Cookbook:Chalupa

| Mexican cuisine | Tex-Mex cuisine

A chalupa is a kind of tostada platter in Mexican cuisine. It is a specialty of South-central regions of Mexico, such as the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. It is made by pressing a thin layer of masa dough around the outside of a small mold and then deep frying it to produce a crisp shallow corn cup. It is typically filled with shredded pork meat, a slice of onion, and a piece of chipotle pepper. In the Americanized form, described below, the tortilla is typically left flat.

Ingredients

 * Vegetable oil
 * 12 corn tortillas
 * 6 cups refried beans (pinto beans or black beans may be substituted)
 * ½ pound grated queso fresco cheese
 * Chopped onion
 * 1 large tomato, chopped
 * 3 cups shredded lettuce

Procedure

 * 1) In a small skillet, heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil. Test the oil for the correct temperature by putting in a small piece of tortilla. If the oil immediately bubbles frantically and the bread quickly becomes crisp then the oil is at the right temperature. This is important because a low temperature will produce an unpleasantly oily and soggy chalupa shell.
 * 2) Fry the tortilla completely flat in the oil, on both sides, until very crisp. Drain and keep the fried tortilla warm on a newspaper or paper towel-covered cookie sheet in a warm oven. Spread a layer of refried beans on each fried tortilla, about ¼ inch thick. Top with a generous amount of grated cheddar cheese and about 1 tablespoon of chopped onion.
 * 3) Place the assembled chalupas on a cookie sheet and brown under broiler until the cheese melts and begins to bubble. Watch them carefully at this stage, as they can burn quite quickly.
 * 4) Top with shredded lettuce and tomato, and serve immediately.