Tetelas with Beans, Cheese and Salsa Verde
Depending on the quality of the masa harina. beans and cheese you use, you may not even want to garnish these delightful triangles, which are filled with refried beans and melty cheese. We highly recommend the masa harinas produced by Masienda; at the time of this writing, they are the only ones made from heirloom corn from Mexico that are available in the U.S. They are far superior to any others we have found. An color will do: blue, pink or white. Of course if you happen to have access to freshly ground masa, that is even better. If so, just skip the dough-mixing part in Step 1.
I like to keep jars of store-bought salsa verde on hand for last-minute tetela cravings; Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods make decent ones. Of course it’s much better if you make your own salsa verde; freshly made pico de gallo is great on these too.
For the cheese, these are wonderful with quesillo (also known as queso Oaxaca, it’s like string cheese’s better self), or queso fresco, but you can use any meltable mild cheese, such as jack.
Optional garnishes are salsa macha, cilantro, sliced avocado and crema (Mexican-style sour cream). Two tetelas makes a nice lunch for most people; serve three per person for dinner or for bigger eaters.
Makes 6 tetelas.
Folding a tetela filled with refried beans
Ingredients
2/3 cup masa harina (preferably Masienda)
2/3 cup refried beans
Shredded quesillo (queso Oaxaca, Oaxacan string cheese) or other mild, meltable cheese
Roasted Salsa Verde (or other salsa) for serving
Salsa Macha and/or crema or sour cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
1. Put the masa harina in a medium bowl, stir in just shy of 2/3 cup water, then use your hands to knead it until the water is evenly absorbed. The goal is a dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky. If it’s too wet, sprinkle in a little masa harina and knead it in. If it’s too dry, sprinkle on a little water and do the same. Make a ball with 30 grams (just over 1 ounce) of dough (if you don’t have a scale, divide the dough into sixths). Line a tortilla press with plastic on both sides, and press the ball into a tortilla about 6 inches wide.
2. If the refried beans are not warm, warm them on the stove, adding a little water or bean-cooking liquid if they’re drying out too much. Keep them warm over low heat while you finish making the tortillas and assembling the tetelas, stirring a little more liquid into the beans if necessary.
3. Remove the top piece of plastic from the tortilla, spread a heaping tablespoon of refried beans in a small circle in the center of the tortilla, then arrange about a tablespoon (about 14 grams or 1/2 ounce) of shredded cheese on top of the beans.
3. Fold one side of the tortilla over the beans and cheese so the edge reaches the center of the beans and cheese (as shown in the illustration above). Fold another side of the tortilla over the mixture, so one corner is a 60-degree angle. Fold the curved side up, completely covering the filling, and forming a triangle. Set aside on a plate or cutting board. Repeat five times, so you have six tetelas.
4. Heat a comal or large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tetelas on the comal, seam-side down, and cook for about 90 seconds, until the tortillas are cooked on that side, then flip the tetelas and cook about 90 seconds on the second side, until the tortillas are cooked on that side and the cheese is melty. Arrange the tetelas on a platter or individual plates, and either top with Roasted Salsa Verde, a dollop of crema and a drizzle of Salsa Macha, or let everyone dress their own.
Tetelas with Beans, Cheese and Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup masa harina (preferably Masienda)
- 2/3 cup refried beans
- Shredded quesillo (queso Oaxaca, Oaxacan string cheese) or other mild, meltable cheese
- Roasted Salsa Verde (or other salsa) for serving
- Salsa Macha and/or crema or sour cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Put the masa harina in a medium bowl, stir in just shy of 2/3 cup water, then use your hands to knead it until the water is evenly absorbed. The goal is a dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky. If it’s too wet, sprinkle in a little masa harina and knead it in. If it’s too dry, sprinkle on a little water and do the same. Make a ball with 30 grams (just over 1 ounce) of dough (if you don’t have a scale, divide the dough into sixths). Line a tortilla press with plastic on both sides, and press the ball into a tortilla about 6 inches wide.
- If the refried beans are not warm, warm them on the stove, adding a little water or bean-cooking liquid if they’re drying out too much. Keep them warm over low heat while you finish making the tortillas and assembling the tetelas, stirring a little more liquid into the beans if necessary.
- Remove the top piece of plastic from the tortilla, spread a heaping tablespoon of refried beans in a small circle in the center of the tortilla, then arrange about a tablespoon (about 14 grams or 1/2 ounce) of shredded cheese on top of the beans.
- Fold one side of the tortilla over the beans and cheese so the edge reaches the center of the beans and cheese (as shown in the illustration above). Fold another side of the tortilla over the mixture, so one corner is a 60-degree angle. Fold the curved side up, completely covering the filling, and forming a triangle. Set aside on a plate or cutting board. Repeat five times, so you have six tetelas.
- Heat a comal or large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tetelas on the comal, seam-side down, and cook for about 90 seconds, until the tortillas are cooked on that side, then flip the tetelas and cook about 90 seconds on the second side, until the tortillas are cooked on that side and the cheese is melty. Arrange the tetelas on a platter or individual plates, and either top with Roasted Salsa Verde, a dollop of crema and a drizzle of Salsa Macha, or let everyone dress their own.
