Platos Tradicionales Mexicanos
Torta Ahogada from Guadalajara
Prepare an authentic torta ahogada from Guadalajara with crispy birote, juicy carnitas, and a tomato sauce with tree chili, garlic, oregano, and a touch of vinegar. A Jaliscan snack abundant, spicy, and full of contrasts.
The torta ahogada combines firm crust bread, pork carnitas, and an intense red sauce. You can bathe it almost completely or serve part of the sauce aside to preserve more texture in the bread.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓4 salty birotes or firm crust bolillos
- ✓700 g of cooked pork carnitas
- ✓6 ripe tomatoes
- ✓1/2 white onion, divided into two quarters
- ✓2 cloves of garlic
- ✓4 dried tree chilies
- ✓1 tablespoon of white vinegar
- ✓1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ✓1 1/2 teaspoons of salt for the sauce, plus the necessary to adjust
- ✓300 ml of water
- ✓2 lemons
- ✓4 radishes
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Wash the tomatoes and place them in a pot with the 300 ml of water
Wash the tomatoes and place them in a pot with the 300 ml of water. Add a clove of garlic, one of the onion quarters, the four tree chilies, and a teaspoon of salt.
- 02
Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes…
Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and their skin starts to open. To reduce the burning, remove part of the seeds from the chilies before cooking them.
- 03
Let the tomatoes cool down a bit and transfer them to the blender…
Let the tomatoes cool down a bit and transfer them to the blender along with the cooking water, garlic, onion, chilies, vinegar, oregano, cumin, and the remaining half teaspoon of salt. Blend until integrated.
- 04
Strain the sauce over a saucepan to remove the seeds and the remains…
Strain the sauce over a saucepan to remove the seeds and the remains of skin. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
- 05
If the sauce is too thick, add a little water
If the sauce is too thick, add a little water. If it is too light, let it reduce for a few more minutes. It should be fluid, red, and intense.
- 06
While the sauce is cooking, heat the carnitas in a large skillet…
While the sauce is cooking, heat the carnitas in a large skillet over medium heat, without adding oil. Stir them occasionally so they recover their juiciness and lightly brown on some edges. Adjust the salt if necessary.
- 07
Cut the remaining onion quarter into fine feathers, slice the radishes…
Cut the remaining onion quarter into fine feathers, slice the radishes, and cut the lemons in half.
- 08
Open each bread lengthwise without separating it completely
Open each bread lengthwise without separating it completely. Remove a small part of the central crumb if it is too abundant.
- 09
Distribute the 700 g of carnitas among the four breads and press lightly…
Distribute the 700 g of carnitas among the four breads and press lightly to compact the filling without crushing it.
- 10
Place each torta in a deep plate or individual dish
Place each torta in a deep plate or individual dish. Pour the hot sauce over the top, letting it penetrate through the bread cuts. For a completely drowned torta, bathe it almost entirely; you can also cover only half and serve the rest of the sauce aside.
- 11
Finish with the onion feathers and sliced radishes
Finish with the onion feathers and sliced radishes. Serve each torta with half a lemon to squeeze just before eating.
- Handle the tree chilies with care and wash your hands well after touching them.
- Use salty birote or a firm crust bolillo; very soft or sweet breads fall apart quickly with the sauce.
- Bath the bread just before serving so it preserves some texture.
- You can leave the sauce unstrained if you prefer a more rustic texture.
- If you prepare the sauce in advance, refrigerate it and heat it gently before serving.
- Prepare more sauce if you prefer the tortas very drowned. The sauce should have good flavor on its own.
- Serve with enough napkins: part of the charm of this dish is enjoying it even if the sauce drips.