MEMELAS
 
INGREDIENTS
For the masa:
2 pounds prepared masa for tortillas or 3½ cups masa harina for tortillas
½ teaspoon salt
 
For the bean sauce:
9 avocado leaves (hoja de aguacate), fresh or dried, or 1 teaspoon ground aniseed
9 chiles de árbol, stemmed, seeded, and deveined, or dried Chinese or Thai chiles
2 ½ cup cooked beans in their juice
 
For the salsa con pasta de chile chintestle:
7 large tomatillos (5½ ounces)
2 teaspoons Seasons of My Heart Chintestle Paste*

*Chintestle Paste can be made by roasting and rehydrating and blending one ancho chile, 1 clove garlic and a pinch of salt.
 
To assemble de memelas:
12 teaspoons asiento or bacon drippings (optional)
2½ cups black bean paste
¾ cup queso fresco or queso cotijo, crumbled or grated
¾-1 cup salsa de pasta de chintestle (mild)

1½ cups topping of your choice: ensalada de nopales, huitlacoche or nanacate mushrooms.
 
 
METHOD
For the masa:
If using fresh masa, break up the masa in a mixing bowl with your fingers. Knead the masa with the salt and add ½ cup warm water if needed to make a soft, even dough. 

If you are using masa harina, mix the masa harina with 2¼ cups warm water to make a soft but not dry dough. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow the dough to rest 15 minutes.  Add ½ cup warm water. Knead for 1 minute to make a soft, even dough. When your dough is the proper consistency you can smash it into a disk without it cracking.
 
Divide the dough into 12 balls and cover them with a damp cloth. Press a masa ball out on a press between 2 sheets of plastic. If you don’t have a tortilla press, spread the balls out with your fingertips or the heel of your hand. Remove the top sheet of plastic from the tortilla. Lay it gently on top of the tortilla and invert the tortilla with the plastic on both sides. Peel off the plastic on top and invert the tortilla onto your hand. Remove the remaining piece of plastic. Lay the tortilla on a 10-inch dry comal, griddle, or in a cast-iron frying pan, and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the comal, invert it, and crimp the edges of the tortilla to make a lip around the edge. You must do this while the tortilla is still hot and pliable. You can also make concentric circles, smaller inside the tortilla. Allow it to cool and continue with the remaining tortillas. Cover the finished tortillas with a cloth to keep warm.
 
To make the bean sauce:
Toast the avocado leaves and the chiles de árbol on a 10-inch dry comal, griddle or cast-iron frying pan, 3 to 5 minutes, over low heat until they start to brown and give off their aromas. Crumble both sides of the leaves into a blender, discard the stems. Add the chiles. Grind for a few seconds and then add the beans and the bean liquid. Puree well. Add salt to taste. Set aside.
  
For the salsa de pasta de chintestle (mild):
On a hot comal or griddle roast the tomatillos until they change color and are soft. In a blender place the 2 teaspoons of Seasons of my Heart Chintestle Paste, or the toasted, rehydrated ancho chili, garlic and salt. Add the roasted tomatillos and blend well. Add water as needed to make it fluid. Salt to taste. 
 
To assemble the memelas:
If necessary, reheat the prepared tortillas on the comal. Spread 1 tablespoon of the asiento (if using) on each tortilla. Add 2 tablespoons of bean paste and spread evenly. Sprinkle the cheese over the bean paste and warm them on the comal. To serve, spoon on the topping and salsa of your choice. 
 
Adapted from an excerpted from ¨Seasons of My Heart, A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico¨ (Ballantine Books, November 1999, ISBN 0-345-42596-0)

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