Mexican Torta Sandwich Recipe

Mexican Torta Sandwich Recipe

The Mexicans are very proud of their tortas, which sounds like a
euphemism but isn’t; I refer to their celebration of this gut-busting
sandwich. Every year they pay homage by holding a festival in Mexico City;
such dedication to the sandwich should be admired.
It is possible that the first torta was eaten during the French
occupation, when Mexicans took inspiration from the baguette and used a
similar recipe to create telera and bolillo rolls. They’re stuffed with
different combinations of ingredients depending on the region ,
but whatever your preference, the fillings absolutely
must be many in number. Layer and garnish to your heart’s content. Buen
Provecho!

INGREDIENTS

2 cooking chorizo sausages
2 tomatoes, diced
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 lime
1 tsp chipotle flakes, or 1 chipotle chili, finely chopped, or 1 fresh red chili, finely chopped
About 1 heaped tbsp roughly chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 avocado
2 Mexican rolls such as bolillo or telera, or 2 lengths of soft-ish white baguette, or 2 ciabatta rolls
(hardly authentic, the latter, but sturdy enough to contain all that filling)
2 tbsp canned refried beans

Set a frying pan or ridged griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Split the chorizo
sausages in half lengthwise, place them in the dry pan, cut-side down, and cook until
crisp and beginning to char. Flip them over and cook the other side.
Meanwhile, make a tomato salsa by mixing the diced tomato and red onion with the juice
of ½ a lime, the chipotle chili, and cilantro (coriander). Season with salt and pepper.
Halve, pit (stone), and peel the avocado. In a separate bowl, mash the avocado and mix it
with a squeeze of lime juice.
Cut the rolls in half and lightly toast them. Dip the cut side of each roll into the chorizo
pan, to coat with some of the chorizo fat that has leached out during cooking. Spread
one half of each roll with a layer of mashed avocado, then add the chorizo sausages. Top
with the tomato salsa. Spread the other half of each roll with the refried beans and use
them to top the sandwiches. Serve immediately.