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Per serving
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- 1
Simmer the pork
Cut the pork shoulder into big chunks and drop them in a pot with the bay leaves and a heavy pinch of salt. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then knock it down to a low simmer for about 1.5 hours until the pork shreds with zero effort. Pull it out, shred it with two forks, and keep it warm. This is your filling and it's worth every minute.
- 2
Wake up the chiles
Pull the stems off the guajillos and chiles de arbol and shake out the seeds. Toast them in a dry pan for 20-30 seconds a side until they smell nutty (don't burn them or they turn bitter). Toss them in a pot with half the white onion and 3 cloves of garlic, cover with about 3 cups water, and simmer 10 minutes until the chiles are soft.
- 3
Char the tomatoes
While the chiles soak, char the roma tomatoes whole on a dry griddle or under the broiler, turning until the skins are blistered and blackened in spots on all sides. That char is where the smoky flavor comes from.
- 4
Blend the drowning sauce
Add the softened chiles, charred tomatoes, remaining garlic, oregano, and vinegar to a blender with about a cup of the chile cooking water. Blend until completely smooth, then taste and season with salt. Want it hotter? Throw in another arbol. Too spicy? An extra tomato tames it right down.
- 5
Cook it down
Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium. Set a strainer over the pot and push the blended sauce through it with the back of a spoon so it comes out silky. Simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring, until it thickens slightly. Keep it warm but not screaming hot, so the bread holds up.
- 6
Quick-pickle the onions
Thinly slice the red onion, toss it with the juice of 1 lime and a pinch of salt, and let it sit while you build. It'll go bright pink and tangy, which is exactly the crunch this sandwich needs.
- 7
Build and drown
Split the bolillos, smear refried beans on the bottom half, and pile on a generous mound of shredded pork. Close it up, set it in a deep plate or bowl, and ladle the warm sauce all over the top and around the sides until it's properly drowned. Crown with pickled onions and a squeeze of lime. Eat it immediately, with lots of napkins.
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Tortas Ahogadas (Guadalajara Drowned Pork Sandwiches)
Created by: TacoEveryDay
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork shoulder
- 2 bay leaves
- salt
- 6 roma tomatoes
- 4 guajillo chiles
- 4 chiles de arbol
- 1 white onion
- 5 garlic
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 bolillo rolls
- 3/4 cup refried beans
- 1 red onion
- 2 limes
Instructions
- Simmer the porkCut the pork shoulder into big chunks and drop them in a pot with the bay leaves and a heavy pinch of salt. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then knock it down to a low simmer for about 1.5 hours until the pork shreds with zero effort. Pull it out, shred it with two forks, and keep it warm. This is your filling and it's worth every minute.
- Wake up the chilesPull the stems off the guajillos and chiles de arbol and shake out the seeds. Toast them in a dry pan for 20-30 seconds a side until they smell nutty (don't burn them or they turn bitter). Toss them in a pot with half the white onion and 3 cloves of garlic, cover with about 3 cups water, and simmer 10 minutes until the chiles are soft.
- Char the tomatoesWhile the chiles soak, char the roma tomatoes whole on a dry griddle or under the broiler, turning until the skins are blistered and blackened in spots on all sides. That char is where the smoky flavor comes from.
- Blend the drowning sauceAdd the softened chiles, charred tomatoes, remaining garlic, oregano, and vinegar to a blender with about a cup of the chile cooking water. Blend until completely smooth, then taste and season with salt. Want it hotter? Throw in another arbol. Too spicy? An extra tomato tames it right down.
- Cook it downHeat the olive oil in a pot over medium. Set a strainer over the pot and push the blended sauce through it with the back of a spoon so it comes out silky. Simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring, until it thickens slightly. Keep it warm but not screaming hot, so the bread holds up.
- Quick-pickle the onionsThinly slice the red onion, toss it with the juice of 1 lime and a pinch of salt, and let it sit while you build. It'll go bright pink and tangy, which is exactly the crunch this sandwich needs.
- Build and drownSplit the bolillos, smear refried beans on the bottom half, and pile on a generous mound of shredded pork. Close it up, set it in a deep plate or bowl, and ladle the warm sauce all over the top and around the sides until it's properly drowned. Crown with pickled onions and a squeeze of lime. Eat it immediately, with lots of napkins.