Veracruz has a lot of gastronomic variety. One of its typical dishes is the picadas from Veracruz or picadas jarochas, which are similar to sopes, since they consist of a pinched tortilla with sauce, fresh cheese and onion. They can be found in most places in Veracruz, and they are usually very cheap.
The preparation is very simple and the sauce used can vary, so mole or macha sauce can be used, for example, as well as some animal protein. Definitely, Veracruz picadas are a dish that everyone will like once they try it. At this article, we want you to learn how to prepare them at home and from anywhere with the traditional recipe for green sauce and red sauce, but if you dare, you can add more ingredients. Keep reading, discover how to make Veracruz picadas and see how easy and delicious they are.
Ingredients to make Picadas from Veracruz:
- 600 grams of cornmeal (5 cups)
- 1 splash of vegetable oil or lard
- 1 cup of chopped onion
- 1 cup of grated fresh cheese
- For the red sauce
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 morita peppers
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper to taste
- For the green sauce
- 3 green tomatoes
- 3 Serrano peppers
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper to taste
How to make Picadas from Veracruz:
To make the Veracruz picadas recipe, first prepare the sauces. For the red sauce, boil the tomatoes with the moritas peppers for 5 minutes and blend with the garlic clove, season with salt and pepper. For the green sauce, which will be raw, blend the green tomatoes with the chilies, the garlic clove and season with salt and pepper. To prepare the corn dough, simply mix the 600 grams of flour and add a cup of water, mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated and have a manageable and non-sticky texture. Once ready, take your corn dough, form balls of approximately 35 grams and use a tortilla press to shape them. Of course, do not press too much, the size of the tortilla should be about 10 cm.
Tip: when preparing the dough, add the water little by little, if you feel that it lacks water, add a little more until you have the desired consistency, similar to tortilla dough.
In a Comal or Teflon skillet over medium heat, place the tortilla, let it cook on one side for 2 minutes, then turn it over and cook for a few more minutes until it puffs up.
Tip: it is important that you inflate so that the steam that is created cooks the inside.
When it’s ready, remove from the griddle and let it cool for just a few seconds. Then, pinch the center and the edges with your fingers to create a kind of plate, which is what most characterizes Veracruz picadas.
Then, you can fry your tortilla with a lot or a little oil on both sides. You can use vegetable oil or, if you want to give it an extra touch of flavor, you can use lard. To serve, add a little of the sauce of your choice, add finely chopped onion and grated fresh cheese. The Veracruz picadas recipe could not be simpler, so enjoy them, either for breakfast accompanied by a delicious coffee or for lunch accompanied by a delicious fresh water or soft drink, such as Jamaican water with cinnamon or prickly pear water.
