Mexican
Beef Gorditas
Thick, tender comal-cooked masa pockets filled with beef chuck braised in a deep red guajillo-ancho chile sauce.
4 servings · 45 minutes prep · 150 minutes cook
Ingredients
Masa gorditas
- 2 cups masa harina, for tortillas, not cornbread mix
- 1 1/2 cups warm water, plus up to 2 tbsp as needed for hydration
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Beef filling
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 lb beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium white onion, quartered; finely chop one quarter and reserve it for serving
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 5 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and wiped clean
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and wiped clean
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano, crumbled
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups low-sodium beef stock
Optional for serving
- 2 limes, cut into wedges, optional
Directions
Start the beef in red chile
- Heat a dry Dutch oven over medium. Toast dried guajillo chiles and dried ancho chiles for 15-20 seconds per side, just until fragrant and pliable; do not let them blacken. Cover with very hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
- Drain the chiles. Blend them with three-quarters of the onion, garlic cloves, ground cumin, mexican oregano, and 1 cup of beef stock until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Pass the purée through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids, and discard the chile skins.
- Dry beef chuck thoroughly and season it with kosher salt. Heat neutral oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high and brown the beef in uncrowded batches, about 6 minutes per batch; transfer each batch to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the chile purée and cook, stirring and scraping the pot, until it darkens slightly and no longer smells raw, 5-7 minutes. Return the beef and its juices, then add the remaining 1 cup beef stock.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook over low heat for 75 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if the sauce threatens to catch.
Mix and rest the masa
- While the beef continues to braise, whisk masa harina with kosher salt in a mixing bowl. Add the warm water gradually, mixing and kneading for 2 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft but does not stick heavily to clean fingers.
- Cover the masa and rest for 15 minutes. Pinch off a piece and flatten it: if the edge forms wide cracks, knead in additional warm water 1 tsp at a time; if it smears or sticks, knead in masa harina 1 tsp at a time.
Finish the filling
- Continue braising until the beef yields easily to a fork, another 15-45 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring more frequently, until the sauce clings to the beef and a spatula drawn across the pot leaves a trail that closes slowly. Taste and adjust the salt.
Shape and griddle
- Divide the rested masa into 2 equal balls per serving and keep them covered. Press one ball at a time between sheets of cut-open plastic to a 4-inch round about 3/8 inch thick; smooth any small edge cracks with a damp fingertip.
- Heat a dry comal over medium. Cook the rounds in batches for 3-4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second, then turn once more for 1-2 minutes if needed. They should remain mostly pale with scattered toasted spots, feel set rather than gummy at the center, and flex slightly when lifted. Keep them wrapped in a clean towel so steam preserves their softness.
Open and fill
- While each gordita is still warm and flexible, hold it upright on the cutting board and cut a pocket through one edge with a small sharp knife, stopping before the opposite side so a hinge remains. Protect your hand with a folded towel and keep the blade pointed away from it.
- Fill each pocket generously with the hot beef and enough red chile sauce to coat the inside without dripping freely. Serve immediately, offering lime wedges and the reserved finely chopped onion alongside if desired.
