moisture mozzarella, grated
• 250 grefried red beans (frijoles refritos)
• vegetable oil, for the comal
• 0.5 smallhead green cabbage, finely shredded (for curtido)
• 1 mediumcarrot, grated (for curtido)
• 0.5 smallwhite onion, very thinly sliced (for curtido)
• 120 mlwhite vinegar (for curtido)
• 1 tspMexican oregano (for curtido)
• 0.5 tspred pepper flakes (for curtido)
• 1 tspsalt (for curtido)
• 240 mlwarm tomato salsa roja, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the curtido first

   Combine shredded cabbage, grated carrot and sliced onion in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over to wilt briefly (30 seconds), then drain immediately. Mix with vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt, pack into a jar, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. The curtido sharpens as it sits.

   Best made a day ahead — flavors intensify and texture improves.

2. 2

   Mix the masa

   In a large bowl, combine masa harina, salt and lard. Pour in warm water gradually, mixing with your hands until you have a smooth, soft dough that holds together easily but is not sticky. The texture should be like soft Play-Doh. Cover with a damp cloth and rest 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Combine the fillings

   In a separate bowl, mix the shredded cooked pork, grated cheese and refried beans until combined into a uniform filling — this is the 'revuelta' (mixed) filling. Divide into 12 portions of about 60 g each and roll into balls. Keep covered.

4. 4

   Shape the pupusas

   Wet your hands lightly with oil. Pinch off a 90 g ball of masa, flatten into a disc in your palm, and place a filling ball in the center. Fold the masa edges up and around to fully enclose the filling, pinching the seams shut. Gently pat between your palms to flatten into a 12 cm disc about 1 cm thick — don't let filling burst through.

5. 5

   Inspect for leaks

   If filling pokes through, patch with a small piece of masa and smooth over. A leaky pupusa will weld to the griddle. Stack finished pupusas between sheets of plastic wrap to prevent drying. Work efficiently — shaped pupusas should hit the comal within 10 minutes.

6. 6

   Heat the comal

   Heat a heavy cast-iron comal or large skillet over medium heat. Lightly oil the surface (just a film). Test with a drop of water — it should sizzle but not violently. Pupusas cook through best at moderate heat that takes its time.

7. 7

   Cook the pupusas

   Lay pupusas on the comal in a single layer (don't crowd). Cook 4–5 minutes per side until the surface is mottled golden and brown spots appear. The cheese inside should be melted and the filling steaming. Press very gently with a spatula — never hard, which forces the cheese out.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Stack hot pupusas on a plate. Serve with a generous pile of curtido on the side and a small bowl of warm salsa roja for dipping. Eat with hands: tear open the pupusa, scoop a forkful of curtido on top, and bite. The contrast of hot melted cheese and cold sharp slaw is the entire point.

Variations

• •

  Pupusas de queso: cheese only — the simplest and most beloved version, served at any breakfast in El Salvador.

• •

  Pupusas de frijol con queso: refried beans and cheese only.

• •

  Pupusas de loroco: stuffed with edible loroco flower buds (sold frozen at Latin groceries) and cheese — Salvadoran specialty.

• •

  Pupusas de ayote (squash) with cheese — popular in eastern El Salvador, made with cooked-down sautéed squash.

Storage

Best eaten fresh from the comal. Refrigerate leftover cooked pupusas wrapped in foil for up to 3 days. Reheat on a dry skillet over medium-low heat 3 minutes per side to re-crisp the outside. Freeze uncooked shaped pupusas on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag — cook frozen on the comal, adding 2 minutes per side.

Frequently Asked Questions