Pannini - I just didn't understand what you were trying to say! Thought you were telling me to 'stick to baking'!
Suzanne - From having my nose in my books just now, it looks like traditionally, masa harina is used mostly for tamale/gordita/tortilla kinds of things. However, there is this one, a la Mark Miller:
CARNITAS rAVIOLIS
Ravioli dough:
1 cup masa harina (or fresh masa)
2 cups high-gluten flour
4 eggs
1T water
1 tsp. salt
Egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1T sugar
Sauce
1 1/2 cups reduced pork stock or chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup minced red and yellow bell peppers
1/4 cup diced roasted and peeled poblano chiles
2 tsp. minced fresh marjoram
2 tsp. minced cilantro
3T soft butter
Carnitas:
2 lbs. pork butt with fat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups water(or beer)
3T chile caribe (or jalepeno, serrano, or whatever you like)
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, roasted, peeled, chopped
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. anise seed
2 tsp. cumin seed
1 stick cinnamon
1T Mexican oregano leaves
Put pork, water/beer, chiles, salt, garlic and onion in a heavy pot and bring to slow simmer. Roast spices and oregano in a dry skillet til fragrant. Grind together to a powder. Add to the pork, and continue to simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, until tender, adding more water as needed. Increase heat and cook till all the water is gone, reduce heat and continue to cook, stirring til the meat is a mahogany brown. Let cool.
Pulse the meat and fat in a food processor til shredded. Divide into 40 balls and set aside.
Mid all dough ingredients together in a mixer til a coarse dough is formed; Knead by hand til dough holds together. Roll dough in a pasta machine til a very thin sheet is formed. Divide into 8 pieces, each about 4 x 10 inches.
To assemble, lay out 4 sheets of pasta and lay the balls of carnitas out in a 2 x 5 grid on the past sheets. Mix egg yolk with water and brush the other four sheets with the egg wash. Lay these sheets over the carnitas, press down between the balls of carnitas, dividing each sheet into 10 raviolis, and cut with a wheel.
To make the sauce, bring the stock to a boil, add corn and cook til stock is reduced by half. Add remaining sauce ingredients, and continue to boil brisky til the butter emulsidied. Boil raviolis in boiling salted water for 3 minute til al dente. Put sauce in bowle, and serve ravioli on top.
There is also a chocolate drink/gruel called 'atole' which is made by cooking masa harina into a thin gruel, then heating milk, mexican chocolate, and cinnamon and adding it to the gruel.
And for the grand finale-----
OAXACAN CHOCOLATE MOCHA CAKE
serves 10
1lb.bittersweet chocolate8oz. butter6 large eggs
2T finely ground espresso beans
Preheat oven to 425. Line a 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
Combine chopped chocolate and butter in large pot over simmering water til melted; remove from heat.
Place eggs in mixing bowl over warm water til lukewarm. Beat with electric mixter til light in color and tripled in volume, about 3 minutes at medium speed, then at high speed for another 5 minutes.
Add half the beaten eggs and ground espreso beans to chocolate mixture and fold in. Then add remaining eggs and fold in til just a few streaks remain; do not overmix. Pour into cake pan and place in roasting pan. Fill pan with boiling water to come halfway up the pan; transfer to oven and bake for 5 minutes. Cover cake pan with foil and bake in water bath and additional 10-15 minutes. Set aside t cool n rack 45 minutes; then refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. To remove cake from pan; place pan over low burner a minute or two; run a sharp knife around inside to loosen, and invert onto platter.
Crema topping:
2 cups heavy cream ¼ cup buttermilk
Whisk cream and buttermilk together; cover and set in warm place for at least 8 hours.
Make raspberry coulis by pureeing raspberries and sugar in blender.
To serve, spread coulis on plate; place cake in middle, and a dollop of crema on top of cake; garnish with a few fresh raspberries.
