In a medium bowl, mix the masa harina with 1 ½ cups of water together with your hands. If you feel it is too dry, add water. If it is too sticky, add more masa harina.
Heat a large pan or griddle over medium heat and wait for it to heat up. Grab a piece of dough and form into a ball, the size of a ping pong ball (this is to know how much to use). Pat into a flat circle and add on the dry pan. Heat up for a total of 5 minutes, turning frequently.
Once the dough is done, shape the sopes by pinching the border to form a wall. They must still be hot in order to do this. Set aside to cool.
On medium heat, add ½ inch oil in a large deep pan. Dip each sope in the salsa, turning to coat completely. Once the oil is hot, fry the sopes, flipping frequently until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside on a plate with paper towels on it.
Fill the sopes with the warm refried beans, carne asada, guacamole and queso cotija.
