Pacholas

The necessity of on-line classes due to the Covid-19 pandemic has led to new and different ways for teachers to relate to their students.  Scripps College Professor Salés  received an enthusiastic response when he offered to share a family recipe.  

PREP AND COOKING ITEMS:

• Cutting board
• Knife (3in paring and 8-10in chef, but if you only have one, that’s fine)
• Frying pan (2x)
• A tortilla press (or just two wooden boards to press things with)
• An insulated container to keep things warm (or a plate, not that important)
• A fork or something to mix with
• Non-stick paper or plastic (this is actually quite important)
• Blender

INGREDIENTS FOR PACHOLAS:

• 1/4 lb ground beef (90/10 or 94/6 is good, but 85/15 is fine)
• 1/4 lb ground pork (usually 80/20) OR a non-meat substitute similar to ground meat
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 onion
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk (substitute with soy milk possible)
• salt
• pepper
• smoked paprika (non-smoked sweet paprika or any paprika really is also fine)
• ground cumin (sort of optional; if you don’t have it, no worries)
• any chile, if you like heat (optional)
• oil (olive or vegetable oil ideal)
• a small bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley (but if you have dried parsley, it might work too; but it’s essential for the distinctive taste)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE (OPTIONAL–PACHOLAS ARE SOMETIMES EATEN WITHOUT SAUCE):

• 3-4 Roma tomatoes (or any kind of largish tomato with relatively decent meaty composition, heirloom is fine, also German queen, San Marzano, etc.–don’t stress about the kind)
• 1/2 onion
• dried oregano
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 red bell pepper (non-spicy type)

DIRECTIONS FOR SAUCE:

1. Cut the onion, garlic, and red pepper’
2. Fry with paprika, salt, pepper, and cumin until golden.
3. Put in blender and blend with oregano and tomatoes. This will make the sauce.
4. Put on mid-high fire until the water is reduced; should be slightly runny in the end, not pasty but also not liquid.

DIRECTIONS FOR PACHOLAS:

1. Fry very finely chopped onion and garlic until light brown.
2. Separately, mix crumbs, milk, and egg until it looks like cookie dough.
3. Add fried onion and garlic.
4. Add pepper, salt, cumin, paprika and mix everything together until it’s nicely integrated.
5. Add the meats or meat substitute.
6. Mix.
7. Once integrated nicely, add finely chopped parsley.
8. Mix very well.
9. Heat frying pan to high.
10. Add some oil.
11. Make small ping-pong-size balls with the meat mix
12. Press until thin.
13. Add to the frying pan.
14. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
15. Remove from fire and let rest about 5 minutes.
16. Add the sauce and enjoy.

Serves: 4

Source :  Scripps College Professor Louis Salés (Religious Studies focus on early Christianity), but the recipe comes from his grandmother courtesy of James Hill