Guatemalan Garnachas

5 from 11 votes

Guatemalan garnachas (garnachas Guatemaltecas) are deliciously crispy, corn tortillas topped with shredded beef, tomato salsa, pickled cabbage slaw (curtido), and a sprinkle of crumbled dry cheese. They're a popular street food snack and appetizer at fairs, parties and gatherings.

Prep Time30

Cook Time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Guatemalan, Latin American, Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 90kcal

Author: Michele Peterson

Cost: $15

Equipment

1 Skillet comal or electric griddle
1 Knife
1 Large Mixing Bowl
1 Tortilla press or two plates lined with plastic wrap
1 large pot

Ingredients

2 cups instant corn masa flour Maseca
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Shredded Beef Topping

1 pound stewing beef
2 cups beef bouillon homemade or reconstituted boullion cube
1 cup water
1 onion sliced
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Other Toppings

1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup curtido or shredded cabbage
1/4 cup queso seco cotija, feta or parmesan
2 tbsp Parsley

Instructions

Simmer beef, onion and garlic in bouillon and water for 2 hours or in a slow cooker for 6 hours until tender. Remove the beef and shred it into small pieces.
Combine Maseca with 1 1/2 cups water. Mix throughly for 2 minutes until its forms a soft dough. If dough feels dry add water by the teaspoonful as needed.
Divide dough into 15 equal-sized balls.
Flatten the balls in a tortilla maker lined with plastic wrap. Or use two plates. The balls should be about 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) thick.
On a preheated griddle or non-stick skillet over high, cook the tortillas until done, turning once. Remove from griddle.
When cool enough to handle, slice each tortilla in half through the middle so you have two thin rounds.
Panfry the tortilla halves in vegetable oil until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towel or napkin.
To assemble top each tortilla with a spoonful of shredded meat, tomato sauce, curtido (or shredded cabbage), sprinkle of dried cheese and parsley.
Serve immediately.

Notes

- The masa dough should be the consistency of putty after you've added the water. If it's too wet the dough won't hold its shape in a ball. If too dry, the tortillas will have cracked edges when cooked.

- When making the tortillas, be sure to make them thick enough so you can slice them in half. If they're too thin, they'll disintegrate when you add the topping.

Substitutions:

- Ground Beef for Stewing Beef: Browned ground beef is a very popular substitute for shredded beef. Add a dash of thyme for a flavour boost.
- Make it Vegetarian: To make this dish vegetarian, use whole or refried black beans, preferably cooked from scratch rather than canned.
- Flat vs Fluted: Some Guatemalan cooks shape the masa dough into cups with fluted edges rather than flat crisps. The crispy flat method is the way our families in Zacapa and Guatemala City makes garnachas. But fluted cups (similar to Mexican sopes) do hold more filling so that's an option if you'd like to give it a go.

Note: Nutritional information is created by an online calculator so figures are only estimates.

Nutrition