The national dish of El Salvador, pupusas consist of hearty masa dough stuffed with fillings like pork, beans, and cheese, then pan-fried for the perfect finish. Serve with Salsa Roja and Curtido for the full experience!

Preparation

To make the pork shoulder, heat oven to 300°F. Combine all the spices in a work bowl, then season pork with mixture. Heat a Dutch oven or oven-safe stock pot on medium-high heat. Brown pork in vegetable oil on all sides, then cover with lid and place in oven. Roast for 1½–2 hours, or until pork is fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. When pork is cool, cut into small pieces or shreds, discarding any excess fat, then place in refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the refried beans, heat a sauce pot on medium heat. Add lard, then sauté the jalapeños, onion, and garlic for 3–4 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the full can of black beans to the pan and simmer for 2–3 minutes, then mash beans with the back of a spoon while they continue to cook. Cook until beans are the consistency of thick mashed potatoes, then remove from heat and chill. 

To make the masa, use your hands to mix together the masa harina corn flour, lard, salt, and water in a work bowl—dough will be slightly tacky but malleable. Add more flour or water as needed to achieve correct consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

Place Cotija and pepper jack in food processor and pulse until cheese blend is a coarse consistency.

To assemble pupusas, shape 4 ounces of masa into a ball. Leave remaining masa covered to prevent it from drying. Have a bowl of water with a small amount of oil in it to dip your hands into while shaping to prevent the pupusas from sticking to your hands.

Place the dough ball in the palm of one hand and then with two fingers, press in the middle to create a well. The dough should be about a ½ inch thick and slightly thicker at the bottom. Fill the pupusa with 1–2 tablespoons of pork, followed by 1–2 tablespoons beans and then 1 tablespoon of cheese. Gently press each addition into the dough, leaving the edges clean. When fillings are added, begin to squeeze the outside while gently pressing in on the fillings to envelope them completely in the masa, then squeeze off any excess masa at the top. Gently press the ball to flatten into a round disk about ¾ inch thick. 

To cook, heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Cook pupusas for 4–5 minutes per side, until browned.