Memelas con Asiento y Quesillo
(meh-MEH-las con ah-SYEN-toe ee keh-SEE-yo)
Mañanas en la Cocina: Breakfasts & Morning Rhythms
If a standard tortilla is the flat plate of Mexico, the memela is its deeply savory, edible bowl. Thicker than a taco, with edges pinched by heat-calloused fingers, it’s the morning rhythm of Oaxaca. The difference between the real thing and a generic corn cake comes down to two grandmotherly secrets: asiento—a roasted, unctuous pork paste—and the subtle, anise-like kiss of toasted avocado leaves in the beans. You don't have eight hours to render pork fat on a Tuesday before work. I get it. So we hack it, blitzing quality lard with crispy chicharrones. It’s a five-minute umami bomb that brings the griddles of the Valles Centrales straight to your kitchen, no apologies or compromises required.
Before you start
Prepare the quick asiento.
In a food processor, combine the pork rinds, half-cup of lard, and a pinch of fine sea salt. Pulse the mixture until it turns into a completely smooth, gritty paste. Set aside.
Ingredients
- pork lard1/2 cup
- crispy pork rinds1/2 lb
- fine sea salt1 pinch
- canned black beans15 oz
- dried avocado leaves2
- dried chiles de árbol2
- white onion1/4 med
- garlic1 clove
- lard1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
- masa harina2 cup
- warm water1 3/4 cup
- fine sea salt1/2 tsp
- Quesillo1 cup
- salsa1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Toast the aromatics.
Heat a dry skillet or comal over medium. Toss in the avocado leaves and the chiles de árbol, toasting them for 60 to 90 seconds until they release a beautiful, earthy aroma. Flip them once and do not let them burn.
- 02
Blend the bean puree.
Transfer the toasted leaves and chiles to a blender. Dump in the entire can of black beans with their liquid, along with the chopped onion and garlic clove. Blend on high until the mixture is perfectly smooth.
- 03
Refry the beans.
Heat one tablespoon of lard in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully pour in the bean puree—it will sputter. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reduces to a thick, spreadable paste. Salt to taste and keep it warm.
- 04
Hydrate the masa.
In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina and a half-teaspoon of fine sea salt. Gradually pour in the warm water, mixing and kneading with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough feels like soft playdough. Cover the bowl with a damp towel so it doesn't dry out.
- 05
Press the memelas.
Pinch off a piece of masa and roll it into a ball slightly larger than a golf ball. Line a tortilla press with a split-open plastic zip-top bag and press the masa gently into a disc about 5 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick.
- 06
Toast on the comal.
Carefully peel away the plastic and lay the thick masa disc onto a hot, dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Let it cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom sets and releases easily, then flip it over.
- 07
Pinch the borders.
Once the memela is flipped and cooked through, immediately transfer it to a cutting board. While it is still steaming hot, quickly use your fingertips to pinch a raised lip around the entire edge.
- 08
Assemble and serve.
Return the pinched memela to the hot skillet. Immediately smear a half-teaspoon of your homemade asiento across the center, letting the pork fat melt into the hot corn. Spread a spoonful of the warm black bean paste over the fat, and top with a generous tuft of pulled Quesillo. Let it cook for one more minute until the bottom is crispy and the cheese begins to melt. Spoon over your favorite salsa and serve immediately.
Notes
The botanical secret.
If you cannot find dried avocado leaves at your local Latin market, do not substitute with standard bay leaves. Add a tiny 1/4 teaspoon pinch of toasted, ground anise seed to the blender to mimic the licorice-like notes of the authentic leaf.
Liquid gold.
The quick asiento hack yields more than you need for one morning. Store the extra in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a month. It is a secret weapon that instantly upgrades fried eggs, standard refried beans, or roasted vegetables.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.