Tlacoyos

Ingredients

Masa

• 600 gmasa harina, or 800 g fresh nixtamalised masa
• about 500 ml warm water
• 1 tspsalt

Bean filling

• 300 gcooked black or pinto beans
• 1onion
• 2 tbsplard or oil
• 1avocado leaf, toasted, optional

Fava filling

• 300 gdried split fava beans, cooked to a paste
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 1 tspcumin

To top

• 200 gnopales, cactus paddles, cleaned and grilled
• 1onion, chopped
• coriander
• 150 gqueso fresco, crumbled
• salsa verde or roja
• a squeeze of lime

Equipment

• a comal or heavy griddle
• a tortilla press, optional

To serve

• hot from the comal

Directions

1. Use fresh nixtamalised masa from a tortillería if you possibly can. Mix the masa harina with warm water and salt and knead it for several minutes. Knead it properly, for four or five minutes, until it is smooth and pliable with no dry patches. It should feel like soft modelling clay, and a small ball pressed flat should not crack at the edges.
2. Let it rest, covered, for 20 minutes, and keep it covered at all times. Masa dries out within minutes of being exposed and then cracks, so a damp cloth over the bowl is essential.
3. Fry the onion in lard, add the cooked beans, and mash them into a thick paste. Cook the paste until it is genuinely stiff and holds its shape. Cool the filling completely before use. Now the shaping, which takes practice.
4. Take a ball of masa about the size of a golf ball and flatten it into a thick disc in your palm. Put a spoonful of filling in the centre. Seal it properly.
5. Roll it gently into a ball again to smooth the seam. Press it out to about 1 cm thick and roughly 12 cm long. Work it between your palms, turning it, and taper both ends into points. Keep them thick. A tlacoyo is substantial and a thin one is simply a stuffed tortilla. Heat the comal until a drop of water dances on it.
6. Lay them on and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Do not move them for the first few minutes, which lets a crust form and stops them sticking. Press one gently: it should feel firm rather than doughy.
7. Pile on grilled nopales, chopped onion, coriander and crumbled queso fresco. Nopales are cactus paddles, and they must be cleaned of spines and grilled or boiled first, which removes their slippery liquid. Add salsa and a squeeze of lime. Serve them immediately, in the hand, eaten hot.

Technique

• The shape and the filling are pre-Hispanic and the toppings are later additions.
• Nopales must be de-spined and cooked before they go on.
• Fresh masa from a tortillería is noticeably better than masa harina.

Substitutions

• Masa harina in place of fresh masa.
• Any cooked bean mashed to a stiff paste.

Variations

• Filled with requesón, the fresh curd cheese.
• Filled with chicharrón prensado.
• Topped with huitlacoche or squash blossoms.

History

Pre-Hispanic in form, still made on comales by market women in central Mexico exactly as depicted in colonial codices.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tlacoyos?

Tlacoyos is a street food from Mexico: oval masa patties stuffed with beans or fava, griddled and topped with nopales. Pre-Hispanic in form, still made on comales by market women in central Mexico exactly as depicted in colonial codices.

How long does Tlacoyos take to make?

Tlacoyos takes 40 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 10 tlacoyos. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Tlacoyos?

Yes, within limits. Masa harina in place of fresh masa. Any cooked bean mashed to a stiff paste.

What is the most important thing to get right in Tlacoyos?

Lay them on and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Do not move them for the first few minutes, which lets a crust form and stops them sticking. Press one gently: it should feel firm rather than doughy.