Tortas ahogadas
I used to think pozole was THE characteristic dish of the state of Jalisco and that may be so but tortas ahogadas reign in Guadalajara, the capital. People can almost come to blow when discussing this cold or hot sandwich usually stuffed with pork and bathed, or rather drowned, in a spicy arbol or other chile sauce. These are the common points but friends had widey diverging opinions on which is the best one and where it is sold. Many voted for the stand behind Sears where the thin but crusty bread is filled with soft ” carnitas” and swims in a watery burn-your-tongue chile arbol sauce. I liked it but it did not equal the taste memory of the tortas ahogadas sold at the ITESO cafeteria that I managed to duplicate 2o years after I last ate one.
Recipe: Tortas Ahogadas ITESO
Summary: Tortas are not only cakes or things in the shape of round cakes, but sandwiches. These wonderful open-faced sandwiches are traditional in Jalisco state. I have not seen them elsewhere. I became addicted to them after I persuaded my parents to transfer me from the perfect-housewife finishing school to the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente in Guadalajara. The school cafeteria had a fabulous cook who used to make this garlicky, spicy version of tortas ahogadas. It was so delicious that the taste haunted me for ten years, until I duplicated it from memory. It is a great winter party dish.
Ingredients
- The word ahogada means drowned, and the sandwiches should literally be swimming in the sauce. Ladle it on generously. 4 1/2 pounds pork shoulder,in one piece 8 garlic cloves, minced l tablespoon Mexican oregano, rubbed between your hands to release flavor Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 crusty French rolls 3 – 4 cups Salsa de Chipotle (recipe follows) l cup Crema Agria Preparada l avocado, peeled and cut lengthwise into thin slivers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 . Combine minced garlic with the oregano and a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. With small sharp knife, make gashes an inch deep all over the roast and fill with garlic mixture. Rub the outside of the roast with more salt and pepper. Place meat in shallow roasting pan and bake at 475 for 20 minutes, to seal in the juices. Lower heat to 350 and continue to bake until tender and thoroughly cooked, about 2 hours and l5 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes. Carve into thin slices. Warm the rolls briefly in the oven and slice in half lengthwise. Remove some of the inside if desired to make room for filling. Spoon 2 tablespoons of Salsa de Chipotle over each half-roll. Arrange pork slices on top. Drench with about l4 cup more sauce. Dot with l tablespoon of the prepared sour cream. Garnish with avocado slices and serve immediately, allowing 2 open-faced sandwich halves per serving.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Meal type: lunch
Culinary tradition: Mexican
Copyright © Zarela Martinez.
Recipe by on.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
Recipe: Salsa de Chipotle
Summary: This is a very versatile sauce. Tortas Ahogadas would not be the same without it, but it has many other possible uses. At Restaurant Pardinos in Veracruz and Mexico City it is served with shrimp. My mother makes wonderful meatballs in it. Experiment!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons fat from roasting pan, lard or vegetable oil 2 large garlic cloves, minced l medium onion, chopped (about l cup_ Pan drippings from roast pork for Tortas Ahogadas (see above),] 2 1/2 -3 pounds very ripe tomatoes (5 – 6 large tomatoes) or l twenty- eight-ounce can tomatoes (plain, without puree) l 1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano Pinch of sugar l/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 2 – 3 canned chipotles en adobo with a little of the sauce that clings to them
Instructions
- Heat lard or oil in medium saucepan until almost smoking. Add onion and garlic and saute over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add optional pan drippings, tomatoes, chipotle chiles, oregano, sugar, and salt. Stir thoroughly to combine and simmer uncovered over low heat l0 – l5 minutes, stirring often. Puree sauce in a blender. With a wooden spoon or pusher, force it through a sieve. If you want a milder sauce, remove all or some of chipotle chiles before pureeing. Keeps up to 3 days tightly covered in refrigerator, or indefinitely in freezer.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Meal type: lunch
Culinary tradition: Mexican
Copyright © Zarela Martinez.
Recipe by on.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
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