Destination
Puerto Vallarta
The story
Panuchos are the Yucatecan snack that every Mérida cook has an opinion about: a fresh corn tortilla is puffed on a hot comal until a pocket forms, split open at one edge, spooned full of soupy black beans, then shallow-fried in lard until the outside goes crisp and the beans set into a paste. The topping is a small shredded pile of pavo (turkey), a fan of tomato slices, a mound of magenta pickled red onion soaked in Seville-orange vinegar, half a slice of avocado and a splash of habanero salsa. Sold at every mercado in Mérida, Valladolid and Campeche, eaten by hand in three bites, and made at home for Sunday afternoons.
Method
Combine the turkey, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, peppercorns, salt and water in a pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered 45 minutes until the turkey is tender. Lift out, cool briefly and shred with two forks. Reserve 250ml of the broth for the beans if needed.
In a non-reactive bowl, combine the onion slices with the citrus juice, salt, oregano and habanero if using. Squeeze the onion with your hands so it wilts. Leave to pickle at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours); it will turn bright magenta.
Warm the lard in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook 4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, epazote and salt; cook 1 minute. Tip in the beans and 100ml of their liquid. Mash with a potato masher or bean masher into a smooth-thick paste — the texture should hold its shape on a spoon, not run. If too dry, add more liquid; if too wet, keep cooking.
Heat a dry comal or cast-iron pan over high heat until faintly smoking. Lay a tortilla on the hot surface and cook 30 seconds; flip and cook another 45 to 60 seconds — it should balloon up. Press gently with a spatula to encourage the puff. Slide onto a plate and cover with a cloth. Repeat with the rest.
Working with one tortilla at a time, use a small paring knife to slice a slit along one edge — you're opening the pocket, not cutting the tortilla in half. Spoon 1 tbsp of the refried beans inside and press the pocket flat so the beans spread evenly.
Warm the lard in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat until a scrap of tortilla sizzles instantly. Fry the stuffed tortillas 2 at a time, 60 to 90 seconds per side, until the outside is crisp and blistered golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
Arrange the panuchos on a platter, bean-side up. Top each with a small mound of shredded turkey, a slice of tomato, a small pile of pickled onion and a slice of avocado.
Serve immediately with habanero salsa and lime wedges. Eat with your hands — a panucho is a two-bite snack. The contrast between the hot crisp shell, the cool onion and the soft avocado is the whole point.
Tips
- Seville-orange juice is the Yucatecan secret. Called "naranja agria" locally, it's the sour marinade that runs through cochinita pibil, poc chuc and this pickled onion. If you can't find it, mix regular orange juice with lime juice and a splash of white vinegar — never use lime alone, which is too sharp.
- Puff the tortillas on the hottest surface you have. A cool comal steams the tortilla instead of puffing it. If yours refuse to puff, slice a shallow pocket at the edge and stuff anyway; they'll still fry beautifully but you lose the visual pillow.
- Refry the beans dark, not pale. Yucatecan black beans go the colour of dark chocolate when properly refried — a lazy mash leaves them muddy grey. Keep cooking past when you think they're done.
- Pickle the onion at least 30 minutes. This gives the citrus time to strip the onion of its raw bite and turn it hot pink. Same-day is fine; overnight in the fridge is better.
- Fry in lard if you can. The Yucatecan grandmother's version is fried in home-rendered lard and tastes markedly different from oil-fried. If you keep bacon fat in the fridge, a spoonful mixed with neutral oil is a good compromise.
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