Black Bean and Cheese Masa Patties

These are sort of pupusas, but with way more beans than there should be in them.  I made a half batch of masa and added twice as many beans as usual, so they barely held together.  That's what the cheese is for.  As far as I know, this is not an authenic dish in any country south of the U.S., but I'm calling it international anyway.

My power was off for less than 8 hours during the recent fires, a preventive measure that I approve of because my neighborhood did not catch fire.  I'm always ready for a power outage of up to 24 hours, and was glad that my fridge did not get above 45º so I didn't have to toss anything.  If it was that temperature after 12 hours, I would have had to purge the eggs, dairy, any leftover cooked food, most open containers, and nearly all of the condiments.  I didn't bother to check the chest freezer because there's a turkey in the bottom acting as a twelve pound block of ice.  The ice in the kitchen freezer was barely stuck together, meaning the frozen veggies in there probably didn't defrost.

I was definitely thinking of recipes I could make without electricity.  These could be done on an outdoor grill in a foil pan.  Which you wouldn't do during a wildfire, but you get the point.  My stove is gas, which still worked, and I would have lit it with a match if necessary.  The outage was only overnight, so I didn't care until I got cold around 1am.  The power came on at 2am, and the heater about 10 seconds later.

I know I said I wasn't going to make tomatillo salsa anytime soon, but these could definitely have benefitted from some kind of vinegary accompaniment.  Maybe a slaw, curtido, or any kind of salsa.  They were yummy, but I wanted something more piquant than just a salad.  Next canning day, I'll make some.

1 C masa harina or *masarepa
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 C water, more if necessary
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
*1 C shredded cheese of choice
oil for frying

1.  In a bowl, stir together masa flour, salt, cumin, and chili powder.  Stir in water to make a paste.

2.  Stir in beans and cheese until evenly combined.  Squeeze a handful of the mixture.  If it crumbles instantly, add more water until you can get it to stick together.  I'm not sure if mine was crumbly because the weather was so dry.  It also depends on how wet the beans are when you add them.

3.  Start heating a griddle or large skillet over medium-high.  Portion dough into eight balls.  Once griddle is warm, add a couple of tablespoons of oil to it, just enough to coat the bottom, and let that heat.

4.  Shape the masa balls into patties about half an inch thick.  Cook on oiled griddle until browned and crispy, about five minutes.  Flip and cook until the other side browns.  If doing batches, re-oil the skillet between them.

5.  Serve hot, with salsa, curtido, or a salad on the side.

Difficulty rating  π