Huarache

Rick Bayless’s selected huaraches mix dried masa harina with supplied hot tap water, enclose a smooth cooked-black-bean filling and cook as eight oval cakes. Chorizo, ready salsa, supplied grated queso añejo and thinly sliced radishes finish the crisped cakes.

Masa harina, salt and supplied hot tap water are mixed in a medium bowl and rested under plastic wrap. Selected canned, seasoned cooked black beans are processed smooth, with a little water added if needed to make them spreadable. Supplied casing-removed Mexican chorizo cooks in a separate medium skillet for about four minutes, stirred to break up clumps; excess rendered fat may be discarded.

The selected nonstick heavy skillet heats over medium heat. A few drops of water may be kneaded into the masa if needed. Eight portions are covered with plastic. Two sheets cut from a food-storage bag line the tortilla press. Each portion is rolled into an egg shape, indented with a thumb, filled with two scant teaspoons of beans, pinched closed and rolled into a five-inch cigar.

The press flattens each filled portion between the plastic sheets into a six-inch oval. One sheet is peeled off, the cake is flipped onto the fingers of a hand, and the second sheet is removed before the cake rolls onto the skillet. It cooks for about a minute, is flipped and cooks for another two minutes, then rests on a plate lightly covered with plastic.

Vegetable oil heavily coats the same skillet for the final crisping. Each cake crisps underneath for about a minute and a half, is flipped, and receives about one and a half tablespoons of ready salsa, a little cooked chorizo and supplied grated cheese. After another minute or two, it slides onto an individual plate and is decorated with the supplied radish slices. Extra salsa may be added separately to taste.