Enchiladas Salvadoreñas Rápidas
Antojitos: Weeknight Hacks and Street Food Fixes
A Salvadoran enchilada isn't rolled, it isn't baked in a casserole dish, and it doesn't wait around for the cheese to melt. By quick-pickling the slaw for a jar of sharp curtido and blending good canned beans, you can bypass the all-day affair for open-faced masa tostadas piled with savory refried beans, supermarket ground beef hash, and salty cheese. Drop the baking soda-spiked dough into a hot cast-iron skillet until the fried masa shatters, build the stack high, and eat it over the sink.
Before you start
Hack the quick curtido.
Place the shredded cabbage, grated carrot, and sliced onion in a heat-proof bowl and pour boiling water over them just until covered. Let sit for exactly 1 minute to instantly soften the cabbage, drain completely, and toss with the vinegar, warm water, oregano, and salt to marinate while you cook.
Ingredients
- green cabbage1/2 small
- carrot1 med
- red onion1/2 med
- apple cider vinegar1/2 cup
- water1/2 cup
- dried oregano1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- masa harina2 cup
- sazón with coriander and annatto1 packet
- baking soda1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- water1 1/2 cup
- canola oil1/2 cup
- neutral oil1 tbsp
- ground beef1 lb
- yellow onion1/2 med
- garlic cloves2 med
- Yukon gold potato1 med
- carrot1 med
- yellow mustard1 tsp
- beef bouillon powder1 tsp
- water1/4 cup
- small red beans15 oz
- simple tomato sauce1/2 cup
- eggs3 large
- queso duro blando1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Fry the beef hash.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef in a splash of oil for about 5 minutes, then stir in the minced onion and garlic until fragrant.
- 02
Simmer the picado.
Add the tiny cubes of potato and carrot, mustard, beef bouillon, and water. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the liquid evaporates into a cohesive, savory hash.
- 03
Prepare the golden masa.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the masa harina, sazón, baking soda, and salt. Gradually knead in the warm water until the dough feels like soft clay, adding a splash more if it cracks.
- 04
Press and fry the bases.
Divide the dough into golf-ball-sized spheres and press each flat between two pieces of plastic to a 1/8-inch thickness. Fry them in a heavy skillet with 350°F oil for 2 to 3 minutes per side until puffed, rigid, and deeply golden.
- 05
Build the architecture.
Spread a warm layer of the blended red beans over each fried masa base as the mortar. Top sequentially with a heaping spoonful of beef hash, a handful of tangy curtido, a drizzle of tomato sauce, a slice of egg, and a heavy shower of grated cheese.
Notes
The baking soda is non-negotiable.
It reacts with the hot frying oil to create tiny microscopic bubbles in the dense masa, ensuring the fried base emerges light, porous, and shatteringly crisp rather than turning into a tooth-breaking hockey puck.
Sourcing the cheese.
Authentic Queso Duro Blando is heavily aged, incredibly salty, and slightly smoky. If you can't find it at your local Latin grocer, substitute Pecorino Romano or Cotija to achieve the exact dry, umami-rich finish required.