Mexican Torta De Cielo Recipes

MEXICAN STEAK TORTA

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Season steak with garlic salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
• Grill steak on the preheated grill until medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat to a cutting board and cover with foil.
• Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread both halves of each roll with mayonnaise. Brown the rolls, mayonnaise-side down until golden, about 3 minutes. Warm the refried bean in a bowl in the microwave, about 1 minute on High, and slice the sirloin steak into thin strips.
• Spread a thin layer of beans on the bottom half of each roll, layer with steak, avocado, tomato, and lettuce. Top with cheese, if desired, and close the sandwich with the top of the roll.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN TORTA - TORTAS AHOGADAS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Mix the 16 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of minced oregano, 2 teaspoons of salt, and pepper in a bowl. Rub garlic mixture over the pork butt, and place pork in a shallow roasting pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue roasting until pork is tender and no longer pink in the center, about 2 hours and 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Cover the meat with two layers of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 20 minutes before rough chopping or shredding it. Reserve pan drippings.
• Place the chipotle peppers in a bowl, and cover with hot water. Allow peppers to soak until softened, about 3 minutes; drain. Set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in 8 cloves of minced garlic and the chopped onions; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Roma tomatoes, 1 cup of water, chipotle chili peppers, 5 teaspoons of oregano, sugar, and salt to taste. Add the reserved pan drippings. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Pour the chipotle sauce into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the sauce moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the sauce right in the skillet. Strain the sauce through a sieve.
• To serve: Hollow out the bottom half of each bolillo to make a shallow bowl for the chopped pork. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the chipotle sauce over the bottom of each roll, then arrange the chopped pork over the sauce. Top each sandwich with a couple slices of pickled jalapeno, followed by the top half of the roll. Pour about 1/4 cup of additional chipotle sauce over the entire sandwich.

MEXICAN TORTA DE CIELO

Steps:

• Lightly butter an 8-in round cake pan and line with parchment.
• Put the almonds in a food processor to form a crumbly mixture and set aside.
• Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy then beat in eggs, almonds, almond and vanilla extracts.
• Stir in flour and salt and mix until the flour is well incorporated.
• Spoon the batter into the greased pan and smooth the surface. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes until the cake feels spongy when pressed.
• Remove from oven and cool on a rack. To serve, dust the cake with powdered sugar and decorate with toasted almonds.

TORTA DE CIELO (ALMOND SPONGE CAKE)

Steps:

• Pour hot water over the almonds to cover and let them soak at least six hours; skin them.
• Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Butter a 9" springform pan generously; cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom; lay it in the bottom, press, and turn so that the parchment is buttered on both sides; lightly flour the pan.
• Chop the nuts roughly, then grind them a little at a time; to qoute Ms. Kennedy, "they should be neither too coarse not too fine.".
• Beat the egg whites until fluffy; add the salt and continue beating until they are stiff.
• Add the yolks one by one and continue beating until incorporated.
• Mix the dry ingredients together and, beating at low speed, gradually add them to the egg mixture.
• Add the brandy and almond extract, mix well and pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 and 1/4 hours in the middle of the oven.
• Let the cake get cold before removing it from the pan.
• This moist, textured cake keeps almost indefinitely if stored in a cool dry place--preferably not the refrigerator.