gordita

Isabel Orozco-Moore’s gorditas are thick masa-harina pockets cooked on a griddle, slit open and filled. This selected filling uses supplied refried beans and cheese; her discussion associates gorditas with Mexico and describes them as Mexican.

The selected griddle heats over medium-high heat. Masa harina, salt and the listed range of water are mixed into a dough and rolled into sixteen small balls.

Each ball goes between two pieces of plastic wrap in a tortilla press. It is flattened into a disc about twice the thickness of an ordinary corn tortilla. Each side cooks for ten to fifteen seconds, then each side cooks again for a minute, until both have brown spots.

A spatula lightly presses the sides so the gordita inflates. It transfers to a plate and is covered with a light kitchen towel. When it is still hot but can be handled, a selected paring knife makes a slit along one edge to form a pocket.

The pockets receive the selected ready refried beans and cheese. This account follows Orozco-Moore’s griddle method and its pressed dough, brief initial cooking and second cooking that forms the browned exterior.