Mexican Torta
with Avocado and Pickled Jalapeños
Torta is a Mexican sandwich, and our version is on homemade bread with spicy jalapeño peppers. (Which you’ll pickle, by the way!) This versatile recipe calls for “quick bread,” which is bread that doesn’t have to rise. Knead the quick bread for about a minute in a bowl to be sure it comes together well.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cup white flour
- 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Salt*
- 9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*
- 1 onion
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Pepper*
- 2 packages black beans
- 1 jalapeño
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
- 1 avocado
- 2 limes
- 6 ounces red cabbage
- Roma tomatoes
- Fresh cilantro
- 4 tablespoons Fabanaise
- *not included
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Put the flours in a large bowl with the cornmeal, baking powder, chipotle powder, sweet paprika, and 2 teaspoons salt; mix together with your hands. Add 6 tablespoons oil and 1 cup warm water and mix with your hands until smooth and elastic; the dough should come together in a well-defined, fairly sticky but easy-to-handle ball. This process will take just about 2 minutes. If it’s too dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix well.
Divide the dough into 4 portions. Press out each dough ball into a 2-inch-thick round on the baking sheet, almost like football-shaped rolls. Coat your hands with a little oil if the dough is sticking to them. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil and coat the dough and baking sheet. Bake until it’s set and lightly golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes.
Peel and chop the onion. Put a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper. Drain the beans and add them to the skillet with 2 tablespoons of water. Mash with a fork or wooden spoon until they’re the texture of refried beans. Cook until hot, about 5 minutes, and cover to keep warm.
To pickle the jalapeños, slice them into rounds and add them to a small saucepan with the vinegar, 1 cup of water, a large pinch of salt, and the sugar. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Remove them, along with the liquid, to a heat-proof glass bowl to cool.
Once the bread comes out of the oven, let it rest for a moment before slicing lengthwise. Rinse and cut the avocado in half; remove the pit and then slice. Rinse the limes and cut them in half. Squeeze one lime over the avocado and sprinkle with salt. Put the cabbage in a bowl and squeeze the other lime over; season with salt and pepper. Rinse and slice the tomato.
Rinse and pick the cilantro leaves from the stems. To assemble the tortas, put a layer of the beans on the bottom pieces of the bread and top with the avocado slices, jalapeño, tomato, and cilantro. Spread some of the Fabanaise on the sandwiches and serve with the cabbage.