Sopes de Frijoles


The classic Georgian dish lobio and mchadi (beans and fried cornbread) is immediately familiar to anyone who's enjoyed Mexican refried beans slathered on a warm corn tortilla or piled on a fresh masa sope. 

This recipe for sopes de frijoles from Everyday Latina shows how beautifully Mexican food can marry with Georgian qvevri wines, and how much these seemingly disparate culinary cultures have in common.

Pairs with: Gurushvili Kisi Qvevri, Qarvani - Anapea Village Rkatsiteli Kisi, or any Georgian amber wine.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked pinto beans and their liquid (reserve an extra 1/2 cup of bean cooking liquid)
  • 3/4 cup oil (divided)
  • 2 cups masa harina
  • 2 cups warm water
  • pinch of salt
  • oil for frying
  • shredded lettuce or cabbage
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 cup queso fresco (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat ½ cup of oil in a large pan over medium-low. Carefully add cooked beans and some of their liquid to the pan. Mix the beans with the oil and simmer for about 4 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the beans until smooth, but slightly chunky. Add ¼ to ½ cup of bean broth, if needed, to make them easier to mash. Mix in another ¼ cup of oil and continue cooking and stirring until the beans are slightly thickened. Cover, remove from heat, and set aside.
  2. Add the masa harina and salt to a mixing bowl. Add warm water and knead the dough until it is pliable and moist, but not sticky.
  3. Line both sides of a tortilla press (or the bottom of a plate) with two sheets of plastic (like from a Ziplock bag) or parchment paper. Divide the dough into golf-ball sized portions and use the tortilla press (or bottom of a plate) to create thick tortillas, about ¼"- ½" thick and about 4" - 4 ½" in diameter.
  4. Cook the tortillas on a hot comal or skillet, remove from heat and pinch all around the edges to create short raised ridges.
  5. In a medium to large frying pan or cast-iron skillet, pour in enough cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan with about ¼ inch of oil.
  6. Once the oil is hot, gently place 2-3 sope shells into the hot oil. Fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until they turn golden-brown and crispy. Place the fried sopes on a paper towel-lined plate or wire cooling rack to drain any excess oil.
  7. Top each sope with a heaping spoonful or two of refried beans. Add desired toppings and serve immediately.
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