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Tlayudas (Oaxacan Quesadillas)
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Oaxaca, Mexico is home to the antojito (street food) known as the tlayuda, an oversized corn tortilla topped with black beans, cheese, meats and a spate of other ingredients, then toasted on a grill. Since super-fresh, extra-large corn tortillas are difficult to find in U.S., we use flour tortillas instead, and we do as some Oaxacans do and fold them in half to enclose the fillings. For ease, we bake them in a hot oven rather than cook them over a live fire. Fill the tlayudas to your liking and cut into wedges just before serving.
4
Servings
Tip
Don't use Spanish chorizo, which is dry-cured and firm, like salami. Mexican chorizo, which is soft and fresh is the type to use here.
20 minutes
3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
8 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo sausage (see note), casing removed, crumbled
4 large jalapeño chilies, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 8-inch flour tortillas
1 cup black bean puree
4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)
Shredded lettuce, to serve
Pickeled red onions, to serve
Sliced tomato, to serve
Green chili and tomatillo hot sauce, to serve
Ingredients
-
3
tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
-
8
ounces fresh Mexican chorizo sausage (see note), casing removed, crumbled
-
4
large jalapeño chilies, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
-
1
bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
-
4
8-inch flour tortillas
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1
cup black bean puree
-
4
ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)
-
Shredded lettuce, to serve
-
Pickeled red onions, to serve
-
Sliced tomato, to serve
-
Green chili and tomatillo hot sauce, to serve
Recipe
Pickled Red Onions
Recipe
Black Bean Puree
Directions
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01Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle position. In a 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until barely smoking. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat into small bits, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a paper towel–lined plate; set aside. Add the jalapeños and scallions to the pan, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the chorizo; set aside.
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02Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and brush to coat the entire surface. Place 2 tortillas on the baking sheet to coat the bottoms with oil, then flip them and coat the second sides. Spread ¼ cup of the bean mixture evenly on half of each tortilla, all the way to the edges. Top the beans on each with ¼ of the cheese, then fold the unfilled half over to cover and press gently to seal. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, beans and cheese.
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03Place the filled and folded tortillas in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bottoms of the tortillas are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the tlayudas to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Carefully open each and fill as desired with the chorizo-jalapeño-scallion mixture, lettuce, pickled onions, tomato and hot sauce. Re-fold, then cut into wedges. Serve warm.
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Reviews
I have been making the Tlayudas with all the fixings since November 2019. It is one of my favorite things to make and to eat. I enjoy that it is so easy to put together. I will say the on thing I love with this recipe is that the beans and Green chili and Tomatillo hot sauce you can make days ahead before doing the Tlayudas. I would recommend this to anyone.
This was an excellent recipe! Really delicious and unique take on quesadillas. I made the puree and the pickled onions the night before, which made the rest of the meal prep a breeze the next day. As a bonus, I saved the puree & onions recipes for future meals, garnishes & dips. Thanks again, Diane & Milk Street team!
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Your First Issue
8 minutes in oven that has a pizza stone.