← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 4 birote salado or crusty sourdough rolls (or a long baguette, cut in 4)
• 500 g carnitas or other cooked shredded pork, warmed
• 250 g refried beans (optional)
• 600 g ripe plum tomatoes
• ¼ white onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 250 ml Water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 15 g dried chiles de árbol (about 20), stemmed
• 60 ml white vinegar
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ¼ tsp Cumin
• 120 ml Water
• 1 Red onion, thinly sliced and soaked in lime juice with salt
• 2 Lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. For the mild sauce, simmer the tomatoes, onion and garlic in the water for 10 min, until soft. Blend with the oregano and salt, then simmer in a saucepan for 10 min more. Keep it warm and fairly thin.
2. For the hot sauce, toast the chiles de árbol in a dry pan for 20–30 seconds, stirring, until they darken slightly. Blend with the vinegar, garlic, cumin, water and a good pinch of salt until smooth. Strain.
3. Split the rolls lengthwise, leaving a hinge. Spread with beans, if using, and stuff generously with the warm pork.
4. Put each torta in a deep plate or bowl and ladle over the hot tomato sauce until it’s half-drowned (or fully drowned, Guadalajara-style).
5. Splash with as much chile de árbol sauce as you dare and top with the pickled onions. Eat with a knife and fork, or bravely with your hands.

Tips

• The bread must be very crusty so it soaks up sauce without falling apart; a soft roll turns to mush.
• Order “media ahogada” style at home by drowning only in tomato sauce and serving the hot sauce on the side.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

¡Hola! Jalapeño Rick Bayless Isabel Eats