Recipes

Photography by Eva Kolenko

Corundas

  • 2½ cups good quality infused lard, room temperature*
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 6 cups prepared masa
  • 6 tablespoons water, room temperature
  • ½ pound queso fresco, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Plantain leaves, cut into 16-by 5-inch strips, as needed, or corn plant leaves
  • Sour cream and additional queso fresco, as desired

With an electric mixer, whip lard, baking powder and salt until fluffy. Begin adding masa in golf ball sized increments until fully incorporated and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add water and whip until dough is the consistency of cake batter.

Starting at the bottom of a plantain strip, fold end up onto itself at a 45-degree angle. Fold it up again at a 45-degree angle and push triangle open to form a cone.

Fill cone about halfway with dough and add a piece of queso. Top off with more dough, about 1/3 cup total each. Fold remaining length of leaf around each side of the cone to form a pyramid. Tuck end of leaf into the last fold. Use butcher’s twine to wrap around each side of the pyramid until snug. Tuck end of twine under itself.

Arrange corundas inside steamer. Cover and steam over boiling water 1 hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool until cooked dough has set. Serve with queso fresco and sour cream.

Makes 18 corundas, each about 20.8 THC based on a 15 percent strain.

Recipe adapted from Santa María la Yerbera