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Essential at gala’s, household celebrations, and festive gatherings, Guatemalan garnachas are crispy, fried corn tortillas topped with savoury beef, crunchy cabbage slaw, tomato sauce, and a sprinkle of crumbly cheese.
Why You’ll Love This Garnachas Recipe
Bursting with flavour, satisfying and simple to make, garnachas are probably the most well-liked appetizers in Guatemala. I discovered how you can make these tasty snacks at our household ranch in Zacapa.
This area of Guatemala is cattle nation so conventional Guatemalan dishes that includes beef — resembling hilachas (shredded beef stew), salpicón de res (radish and beef salad) and garnachas — are well-liked snacks at household gatherings, events, festivals and celebrations.
Since then they’ve turn out to be a favorite appetizer to serve at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve as they pair completely with different worldwide appetizers and festive drinks resembling ponche de frutas (vacation scorching fruit punch).
This garnachas recipe can also be the model most popularly served as road meals in Guatemala. They’re:
- Easy to make. In contrast to some Guatemalan appetizers that require delicate batters or distinctive elements, making garnachas could be very straightforward. You may also do some duties upfront.
- Versatile. Garnachas are splendidly versatile! Whereas they’re historically made with shredded beef, you may simply swap issues up through the use of floor beef, shredded hen, and even refried black beans for a scrumptious (and vegetarian) twist.
- Excellent for events. With their means to pair effortlessly with a wide range of tapas and appetizers, garnachas are the last word crowd-pleaser for any social gathering.
- Rooted in Custom: These appetizers are a beloved conventional Guatemalan meals and an genuine dish price making an attempt!
Substances
- Beef: Chuck, blade or brisket roast are ultimate as they turn out to be tender over time releasing deep, savoury, and hearty beef flavour that deepens throughout sluggish cooking.
- Masa Dough: Masa dough tortillas deliver a heat, earthy, and barely nutty flavour with a young but rustic texture. My mother-in-law takes her nixtamalized (alkaline handled) corn to the molinero to be floor into dough however this recipe requires Maseca, the moment masa flour. Observe that it’s not the identical as cornmeal or corn flour as Maseca is nixtamalized earlier than being dried and floor, giving it a definite flavour and texture.
- Curtido: Cabbage slaw (curtido) has a tangy, mildly bitter style with a refreshing crunch. Make my recipe for curtido (takes 5 minutes) or simply use finely shredded cabbage.
- Tomato Sauce: Easy tomato sauce that’s clean and flippantly seasoned.
- Crumbled Cheese: For successful of saltiness, conventional recipes for garnachas use the well-known queso seco (dried cheese) of Zacapa. It’s not simply obtainable exterior of Guatemala so you may substitute crumbled cotija, Greek feta or grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. You desire a cheese that provides a salty, tangy, and barely crumbly richness to reinforce the opposite flavours.
Substitutions and Variations
- Floor Beef for Stewing Beef: Browned floor beef is a extremely popular substitute for the shredded beef. Add a touch of thyme for a flavour increase.
- Make it Vegetarian: Like my Black Bean Soup recipe, you can also make this dish vegetarian. Use complete or refried black beans, ideally cooked from scratch fairly than canned.
- Flat vs Fluted: Some Guatemalan cooks form the masa dough into cups with fluted edges fairly than flat crisps. The crispy flat methodology is the best way our households in Zacapa and Guatemala Metropolis makes garnachas. However fluted cups (just like Mexican sopes) do maintain extra filling in order that’s an possibility if you happen to’d like to present it a go.
Find out how to Make Garnachas Guatemaltecas
Please scroll all the way down to recipe card for full methodology and portions.
- Steps 1 and a couple of: Simmer beef, onion and garlic in bouillon and water for two hours or in a sluggish cooker till tender. Take away the meat and shred it into small items.
- Steps 3 and 4: Mix Maseca flour with 1 1/2 cups water. Combine throughly for two minutes till it types a gentle dough. If dough feels dry, add water by the teaspoonful as wanted.
- Steps 5 and 6: Divide dough into 15 equal balls of dough.
- Flatten the balls in a tortilla maker lined with plastic wrap. Or use two plates. The balls ought to be about 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) thick.
- On a preheated griddle or non-stick skillet over excessive, prepare dinner the tortillas till performed, turning as soon as. Take away from griddle.
- Steps 7 and eight: When cool sufficient to deal with, slice every tortilla in half by way of the center so you might have two skinny rounds.
- Panfry the tortilla halves in vegetable oil till crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towel or serviette.
