A while back I got a tortilla press and a huge bag of masa harina. The bag was big enough that I couldn't envision myself making tortillas enough to keep this masa from taking over the pantry for a while, so I looked for other uses for it and came upon pupusas. I'd heard of these little Salvadoran cheese/meat pockets, because a few food trucks/cart set ups around West Columbia sell them. I used a traditional queso fresco the first time I made them but envisioned a more flavorful cheese on my next iterations. Maybe a fusion of Salvadoran and Southern foods, maybe pimento cheese pupusas.
And of course I wanted the tangy curtido to go with it. But I never had all of the ingredients or the time at the SAME time so it took me a while to get to a place of making these happen, despite the simplicity of it all. I admit though, a Costco sized tub of jalapeno Palmetto cheese was the ultimate kick in the pants to just make these.
Make the curtido at least a few hours ahead of time, if not overnight at least. Then whip these up for a weekend lunch.
Pimento Cheese Pupusas
Ingredients
- 1 cup masa harina
- ¾ cup warm water
- pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp prepared pimento cheese
- Olive or coconut oil
For the curtido
- 1 cup purple cabbage chopped fairly fine
- ½ cup shredded or finely chopped carrot
- ¼-1/2 cup purple onion finely cut
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- enough water to almost cover the vegetable mixture
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- 1-2 shakes dried oregano
- Red pepper flakes to taste 1-2 shakes was enough for me
Instructions
- Combine curtido vegetables and spices in a sealable container. Add vinegar and enough water to almost cover the mixture.
- Stir or shake thoroughly, put the lid on the container, and let sit in the fridge for at least four hours but preferably overnight.
- For the pupusas, combine the masa, water, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a spoon or your hands to mix to the consistency of wet Play Doh.
- Divide the dough into four even chunks and roll into balls. Working one at a time, flatten the dough in your hand into a vague circle shape the size of your palm. Add a tablespoon of pimento cheese to the middle and work the dough edges over the cheese so that it is encased by the dough. Some may peek through the edges but it’s not the end of the world. The first always looks the roughest.
- Flatten the dough balls to about half an inch thickness. Repeat for the other three balls and set aside.
- Heat a little oil over medium high heat and cook the pupusas for two minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Remove pupusas to a serving plate and top with curtido and green onions if desired.
