Course
Main
Duration
1 hour
Serves
4
The torta is the national sandwich of Mexico, but it's very popular in the United States too. They're traditionally sold at marketplaces, bodegas, convenience stores, and street stands.
Although fillings change from region to region, one thing remains the same: This is a sandwich teeming with ingredients and defined by layer after layer of goodness. But the bread is what really defines this sandwich. A true torta will use either a bolillo or telera roll. Both are easy to find at your local market bakery or Mexican grocery store.
This recipe uses beer-battered walleye, but venison barbacoa or pheasant tinga would make fantastic substitutes. Topped with queso fresco, refried beans, spicy peppers, chipotle mayo, and other classic fixings, this sandwich is a perfect mess.
Ingredients
- 4 bollilo or tolera rolls
- 16 oz. can refried beans
- 2 avocados, thick sliced
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 white onion, sliced
- Pickled jalapeños, sliced
- Iceberg lettuce, shredded
- Queso fresco cheese
- Butter
Fried Fish
- 1 lb. flaky white-fleshed fish
- Beer batter (check out this recipe)
- Oil for frying
Chipotle Mayo
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ small can, chipotles in adobo sauce
- ½ lime, juiced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ tsp. chili powder
Also works with
Special equipment
Preparation
- Roast the poblanos until soft and lightly charred. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Peel the skin and remove the seeds, then slice and set aside.
- To prepare chipotle mayo, combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place in the refrigerator to cool and thicken.
- Cut the rolls and toast them in butter until browned and crispy. Heat up the refried beans.
- Cut the fish into large pieces. Whisk the beer into your batter (I used Shore Lunch brand beer batter with a Dos Equis lager, or you can follow this great recipe from Chef Jesse Griffiths). Heat an inch of oil in a cast iron to 360°F.
- Dip the fish in the batter and drip off any excess. Working in batches, fry the fish until golden brown for about two minutes on each side. Set the fish on a wire rack or parchment paper to cool.
- To assemble the torta, smother the bottom of the bun with warm refried beans. Add the cheese, poblano peppers, and sliced pickled jalapeños. Lay the fried fish on the peppers. Next, add the avocado, onion, tomato, and shredded lettuce. Then spoon a healthy amount of the chipotle mayo on the top bun. Cut the torta in half and enjoy it with a cold beer.
The torta is the national sandwich of Mexico, but it's very popular in the United States too. They're traditionally sold at marketplaces, bodegas, convenience stores, and street stands.
Although fillings change from region to region, one thing remains the same: This is a sandwich teeming with ingredients and defined by layer after layer of goodness. But the bread is what really defines this sandwich. A true torta will use either a bolillo or telera roll. Both are easy to find at your local market bakery or Mexican grocery store.
This recipe uses beer-battered walleye, but venison barbacoa or pheasant tinga would make fantastic substitutes. Topped with queso fresco, refried beans, spicy peppers, chipotle mayo, and other classic fixings, this sandwich is a perfect mess.
Ingredients
- 4 bollilo or tolera rolls
- 16 oz. can refried beans
- 2 avocados, thick sliced
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 white onion, sliced
- Pickled jalapeños, sliced
- Iceberg lettuce, shredded
- Queso fresco cheese
- Butter
Fried Fish
- 1 lb. flaky white-fleshed fish
- Beer batter (check out this recipe)
- Oil for frying
Chipotle Mayo
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ small can, chipotles in adobo sauce
- ½ lime, juiced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ tsp. chili powder
Also works with
Special equipment
Preparation
- Roast the poblanos until soft and lightly charred. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Peel the skin and remove the seeds, then slice and set aside.
- To prepare chipotle mayo, combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place in the refrigerator to cool and thicken.
- Cut the rolls and toast them in butter until browned and crispy. Heat up the refried beans.
- Cut the fish into large pieces. Whisk the beer into your batter (I used Shore Lunch brand beer batter with a Dos Equis lager, or you can follow this great recipe from Chef Jesse Griffiths). Heat an inch of oil in a cast iron to 360°F.
- Dip the fish in the batter and drip off any excess. Working in batches, fry the fish until golden brown for about two minutes on each side. Set the fish on a wire rack or parchment paper to cool.
- To assemble the torta, smother the bottom of the bun with warm refried beans. Add the cheese, poblano peppers, and sliced pickled jalapeños. Lay the fried fish on the peppers. Next, add the avocado, onion, tomato, and shredded lettuce. Then spoon a healthy amount of the chipotle mayo on the top bun. Cut the torta in half and enjoy it with a cold beer.