- Steps 9 and 10: Construct your garnachas by topping every tortilla with a spoonful of meat, tomato sauce, curtido (or shredded cabbage), sprinkle of cheese and parsley.
- Serve instantly.
Serving Solutions and Knowledgeable Suggestions
- Masa Dough: The dough ought to be the consistency of putty after you’ve added the water. If it’s too moist the dough received’t maintain its form in a ball. If too dry, the tortillas could have cracked edges when cooked.
- Making the Tortillas: Be sure you make the tortillas thick sufficient so you may slice them in half. In the event that they’re too skinny, they’ll disintegrate once you add the topping. Garnachas are meant to be messy enjoyable however you need them to remain collectively for at the very least a couple of minutes.
- Shredded Cabbage: If you happen to choose to make use of shredded cabbage fairly than the marinated slaw (curtido), use a small, tender cabbage and slice it thinly. If the cabbage is outdated and difficult, will probably be too arduous to eat.
- Cocktail Social gathering Pairings: Get pleasure from your garnachas with Guatemalan guacamole, Chojín, Russian salad or some other enjoyable and attractive appetizer recipes you like.
- Dinner Social gathering Pairings: Pre-dinner get pleasure from with appetizers adopted by conventional Guatemalan principal dishes resembling Pollo Jocón (Rooster in Tomatillo Sauce), Pepián de Pollo, Tapado Seafood Soup or this Bacalao Salt Cod Stew. After dinner, wrap it up with this No-Bake Mango Pie.
- Drink Pairings: Add further Guatemalan aptitude to events with this picosita beer cocktail, horchata or these different conventional Guatemalan drink.
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Recipe
Guatemalan Garnachas
Guatemalan garnachas (garnachas Guatemaltecas) are deliciously crispy, corn tortillas topped with shredded beef, tomato salsa, marinated cabbage, and a sprinkle of crumbled dry cheese. They seem to be a well-liked road meals snack and appetizer at gala’s, events and gatherings.
Servings: 30
Energy: 90kcal
Price: $15
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Directions
Simmer beef, onion and garlic in bouillon and water for two hours or in a sluggish cooker for six hours till tender. Take away the meat and shred it into small items.
Mix Maseca with 1 1/2 cups water. Combine throughly for two minutes till its types a gentle dough. If dough feels dry add water by the teaspoonful as wanted.
Divide dough into 15 equal-sized balls.
Flatten the balls in a tortilla maker lined with plastic wrap. Or use two plates. The balls ought to be about 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) thick.
On a preheated griddle or non-stick skillet over excessive, prepare dinner the tortillas till performed, turning as soon as. Take away from griddle.
When cool sufficient to deal with, slice every tortilla in half by way of the center so you might have two skinny rounds.
Panfry the tortilla halves in vegetable oil till crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towel or serviette.
To assemble high every tortilla with a spoonful of shredded meat, tomato sauce, curtido (or shredded cabbage), sprinkle of dried cheese and parsley.
Serve instantly.
Notes
-
- The masa dough ought to be the consistency of putty after you’ve added the water. If it’s too moist the dough received’t maintain its form in a ball. If too dry, the tortillas could have cracked edges when cooked.
-
- When making the tortillas, remember to make them thick sufficient so you may slice them in half. In the event that they’re too skinny, they’ll disintegrate once you add the topping.
-
- Floor Beef for Stewing Beef: Browned floor beef is a extremely popular substitute for shredded beef. Add a touch of thyme for a flavour increase.
- Make it Vegetarian: To make this dish vegetarian, use complete or refried black beans, ideally cooked from scratch fairly than canned.
- Flat vs Fluted: Some Guatemalan cooks form the masa dough into cups with fluted edges fairly than flat crisps. The crispy flat methodology is the best way our households in Zacapa and Guatemala Metropolis makes garnachas. However fluted cups (just like Mexican sopes) do maintain extra filling in order that’s an possibility if you happen to’d like to present it a go.
Diet
Energy: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fats: 5g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 1g | Trans Fats: 0.02g | Ldl cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
FAQs
Whereas each Mexican and Guatemalan garnachas share related elements, the preparation and presentation set them aside. Mexican garnachas usually characteristic masa (corn) dough molded right into a cup form, cooked on a griddle or comal, and stuffed with savoury toppings. They’re considerably just like sopes (one other masa-based snack).
Guatemalan garnachas are made utilizing masa dough tortillas which are cooked, sliced in half, and fried earlier than being topped with flavourful elements. They’re flat fairly than cup-shaped.
Extra Conventional Guatemalan Appetizer Recipes
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