Marinated Pork Tortas With Cilantro Aioli Chiles Curtidos Recipes

ACHIOTE PORK TORTA - (SANDWICHES)

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor, combine the garlic, vinegar, juices, salt, and cumin. Pulse until well combined. Crumble in the achiote and pulse to combine into a very soft paste; add more vinegar by the tablespoon to loosen it up if necessary. Blend in the cilantro.
• Cut the meat into lenghtwise slices 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Lay the meat between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness of 1/4 inch. Coat the slices generously with the paste and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and no more than 12 hours.
• Half an hour before cooking, clrean the grill thoroughly with a brush and wipe it down with an oil-dampened rag. Preheat the grill on high.
• Remove the meat from the marinade and shake off as much of the paste as possible. Place the meat on the grill, close the lid, and grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, checking often to make sure the meat doesn't burn or cook too quickly; if it does, move it to a cooler part of the grill. The meat is done perfectly when it has an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Do not overcook or the meat will dry out. (I used my George Foreman grill and just made sure to wipe it with a paper towel between batches) Set the meat aside, loosely covered with foil.
• To serve, split the rolls and toast on the grill, then layer from the bottom up: cheese, meat, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, onion, jalapenos, and salsa. Skewer with a couple of toothpicks and cut in half.

PORK & CHEDDAR TORTA

Steps:

• Pan-fry pork chops until nicely browned.
• Simmer them, covered, with 1/2 cup water or broth until chops are done and tender, about 10 minutes more.
• While hot, slice pork thinly and place in a plastic zipper bag with the sliced chiles and lime juice.
• Refrigerate until cooled.
• To assemble torta: scoop out a little bread from inside of rolls so they're hollowed slightly.
• Spread the bottom half with refried beans; spread the top with mayo, crema or sour cream.
• Stack sandwich with the lime-marinated pork and chiles, plus tomato slices, lettuce, onions, cilantro, and cheddar cheese.
• Sprinkle liberally with black pepper.

AUTHENTIC BOLILLOS (MEXICAN BREAD ROLLS FOR TORTAS)

Steps:

• Combine the water, salt, sugar, yeast and 2 cups of the flour to your Kitchenaid mixing bowl.
• Set mixer speed to 4 and mix well. Add in the flour about a half a cup at a time, mix for a minute or so and add more flour until the dough comes together and doesn't stick to the bowl.
• The dough should form a ball on the dough hook. It may become sticky after a few minutes of kneading so keep the flour handy to add more if necessary.
• Knead for 8-10 minutes. The final dough should be firm and elastic and a little sticky to the touch.
• Form the dough into a ball and place the dough in a greased bowl.
• Cover the dough with a towel or cloth and leave in a warm place for about an hour.
• Remove dough from bowl onto a smooth counter that has a little flour on top to keep the dough from sticking to the counter.
• Divide dough into 10 equal balls. For oval shaped rolls, roll the balls between your palms for about 5 seconds to make a cylindrical shape, tapering slightly at the ends.
• Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush each dough ball with egg whites.
• Using a bread knife, make a cut down the length of the roll about 1/4 inch deep. Bake for about 30 minutes, let cool and enjoy.
• They may also be wrapped well and frozen for later use.

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.

CHICKEN POZOLE

Steps:

• Place chicken, onion and garlic in a large pot. Add water and season well with salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Remove 3/4 cup broth and set aside. When ready to serve, add hominy to pot and simmer 10­-15 minutes to heat through.
• For the Salsa Verde:.
• Place jalapenos and tomatillos in a small pot with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot, about 1/2 cup. Bring to a boil and cover pot. Lower to a simmer and cook until tomatillos and jalapenos are very soft, about 15 minutes. Remove lid and let simmer 5 minutes until water evaporates. Set aside to cool for 10-­15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender. Add garlic, onion, salt and 3/4 cup reserved chicken broth. Blend until smooth. Transfer to small pot and bring to a boil. Simmer 1 minute.
• To Serve:.
• Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cabbage, radishes, scallions and oregano. Top.with a couple of spoonfuls of salsa verde. Serve with lime wedges and corn tostadas.