Panuchos y Salbutes
(pah-NOO-chos ee sahl-BOO-tes)
Mérida Market Afternoons: Antojitos & Front Porch Snacks
To the uninitiated, a panucho and a salbute look like identical twins—fried discs piled high with shredded chicken, crisp lettuce, and the electric pink of pickled red onions. But the magic lies in the masa. The panucho is a masterclass in texture, a pure corn tortilla coaxed into puffing on a screaming hot comal, sliced open, and stuffed with velvety black beans before frying to a rigid crunch. The salbute is the softer, richer sister, its raw dough spiked with a secret dash of wheat flour and baking powder, dropped directly into hot oil to puff into a pillowy, greasy canvas. This is the food that defines an afternoon in Mérida, adapted here so you can capture that exact olfactory memory on a Tuesday night in America.
Before you start
Replicate the acidity of the elusive naranja agria.
Blanch the sliced red onion in boiling water for sixty seconds to remove its harsh bite, then drain and toss with the orange juice, lime juice, white vinegar, oregano, a half teaspoon of salt, and the habanero, resting for at least thirty minutes.
Hack the labor-intensive frijol colado.
Blend the entire undrained can of black beans with the epazote and a pinch of salt until completely liquefied, then fry aggressively in the lard over medium heat for ten minutes until it reduces to a thick, spreadable paste.
Prepare a quick weeknight achiote chicken.
Toss the shredded rotisserie chicken in a skillet with a tablespoon of oil, the chicken broth, and the achiote paste until the meat is warmed through and stained a vibrant, earthy red.
Ingredients
- masa harina4 cup
- all-purpose flour3 tbsp
- baking powder1/2 tsp
- salt2 tsp
- warm water3 cup
- red onion1 med
- sweet orange juice1/2 cup
- lime juice1/3 cup
- white vinegar1/4 cup
- dried Mexican oregano1 tsp
- habanero pepper1 med
- canned black beans15 oz
- dried epazote1/2 tsp
- lard2 tbsp
- rotisserie chicken meat2 cup
- vegetable oil1 tbsp
- chicken broth1/4 cup
- achiote paste1 tsp
- vegetable oil2 cup
- iceberg lettuce1 cup
- tomato1 med
- cucumber1 med
- avocado1 med
Method
- 01
Knead the pure corn masa for the panuchos.
Combine two cups of the masa harina with a half teaspoon of the salt and one and a half cups of warm water, working it with your hands until it mimics the texture of soft play-dough.
- 02
Press the panucho dough into thin discs.
Form the dough into one-ounce spheres and flatten them to an eighth-inch thickness using a tortilla press lined with a cut-up plastic bag.
- 03
Coax the tortillas to puff on a hot comal.
Lay the raw tortilla on a screaming hot, ungreased cast-iron skillet for forty-five seconds, flip for sixty seconds until golden spots form, then flip once more and tap the center to force the trapped steam to balloon the dough.
- 04
Slit and stuff the puffed tortillas.
Once cool enough to handle, carefully slice open the edge of the pocket with a paring knife, smear exactly one teaspoon of the prepared black bean paste inside, and press gently to seal.
- 05
Mix the enriched salbute dough.
In a separate bowl, blend the remaining two cups of masa harina with the all-purpose flour, baking powder, a half teaspoon of salt, and one and a half cups of warm water until perfectly smooth.
- 06
Fry the salbutes straight from the raw dough.
Press the enriched dough into slightly thicker discs and drop them directly into a deep skillet of 350°F vegetable oil, watching them instantly sizzle and inflate into soft, pillowy canvases. Fry for about a minute per side, then drain.
- 07
Fry the stuffed panuchos to a rigid crunch.
In that same hot oil, fry the bean-stuffed panuchos for a minute or two per side until they turn golden and unyieldingly crispy.
- 08
Build the antojitos from the base up.
Lay the warm panuchos and salbutes flat on a plate, lay down a protective bed of thinly shredded lettuce to catch the grease, and pile high with the warm achiote chicken.
- 09
Crown with acidity and fresh crunch.
Finish each disc with thin half-moons of tomato and cucumber, a generous drape of the pickled red onions, and a rich slice of fresh avocado.
Notes
Respect the physics of the puff.
If your tortillas refuse to balloon on the comal, the pan isn't hot enough or your dough is too dry. Knead in a splash of water and ensure the iron is smoking before trying again.
Protect the delicate masa.
Never force a tear when stuffing the panuchos. Let them cool slightly before slicing, and ensure your black bean puree is blended perfectly smooth so stray bean skins don't rupture the dough from the inside out.
Embrace the failed puff.
If a panucho simply won't separate to form a pocket, don't throw it away. Drop the unstuffed, cooked tortilla into the hot oil for a perfectly satisfying, if slightly less canonical, tostada.