Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Gorditas

Aside from the endless entries of banana bread and chocolate chip cookies there was some good stuff—salted caramel apple pie complete with a lattice crust and homemade salted caramel sauce (Margaret thought that was……different), very nice beef jerky made by an 8-year-old, two different homemade Snickers bars (both good), and sugar cookies made in the microwave (those filled the category of “Microwave Magic”).

In the end I think I won Margaret over by asking if she would take her picture with me. After that she said she was glad I had volunteered and that hopefully next year I could fill in for Bev who has to drive all the way from Enderlin . I don’t know who Bev is but I hope she wasn’t standing near by…… awkward. 

After all that sugar intake I was in desperate need of some real food. We hustled home and hung out in the kitchen making batch after batch of these deeply satisfying breakfast gorditas. Making your own gorditas may sound complicated, but they’re really not. You just mix all the dough ingredients together and flatten balls of dough into thick tortillas. Heat a cast iron skillet or a comal until it is hot, then place the gorditas on the hot, dry surface until they are golden and crisp. They will stick at first, just leave them be until they form a crisp crust, then they will release easily and you can cook the other side.

Once they are cooked they will have formed a little pocket in the middle like pita bread. Just slice a slit in the top with a sharp knife to open the pocket but don’t cut all the way through. Stuff the gorditas with the chorizo mixture or you could do beans and eggs if you’re vegetarian or potatoes and beans if your vegan or carnitas if it’s dinner time and eat them while they are still warm and soft….now that’s some blue ribbon shiznitz right there.

Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Gorditas

Breakfast Gorditas are homemade corn masa pockets that get toasted until puffy and stuffed with scrambled eggs, Mexican chorizo, radish, and cilantro.

• Author: Kate Ramos
• Yield: 12-14 Gorditas 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Gorditas

• 2 cups Maseca
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the Filling:

• 12 ounces Mexican-style chorizo
• 4 large eggs
• chopped cilantro
• lime wedges
• sliced radishes
• salsa

Instructions

1. To make the gorditas, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until evenly moist. You may need to knead the mixture with your hands to make sure there are no dry spots. If the dough seems crumbly and doesn’t hold together well you can add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until it is well combined.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet or comal over medium heat. Meanwhile, scoop 1/4 cup-size balls of dough and knead briefly in your hands. Form the dough into a smooth ball then flatten between your palms into a disk. Pass the disk back and forth between your hands, slapping the dough from one hand to the other to flatten further into a 4-5 inch circle.
3. Once the skillet is hot, but not smoking, add 2 or 3 gorditas at a time to the dry skillet. Leave undisturbed until the bottoms are browned and crisp, about 4-5 minutes. The skillet should be hot but if it starts to smoke turn the heat down to medium-low. Flip the gorditas and cook on the other side until golden, about 3-4 minutes more. Remove gorditas to a clean dish towel, cover and keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, remove chorizo from the casing, if necessary, and brown in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through. Squeeze some lime juice over the top and keep warm.
5. Heat a clean medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper and beat with a fork until combined and smooth. Drizzle a tablespoon of oil in the skillet and spread it around with a rubber spatula to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the eggs and immediately turn the heat to low. Leave eggs undisturbed for a minute then gently fold them in on them selves to scramble. Keep stirring occasionally until cooked through.
6. Make a pocket in each gordita with a sharp knife like a pita. Fill with chorizo, eggs, cilantro, radishes and your favorite salsa. Serve immediately.