Tlayuda With Black Bean Puree

• 2 cups cooked or canned black beans, drained, liquid reserved
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon mild chili powder, like New Mexico or ancho, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon cumin, or to taste
• 2 large (12-inch) tortillas, preferably corn
• 1 cup chopped quesillo (Mexican string cheese) or mozzarella; or use a crumbly cheese like queso fresco, slightly dried goat cheese or feta
• Rounds of chorizo or other sausage, optional
• 1 cup chopped cabbage

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. If using dried beans, add salt, pepper, garlic, onion, chili powder and cumin in the last few minutes of cooking.
3. Drain and reserve liquid.
4. Carefully place mixture in a blender or food processor with enough bean liquid to allow machine to do its work and roughly puree, leaving the mixture a bit chunky.
5. If using canned beans, add seasonings and warm mixture gently in a saucepan, stirring, just to take the edge off the garlic and onion.
6. Then roughly puree.
7. Place 1 tortilla on pizza peel or baking sheet and spread half the bean mixture on it; top with half the cheese and half the meat, if using it.
8. Bake (on pizza stone, if using) for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle with half the cabbage.
9. Bake another 5 minutes or so, until topping is hot and tortilla crisp on edges.
10. Serve, cut into wedges, then repeat with other tortilla.

black beans, salt, garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, tortillas, quesillo, chorizo, cabbage

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8559 (may not work)