Chalupas

A chalupa is a tostada platter in Mexican cuisine. It is a specialty of south-central Mexico, such as the states of Puebla, Guerrero and Oaxaca. Chalupas are made by pressing a thin layer of masa dough around the outside of a small mold, and deep frying to produce crisp, shallow corn cups. These are filled with various ingredients such as shredded chicken, pork, chopped onion, chipotle pepper, red salsa, and green salsa.

Chalupas are very similar food to sopes and garnachas. Their preparation methods are similar, but they are considered completely different dishes, due to several differences, sopes are thick and soft, while the chalupa is thin, and crunchy, for example.

A chalupa is usually longer than a sope, resembling the canoe-like boat that is its namesake, although there are also small versions (named chalupitas) available in other regions as appetizers or snacks. Chalupitas are usually topped with a tablespoon of beans, sour cream and chipotle pepper to add flavor in a similar fashion to nachos.

Ingredients

500 g pork shoulder

500 g dry pinto beans (rinsed)

180 ml light beer

50 g can fire roasted tomatoes

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeno peppers or other hot chili, minced (ribs and seeds removed to keep it mild)

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 generous pinch or two of salt

1½ cups water

¾ cup shredded cheese

12 flour tortillas

Elaboration

Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Cover with dry pinto beans, beer, tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, taco seasoning, salt, and 1½ cup water. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 4-6 hours. Don’t open the lid – it adds to the cooking time.

Remove the lid after the cooking time and shred the pork using two forks. You can do this directly in the slow cooker. If it’s too runny, continue to cook with the cover off for a little while. If it’s too dry, add more water.

Sprinkle cheese on top, replace the lid, and cook for another 30 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Place tortillas directly on the oven rack and bake for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the tortillas and bake for another 1-2 minutes under golden brown and crunchy. Be careful because they burn easily! Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Top each tortilla with pork and bean mixture and sour cream.