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Guanajuato-Style Pacholas

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  • Prep 15 min
  • Total 1 hr 10 min
  • Ingredients 10
  • Servings 16
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Pacholas are a traditional dish from the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. Ground beef is frequently used in Mexico in burgers, meatloaf or meatballs, and today I want to share a new way to prepare this versatile meat. Pacholas are like meat tortillas. They're thin, but very flavorful. The ground beef is combined with spices and ancho peppers, giving it an unbelievable flavor. Serve with rice and beans or, like in this recipe, with a green salad and sauce or guacamole. Be sure to prepare plenty because they're so good that they'll disappear very quickly.
by Silvia Martinez
Updated Sep 9, 2015
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 3 ancho peppers, deveined
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 10-12 fresh oregano leaves
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup Progresso™ garlic & herb bread crumbs
  • Oil for frying

Directions

  • 1
    Heat the cup of water in a small pot. Add the peppers and garlic when it boils, let boil for a few minutes. Lower the heat, cover the pot and let sit for 15 minutes. Be sure that the water covers the peppers completely.
  • 2
    After 15 minutes, place the peppers, garlic, oregano and 4 tablespoons of the water in a blender or food processor and mix until you have a uniform paste.
  • 3
    Pour the sauce over the meat and add the salt, ground cloves, egg and the breadcrumbs. Use your hands to combine all the ingredients.
  • 4
    Divide the meat in half and then in half again. Continue this until you have 16-18 balls of meat that are about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.
  • 5
    Cut a piece of wax paper big enough to cover the surface of a tortilla press. Place the ball in the middle and create a "tortilla." The ball should be in between two layers of wax paper. Don't use the press without the paper since the meat will likely stick to the press. Carefully remove the tortilla and place it over a piece of parchment paper. Keep pressing the meat and placing the tortillas in between parchment paper.
  • 6
    Heat 1/2 an inch of oil in a big pot.
  • 7
    Fry the pacholas in the hot oil. Given that the pachola is very thin, it'll cook very quicky, possibly 1 minute or less on each side.
  • 8
    Serve with a green salad or guacamole.

Expert Tips

  • tip 1
    Save time by preparing the sauce ahead of time. Refrigerate in a sealed container until you're ready to use it.
  • tip 2
    If you don't have a tortilla press, you can use a rolling pin. Be sure to use plastic wrap or wax paper to prevent the meat from sticking to the surface or the rolling pin.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

  • Pacholas are a traditional dish from the state of Guanajuato in Mexico. Ground beef is frequently used in Mexico in burgers, meatloaf or meatballs, and today I want to share a new way to prepare this versatile meat. Pacholas are like meat tortillas. They're thin, but very flavorful. The ground beef is combined with spices and ancho peppers, giving it an unbelievable flavor. Serve with rice and beans or, like in this recipe, with a green salad and sauce or guacamole. Be sure to prepare plenty because they're so good that they'll disappear very quickly.
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