Mexican Pacholas

Pacholas topped with Mango pico de gallo.

Ground beef and pork mixed with a super flavorful seasoning paste, then pressed into patties as thin as tortillas, these are Mexican Pacholas. A traditional dish from Central Mexico, these flash fried Mexican meat patties will win your heart.

Course Main Course Beef

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

resting time 30

Servings patties

Calories 173kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

Equipment

Tortilla Press
Food Processor

Ingredients

2 Dried Pasilla Chile Peppers stemmed and seeded. Or dried ancho chiles.
2 Dried Chiles de Arbol Stemmed and seeded.
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs or crushed salteen crackers. 10 - 12 crackers.
3 tablespoons cream or milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup sweet onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cloves stems removed and discarded
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano or marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound ground beef lean
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
salsa for serving

Instructions

Snap off the top of the chile peppers and empty out the seeds. Cover them with water and in a small sauce pan, simmer on medium low heat until softened. About 10 - 12 minutes. Using tongs, remove to a food processor.
Add chopped onion, bread crumbs or saltines, cream, eggs, chiles and spices to food processor. Grind into a paste
Using your hands, gently toss the paste into the ground beef and ground pork until well combined. Let the mixture sit uncovered for 30 minutes. This will allow he flavors to blend.
Roll the meat into lime sized meatballs.
Line the bottom of a tortilla press with plastic. A plastic grocery bag that's been cut works good here. Or use a produce bag or ziplock bag that has been cut to roughly cover the tortilla press. Place a meatball on the plastic and top with another piece of plastic. Gently press down to make a patty that is 1/8 - 14 inch thick.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add about a tablespoon of oil.
Remove the top sheet of the plastic. Pick up the patty from the bottom, using the plastic, invert it onto your palm. Remove the plastic and transfer the patty to the hot oiled pan, just as if you were laying down a tortilla, being careful not to let the patty fold when it hits the pan.
Cook each patty one at a time for about two minutes and then turn and cook the other side until browned, about 2 - 3 minutes more. While the patty is cooking, prepare the next meat patty. Place the cooked patty onto a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Continue with the remaining patties.
Serve immediately with the salsa of your choice.

Video

Notes

Note: prepare the meat mixture up to 24 hours ahead. Covered and refrigerated.

This recipe makes about 16 patties and serves 5 - 6 people.

Tip: If you don't have a tortilla press, place one meatball between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the patties to 1/8 inch thick. They don't have to be perfectly round.

Variations

Want to make these pacholas even spicier? Add about 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes to the ground meat mixture.
Want to make pacholas smokier? Add 3/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder.
Serve with the salsa of your choice. A standard Mexican Restaurant Style Tomato Salsa is good here. Try this Chipotle Black Bean Corn Salsa, or if you like a sweet salty combo, this Mango Pico de Gallo is a great choice.

Nutrition