Crispy Beef Sopes with Chorizo & Cheese

Step 1

Pour 2 cups masa harina into a medium bowl and add 1.25 cups warm water slowly, mixing with your hands until the dough comes together—it should feel like soft play-dough, slightly moist but not sticky.

Step 2

Cover the masa dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 5 minutes so the flour absorbs all the water and the dough becomes easier to shape.

Step 3

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 lb ground beef and 4 oz chorizo (casing removed). Break apart the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, stirring every 10 seconds, until it's no longer pink and the fat has rendered, about 5–6 minutes.

Step 4

Drain excess fat from the meat by tilting the skillet and pushing the meat to one side, then spoon out the pooled grease with a paper towel into the trash—leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan for flavor.

Step 5

Sprinkle 0.5 teaspoon salt and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper over the cooked beef and chorizo, stir to combine, then transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

Step 6

Pinch off a golf-ball-sized piece of masa dough (about 2 tablespoons) and roll it between your palms into a smooth ball, then place it on a clean counter or cutting board.

Step 7

Press the masa ball flat with the heel of your hand to create a disk about 3 inches wide and 0.25 inches thick, then use your thumbs to pinch up the outer edge all the way around, creating a shallow cup shape with a 0.5-inch tall rim (like a tiny pizza crust).

Step 8

Repeat steps 6–7 with the remaining masa dough until you have 8 sopes total—arrange them on a plate as you form them.

Step 9

Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.

Step 10

Carefully place 4 sopes into the hot oil—they should sizzle immediately—and fry without moving them for 2 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crispy, like a fried tortilla.

Step 11

Use a slotted spatula to flip each sope and fry the other side for 1.5 minutes until golden, then remove to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Step 12

Repeat steps 10–11 with the remaining 4 sopes, using the same oil.

Step 13

Spoon 2 tablespoons of the cooled beef-chorizo mixture into the center cup of each warm sope, leaving a small border around the rim visible.

Step 14

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons shredded cheese evenly over the meat filling on each sope, covering the top.

Step 15

Place the cheese-topped sopes back into the warm (but not hot) skillet off the heat for 30 seconds to melt the cheese slightly, then transfer to a serving platter.

Step 16

Top each sope with a small handful of sliced lettuce placed in a mound in the center of the cheese.

Step 17

Drizzle 1 tablespoon crema in a thin zigzag pattern across the lettuce and cheese on each sope.