antojitos

Sopes de Cabeza

Sopes de Cabeza are thick, pinched-edge masa cakes topped with slow-smoked pork head, refried beans, fresh cheese and a vibrant green salsa. A street-food classic that turns the most economical cut into one of the most flavorful bites in Mexican cooking.

⏱

Prep

30 minutes

🔥

Cook

5 hours

🍽

Servings

4-6

📊

Difficulty

Hard

Sopes de Cabeza

1 Ingredients

  • 1 head of pork, cleaned
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 serrano chiles, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 güero chile, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 tomatillos, husked and chopped
  • ~1 cup water
  • ~1 tsp salt (for salsa)
  • ~1 cup beer (for hydration)
  • 2 cups masa harina
  • ~1¼ cups warm water (for the masa)
  • pinch of salt (for the masa)
  • 1 cup cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup radishes, diced
  • 1 cup refried beans
  • 1 cup fresh cheese, crumbled
  • 1 cup sour cream

2 Instructions

  1. 1

    Season the cleaned pork head with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cumin.

  2. 2

    Cook the pork head in a smoker at 120°C (250°F) for 2 hours.

  3. 3

    Prepare the salsa by blending the chopped serrano chiles, jalapeño, güero chile, diced onion, minced garlic, chopped tomatillos, water and salt until smooth.

  4. 4

    After 2 hours, check the color of the pork head; it should have a deep golden hue.

  5. 5

    Wrap the pork head in foil, hydrate it with the beer, and return it to the smoker for an additional 3 hours.

  6. 6

    Once cooked, let the pork head rest for at least 30 minutes, then pull the meat (cachete, cuero, lengua) into bite-sized pieces.

  7. 7

    Mix 2 cups masa harina with about 1¼ cups warm water and a pinch of salt to form a soft, smooth dough; rest 10 minutes.

  8. 8

    Divide the masa into 12 balls (about 50 g each) and press into discs roughly 8 cm wide and 1 cm thick.

  9. 9

    Cook the discs on a hot, dry comal for ~1 minute per side, then while still warm pinch the edges up to form a raised rim (this is the sope shape).

  10. 10

    Spread each sope with refried beans, top with the pulled pork head meat, then crumbled fresh cheese.

  11. 11

    Finish with green salsa, shredded cabbage, diced radishes, and a drizzle of sour cream.

💡 Tips from the Kitchen

  • →

    The pork head is very economical and can be used for various dishes like tacos or tortas.

  • →

    The most flavorful parts are the cheeks, so be sure to include them in your servings.

#pork#tacos#Mexican#street-food