Memelas Sencillas con Asiento y Frijol
La Despensa y El Comal
A proper memela isn't a weekend project; the masa hisses just fine in a cast-iron skillet on a Tuesday night. For the diaspora cook standing in an American kitchen, far from the wood-fired comals of Oaxaca, recreating that toasted masa edge and pooling fat comes down to synthesizing traditional asiento—the dark, savory sludge of roasted pork fat—from standard lard and crushed chicharrones, and ensuring the black beans carry the sharp, licorice-like bite of the Mexican avocado leaf. Get the cast-iron smoking, smear on the asiento, and eat it standing up.
Ingredients
- pork lard1/4 cup
- crispy pork rinds1/2 cup
- salt1 pinch
- pork lard1 tbsp
- black beans15 oz
- dried Mexican avocado leaves2 large
- dried chile de árbol1 small
- masa harina2 cup
- warm water1 1/2 cup
- fine sea salt1/2 tsp
- queso fresco1/2 cup
- salsa roja1/2 cup
- white onion1/4 cup
- fresh cilantro1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Synthesize the asiento.
In a food processor or small blender, combine the 1/4 cup of room temperature pork lard and the pork rinds with a tiny pinch of salt. Pulse until the pork rinds are completely pulverized into the fat, creating a dark, textured paste, and set aside.
- 02
Hydrate and rest the masa.
In a large bowl, mix the masa harina and sea salt with the warm water using your hands. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough feels like soft, pliable Play-Doh; cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rest for exactly 15 minutes to allow the corn flour to fully hydrate.
- 03
Toast the aromatics and blend the beans.
Heat 1 tablespoon of lard in a skillet over medium heat. Briefly toast the avocado leaves in the hot pan for a few seconds until fragrant, then transfer them (or the substitute anise seed), the black beans with their liquid, and the optional chili to a blender, pureeing until smooth.
- 04
Fry the bean paste.
Pour the blended beans directly into the hot skillet with the residual melted lard. Fry the paste, stirring constantly, for 5 to 7 minutes until it thickens into a rich, spreadable consistency, then keep it warm.
- 05
Press the memelas.
Divide the rested masa into golf-ball-sized portions. Place a dough ball between two sheets of plastic and gently press it with a tortilla press or a heavy, flat-bottomed pan until you have an oval or circle about a quarter-inch thick.
- 06
Sear the masa on a hot comal.
Lay the pressed masa gently onto a hot, dry cast-iron skillet and cook for 45 to 60 seconds until the bottom is slightly toasted and releases easily from the pan, then flip.
- 07
Execute the pellizco.
While the second side cooks, use your thumb and index finger to quickly pinch a raised rim around the entire edge of the hot masa, adding a few pinches in the center to create reservoirs for the fat.
- 08
Assemble on the fire and serve immediately.
Generously smear a teaspoon of the asiento directly across the cooking memela, letting the fat melt into the divots and toast the bottom. Spread a spoonful of the warm black bean paste over the fat, remove from the heat, garnish with queso fresco, salsa, onion, and cilantro, and eat immediately.
Notes
The secret to real Oaxacan beans.
Avocado leaves from the Mexican avocado tree have an unmistakable anise flavor that defines Oaxacan beans. If you can't find them dried at a local Latin market, substituting toasted, ground anise seed is the brilliant, scientifically sound hack for weeknight cooking.
Mastering the pellizco.
Pinching the hot masa isn't decorative; it creates a crucial dam to hold the rendered pork fat and bean juices. If your fingers are sensitive to heat, pull the memela off the skillet for ten seconds to pinch it, then immediately return it to the pan to finish.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.