Tortas Ahogadas Al Guero Recipes

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.

TORTAS AHOGADAS

Steps:

• For the braised pork butt: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, garlic, paprika, mustard, coriander, salt and pepper. Pat the pork dry, then coat it with the rub.
• In a large cast-iron pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Sear the pork until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in the beer, cover the pan tightly with foil and transfer it to the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let the pork cool a bit before shredding.
• For the tomato sauce: Soak the chile de arbol for 20 minutes in warm water. Once rehydrated, remove the stems and seeds and roughly chop. Heat the canola in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the chile de arbol, jalapeno, garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the vinegar, tomatoes and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring often. When done, puree the sauce until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• To assemble the sandwich: Slice the bolillos in half, leaving them hinged at one end. Brush the insides with olive oil. Place the bolillos cut-side up on a baking sheet; transfer to the oven and toast until crispy, about 5 minutes. Fill each bolillo with some shredded pork, topped with some tomato sauce, shredded cabbage, cilantro, pico de gallo and pickled red onions. Serve.
• In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, jalapeno, lime juice, red onion, cilantro and garlic. Mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.
• Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, the onions and some sea salt, and saute until the onions are just softened, about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaf, cayenne, cinnamon, start anise, honey, red wine vinegar and just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Remove the whole spices and refrigerate until ready to serve.

TORTAS AHOGADAS

Steps:

• Devein the chiles and soak in hot water for 30 minutes.
• Drain the chiles, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the sauce to remove any large particles. Season the sauce with the salt, to finish.
• On a hot griddle, with the olive oil, saute the pork until fully cooked. Spread the refried beans on one side of the sub roll. Lay the pork on top of the refried beans, and top with the tomatoes, avocados, and onion. Sprinkle the sandwich with oregano and finish with a portion of the sauce.

TORTAS AHOGADAS

Steps:

• For the tomato salsa, boil tomatoes. In a blender, puree with the garlic and water. Add the oregano and salt to taste.
• For the spicy sauce, boil the arbol chiles. In a blender, puree with the garlic, crackers, hot sauce and water. Strain.
• For the onions, add the vinegar, lime juice, and water. Let it marinade for 15 minutes. Season with salt.
• To assemble, cut the bolillos in half. Spread the refried beans on both sides. Add the meat. Pour the tomato sauce over it. Add the desired amount of spicy sauce. Top off with the marinated onions.

TORTAS AHOGADAS - MEXICAN SANDWICHES WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Place all tomato sauce ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the tomatoes and onions are soft.
• Allow to cool, place in blender and puree.
• Strain the puree and set aside.
• Lightly roast the arbol chiles on a dry griddle, just to the point of fragrance. (Do not allow them to char, as this results in a bitter flavor).
• Remove the stem and seeds from the chilies.
• Place the chiles and remaining chili sauce ingredients in a saucepan; cook until the chilies have softened, remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Transfer sauce ingredients to a blender, puree and strain; set aside.
• Cook the meat in water to cover with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, oregano and salt to taste.
• When cooked through, remove from cooking liquid and allow to cool.
• Shred the meat with two forks, or slice thinly if preferred.
• Remove the soft center from the rolls, place on plates, and divide the meat among the rolls.
• Bathe each one with tomato sauce (the tortas are easier to eat if the top half is left "dry")
• Serve torta on a plate with a lip to prevent messy dripping.