SALVADORAN FOOD RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook onion, tossing occasionally, until pieces are charred on all sides, 10–12 minutes (oil will smoke and onion will pop, so be careful). Don’t stop cooking at “browned,” they need to go further.
• Transfer onion to a blender, reserving oil in pan. Add beans and their liquid to blender and purée, gradually adding ¼ cup warm water if mixture is too thick and blender is struggling, until smooth.
• Heat onion oil over medium. Transfer bean mixture to skillet and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan occasionally, until mixture is the consistency of thick Greek yogurt, 5–10 minutes; season with salt. Let cool (refried beans will thicken as they sit, and that’s exactly what you want); set aside.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat masa flour, 3 tsp. salt, and 2⅔ cups hot water on medium speed until dough is very thick and sticky (alternatively, mix in a large bowl about 1 minute). Let rest, uncovered, 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix cheese and bean mixture in a medium bowl.
• Combine remaining ⅓ cup oil and 1 cup warm water in a medium bowl. Dip both hands in this mixture and rub your hands together to coat. This will prevent dough from sticking to your hands, and will hydrate dough as you assemble.
• Divide dough into 12 balls (about ¼ cup each), keeping them covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out. With 1 ball in the palm of your hand, use your thumb of the opposite hand to create an indentation in the center. Pinch sides to create a well for the filling (it should look like half of a coconut shell). Fill hole with 2 Tbsp. bean mixture. Pinch dough around filling to enclose (it’s okay if some is poking out), then gently flatten to a 4½–5" disk, dipping your hands in oil-water as needed. Repeat with remaining dough and bean mixture (you may have some filling left over).
• Cook pupusa in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until center slightly puffs up and pupusa is browned in spots, 3–4 minutes per side. If filling leaks out, simply scrape off pan after pupusa has cooked.
• Serve with cabbage relish and salsa roja alongside.

Steps:

• Trim the fat from around the top of the heart and remove the sinews. Cut the heart into 4 pieces and put it in a heavy stewing kettle with the meaty bones and liver. Add 3 quarts of water, cover and simmer gently for 3 hours until the meat falls from the bones.
• Strain the broth into a clean pot. Discard the bones and put the meat through a coarse grinder. Grind the heart and liver as fine as possible and combine the 2 meat mixtures.
• Bring the broth to a simmer. Combine the cornmeal and the seasonings and gradually add to the boiling broth, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and add the meat mixture. Stir until everything is well mixed. Cook slowly for 30 minutes, stirring almost constantly so it does not stick to the bottom, as it will be quite thick.
• After 30 minutes it is ready to pour. Rinse 9 small breadpans with cold water or grease them and pour the scrapple to the top of the pans. Set the pans to cool and when cool refrigerate until the next day.
• When ready to eat, unmold the scrapple onto a cutting board and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Melt fat in a skillet and fry the slices until brown and crusty on both sides. Serve immediately with or without maple syrup.
• The loaves can be unmolded and frozen but will keep refrigerated for about 1 week.