Tetelas Mixtecas Rellenas de Frijol y Quesillo
(teh-TEH-las meesh-TEH-cas reh-YEH-nas deh free-HOLE ee keh-SEE-yo)
Mañanas en la Cocina: Breakfasts & Morning Rhythms
If you want to know what the morning air smells like in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, you just need to toast an avocado leaf. Tetelas are gorgeous, geometric pockets of masa stuffed with rich black beans and melted string cheese, engineered centuries ago as field provisions that wouldn't leak or spoil. Forget the watered-down diaspora hacks that tell you to mash canned beans with vegetable oil. To recreate the exact, soul-warming taste of a Mexican grandmother’s kitchen, you need the toasted, anise-like aroma of dried avocado leaves and the rich depth of real manteca. Respect the masa, don't overstuff them, and let the hot cast-iron do the work.
Before you start
Toast the avocado leaves to awaken their essential oils.
Place a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the hojas de aguacate for a few seconds on each side until highly fragrant. Be careful not to burn them, then crumble them into a blender.
Sauté the aromatics and puree the beans.
Melt half the manteca in the same skillet, add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft and translucent. Transfer to the blender with the crumbled leaves, black beans, a splash of cooking liquid, and a teaspoon of salt, then puree until smooth.
Fry the bean paste until thick and dry.
Return the puree to the skillet with the remaining manteca and fry over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. The beans must reduce into a thick, creamy paste that spreads like peanut butter; if they are watery, the steam will rupture your masa on the griddle. Set aside to cool completely.
Ingredients
- manteca or pork lard2 tbsp
- white onion1/4 cup
- garlic1 large clove
- dried hojas de aguacate3 med
- cooked black beans1 1/2 cup
- bean cooking liquid or chicken broth1/4 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
- premium masa harina2 cup
- warm water1 3/4 cup
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- quesillo or Oaxaca cheese1 1/2 cup
- Mexican crema1/4 cup
- queso fresco1/4 cup
- salsa verde or roja1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Hydrate the masa to the texture of soft clay.
In a large bowl, mix the masa harina and salt, slowly pouring in the warm water while kneading with your hands. Test the hydration by rolling a golf-ball-sized piece and pressing your thumb into it; if the edges crack deeply, work in a tablespoon more water. Keep the bowl covered with a damp towel.
- 02
Press the masa into sturdy tortillas.
Place a one and a half ounce portion of dough between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic on a tortilla press. Press down firmly to create a circle about six inches across, slightly thicker than a standard taco tortilla.
- 03
Add the filling without overstuffing.
Remove the top layer of plastic. Spoon one and a half tablespoons of the cooled bean paste directly into the center of the masa and top with a small pinch of shredded cheese.
- 04
Execute the triangular fold.
Using the bottom plastic sheet to assist in lifting the delicate dough, fold the left third of the tortilla inward over the filling. Fold the right third inward to overlap it, and finally fold the bottom flap upward to close the parcel into a neat triangle. Gently pat the seams to seal.
- 05
Dry-roast the tetelas on a hot comal.
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet or comal over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Place the tetelas seam-side down first to lock the folds in place. Cook for two to three minutes per side until the masa turns opaque and develops beautiful charred spots.
- 06
Serve like a local.
Eat them piping hot as handheld pockets, or slit them down the middle and dress the interior with crema, salsa, and a flurry of crumbled queso fresco.
Notes
Embrace prep division for weeknight cooking.
Make the authentic bean paste on a Sunday. Once the beans are waiting in your fridge, pressing and folding these tetelas fresh on a Tuesday morning takes barely twenty minutes.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.