Sopes with venison steak

Name: Sopes with venison steak
Ingredients: 1 Salt; 2 Cups warm water; 1 Dried ancho chilli (optional); Fresh garlic; 1 l Oil for frying; Mixed nuts and seeds (sunflower, peanut, pumpkin seed); Dried arbol chillies; 3 Cups masa harina; 2 Black pepper; 1 Black lime; Neutral oil (for confit); 1 Allspice; 1 Ground cumin; 1 Black mustard seed; 0.5 Cinnamon; 1 Cucumber; Tajín spice mix; 1 Dark brown sugar; 1 Lime (juice and zest); 2 Dried hibiscus flowers; 4 New Zealand venison steaks (100 grams each); 1 Sunflower oil; Sunflower oil

Sopes with venison steak, black lime spice mix, salsa macha and cucumber-lime ribbons.Sopes are a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a thick, fried corn dough base (masa) with pinched edges, creating a small, sturdy “boat” that can hold a variety of toppings. This recipe is by Shannon Campbell, executive chef of New Zealand venison.

Ingredients

1Salt

2Cups warm water

1lOil for frying

3Cups masa harina

1Dried ancho chilli (optional)

Fresh garlic

Mixed nuts and seeds (sunflower, peanut, pumpkin seed)

Dried arbol chillies

Neutral oil (for confit)

2Black pepper

1Black lime

1Allspice

1Ground cumin

1Dark brown sugar

2Dried hibiscus flowers

1Black mustard seed

0.5Cinnamon

1Cucumber

Tajín spice mix

1Lime (juice and zest)

1Sunflower oil

4New Zealand venison steaks (100 grams each)

Sunflower oil

Preparation

Whisk the masa harina and salt together in a bowl.
While stirring, add enough water to form a smooth dough that holds together well.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and shape into balls of about 5 cm. Place on baking paper and flatten into discs about 1.5 cm thick.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 200°C.
Fry the sopes in batches, a few at a time, until lightly golden, about 30 seconds per side.
Remove with tongs and drain briefly on kitchen paper until cool enough to handle (2–3 minutes).
Pinch the edges of each sope upward to create a raised rim (bowl shape).
Fry the sopes again until golden brown and cooked through, another 1–2 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper.

Combine equal parts garlic, dried chillies and nuts/seeds in a saucepan.
Add oil until it reaches 1.5 times the volume of the solid ingredients.
Confit over low heat until the ingredients are lightly toasted; avoid letting them turn dark or black.
Spoon the solids into a blender and blend on low speed so the texture stays coarse and grainy.
Gradually add the confit oil until the desired consistency is reached.

Grind all spices in a coffee grinder to a fine powder.

Slice the cucumber into thin ribbons using a Japanese mandoline.
Season with Tajín, lime juice and zest, and sunflower oil.

Rub the venison steaks with sunflower oil and season generously with the black lime spice mix.
Sear in a hot pan with extra oil for 2–3 minutes per side. Let rest.
Slice the meat and divide over the warm sopes.
Spoon the salsa macha over the top and garnish with the cucumber-lime ribbons.