Sopes with Spiced Minced Beef, Refried Pinto Beans & Fresh Salsa

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough: in a large bowl combine the masa harina and fine salt. Add the warm water gradually and mix with your hand until a soft, smooth dough forms — it should feel like playdough and hold together without cracking.

2. 2

   Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or cling film and leave to rest while you prepare the toppings — this lets the masa fully hydrate.

3. 3

   Make the refried beans: finely chop half the brown onion and crush 1 garlic clove. Heat 15 ml vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium hob, sweat the onion for 4–5 minutes until soft, add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the drained tinned pinto beans, a pinch of fine salt and gently mash while they heat through, adding a splash of water if they’re too dry. Cook for 5–6 minutes until creamy.

4. 4

   Make the salsa: finely dice the ripe tomatoes and the remaining half brown onion. Remove the seeds from the jalapeño if you want milder heat, then finely chop it. Mix tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, chopped fresh coriander and the juice of 1 lime with a pinch of fine salt. Leave to sit for 5 minutes so the flavours marry.

5. 5

   Cook the spiced mince: heat 10–15 ml vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium–high hob. Crush and add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and fry 30 seconds, then add the minced beef. Brown the mince, breaking up any lumps, then stir in the ground cumin, smoked paprika and tomato purée. Season with a pinch of fine salt and cook for 10–12 minutes until the meat is cooked through and saucy.

6. 6

   Shape the sopes: divide the rested dough into 12 equal pieces (about 45 g each). Roll each into a ball. If you have a tortilla press, press each ball between two pieces of baking parchment to a disc about 8 cm wide and 6–8 mm thick; if not, flatten with a rolling pin. Use your fingers to pinch up the edges all the way around to form a shallow rim — this is what holds the toppings.

7. 7

   Fry the sopes: heat about 30–40 ml vegetable oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium hob. Fry the sopes in batches, 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and slightly crisp; use the back of a spoon to press and reform the rim if it softens. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain briefly.

8. 8

   Assemble: spread a spoonful of the refried tinned pinto beans onto each warm sope, top with a generous spoonful of spiced minced beef, a little shredded iceberg lettuce, a spoonful of the fresh salsa, a crumble of queso fresco and a sprinkle of chopped fresh coriander. Finish with a squeeze of lime.

9. 9

   Serve immediately with extra lime wedges and hot sauce if you like. Sopes are best fresh and crisp.

Tips

• Resting the masa is non-negotiable — it stops the discs cracking when you press and cook them.
• If you don’t have a tortilla press, press dough balls between two pieces of baking parchment with a heavy flat-bottomed dish or rolling pin.
• Don’t overfill the sopes: a shallow layer of beans first gives structure, then add the meat and fresh toppings.
• To reheat, crisp leftover sopes in a dry frying pan over a medium hob for 1–2 minutes each side rather than microwaving — it keeps them crunchy.
• Make the refried beans and salsa ahead; store separately in the fridge for up to 48 hours, then warm the beans before assembling.

Substitutions

• minced beef → shredded cooked chicken (about 500 g cooked), tossed with the same spices

  Stays close

• queso fresco → crumbled feta (use slightly less, 90 g)

  Stays close

• tinned pinto beans → tinned black beans (400 g) — drain and cook the same way

  Stays close

• vegetable oil → light olive oil

  Noticeably different

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

890

Calories

44 g

Protein

70 g

Carbs

48 g

Fat

11 g

Fibre

4 g

Sugar

900 mg

Sodium

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