Recipe: Gorditas

Hi, I hope this helps. This is a recipe from a little cookbook that I have called De Grazia and Mexican Cookery.

Gorditas:

4 cups masa harina
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup lard or vegetable shortening
2 2/3 cup warm water or broth
cooking oil for deep fat frying

Mix 1st 4 ingred. whip lard until fluffy and cut into dry ingred. with pastry blender or fingers. Add water or broth and mix until the dough holds together well. Flour the palms of the hands lightly and roll the dough into 12-15 balls using approximately 2 tbsp. dough. Press the balls into flat round cakes 4 inches in diameter. Bake on a med-hot, ungreased griddle or frying pan over med-high heat for just a few min. or until they begin to turn slightly brown. Remove cakes from griddle or frying pan and allow to cool until you can touch them. With your fingers, pinch a slight ridge around edge of each cake to form a little tart shell. This can be done ahead of time until ready to fry. Fry in hot cooking oil at 365 degrees for a few min. or until lightly golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Filling:
1/2 pound ground beef or chorizo Removed from casingst
1 tbsp cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp chopped onion
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp chopped chilies, optional
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded monterey jack or swiss cheese

brown the beef or chorizo in oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. If using beef, add onion, garlic and chilies and cook until onion is tender. Drain off excess fat. Fill the base of gordita with 1 1/2 tbsp. meat. Sprinkle each with 1 tbsp. lettuce and 1 tbsp cheese. If desired, top with a small amount of sauce.

Gordita sauce:

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 tbsp olive or cooking oil
dash of tabasco sauce

Comb. all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over med. heat for 20-30 min. until slightly thickened. Allow to cool. Yield:16-18 gorditas