Tortas Ahogadas
Tortas ahogadas ("drowned sandwich") is a traditional Guadalajaran sandwich made with carnitas, spicy tomato sauce, and a crusty sourdough roll
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
For the sandwich
- 4 birotes salados or crusty bread like a French baguette
- 1 lb carnitas recipe
- 1 cup refried beans
- pickled red onions
- lime wedges
For the tomato salsa
- 5 roma tomatoes
- 1/4 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 3/4 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chicken stock add more if needed
- 1 tbsp oil for frying
For the spicy salsa
- 15 dried chile de arbol stemmed and 1/2 deseeded
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/8 small onion
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1/2 cup chile water
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Make my carnitas recipe, or use store bought. You can make this a few days ahead of time if you want.
- Make my refried beans recipe, or use store bought. You can also make this ahead of time.
- Make my pickled red onions recipe. Make this at least 3 hours ahead of time.
- Make the tomato salsa: Boil the tomatoes, garlic, onion, bay leaf, and black peppercorns until the tomatoes have softened (about 15 min).
- Blend all the boiled ingredients along with Mexican oregano, cumin, salt, and vinegar. Strain through a sieve. You can use the remaining chunks to make another salsa if you want, don't waste!
- Add about 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the strained tomato sauce. You may add more if your tomato sauce is too thick.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and cook the tomato salsa for a few minutes then set aside.
- Make the spicy salsa: remove the stems and deseed about half of the chiles. If you don't wan't it too spicy, remove all the seeds.
- Boil the chiles, garlic clove, and onion until softened (about 15 min)
- Blend all of boiled ingredients well with 1 tsp vinegar and 1/2 cup of the chile water. Add more if needed. Salt to taste.
- Strain through a sieve. You can also keep the remaining chunks to make a different salsa.
- Lightly toast your birote or baguette cut it in half to open but not all the way through. Spread a thin layer of refried beans on the bottom.
- Stuff the birote with carnitas, then pour over the tomato salsa. I usually do it this way but my husband prefers to have the salsa in a bowl to dip the torta.
- Spoon over desired amount of spicy salsa.
- Top with pickled red onions and some lime wedges. Serve immediately and enjoy!
