Torta de Pierna
If you love sandwiches, you will be blown away by tortas, the Mexican version of a sandwich. Trust us on this one.
Just like sandwiches, tortas come with an infinite variety of fillings. This one is prepared with chopped pork leg, refried beans, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeños, and avocado.
In Mexico, you grab a torta when you want something quick, tasty, and filling at lunchtime. They are sold everywhere. On the street, in mini-markets and loncherías. They are almost as easy to find as tacos.
How to Make
Start by gathering your ingredients. You will need 4 rolls. In Mexico, the type of rolls used to make tortas are bolillos or teleras.
We used bolillos for this torta. If you can’t find either one of these rolls, French rolls are a good substitute. Like with a sandwich, the better the bread the better the sandwich.
Ingredients:
- 4 rolls (bolillos, teleras or French rolls)
- 1 ¼lb pork leg with a little fat. The fat keeps the meat moist and adds flavor.
- 1 ½ cups refried beans
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 small white onions
- 3 or 4 small plum tomatoes
- 2 small avocados
- 7 oz. can of jalapeño chiles in vinegar
- ½ tsp sea salt
Preparing the Pork
Place the pork and ¼ white onion in a large pot and top with 2″ of water.
Bring to a boil and then cook for 1 hour 15 minutes until you can pull the meat apart with a fork. Add water if needed so the pot doesn’t go dry.
Now the pork is ready to prepare the filling.
Roughly chop the pork with a knife.
Use your fingers to pull the pork into bite-sized pieces.
Preheat 2 tablespoons cooking oil to medium-hot and add the shredded pork and ½ teaspoon salt.
Cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently to brown the pork.
Set the pork aside while you prepare the roll.
Preparing the Torta
Start with your favorite roll.
Slice the roll in half and generously spread mayonnaise on both pieces.
Over medium heat, toast the bread with mayonnaise in the same pan that you browned the pork. The bread will pick up a really nice pork flavor.
This is how your toasted roll should look.
Now it’s time to add all of the ingredients to build your torta. First, spread refried beans on the bottom half of the bread.
Then, top with the browned pork.
Top the pork with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, onion, and vinegar jalapeños.
On the top half of the bread add avocado slices. Use a spoon to scoop out slices of avocado.
This is much easier than peeling the avocado and slicing it with a knife.
Carefully place the top half of the roll onto the torta. Serve with a bowl of extra chiles on the side.
Enjoy a favorite Mexican torta!
Pork Leg Torta Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 rolls bolillos, teleras or French rolls
- 1 ¼ lb pork leg with a little fat
- 1 ½ cups refried beans
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 small white onions
- 3 or 4 small plum tomatoes
- 2 small avocados
- 7 oz. can of jalapeño chiles in vinegar
- ½ tsp. sea salt
Instructions
Preparing the Pork Filling
- Place the pork and ¼ white onion in a large pot and cover with 2" of water.
- Bring to a boil and then cook for 1 hour 15 minutes until you can pull the meat apart with a fork. Add water if needed so the pot doesn't go dry.
- Remove the pork from the cooking liquid. (Save the liquid for use in another dish. It’s packed with flavor.)
- Roughly chop the pork with a knife.
- Use your fingers to pull the pork into bite-sized pieces.
- Preheat 2 tablespoons cooking oil to medium-hot and add the shredded pork and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently to brown the pork.
- Set the pork aside while you prepare the roll.
Assembling the Torta
- Slice the roll in half and generously spread mayonnaise on both pieces.
- Over medium heat, toast the bread with mayonnaise in the same pan that you browned the pork.
- Spread refried beans on the bottom half of the bread.
- Then, top with the browned pork.
- Top the pork with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced onion, and vinegar jalapeños.
- On the top half of the bread add avocado slices.
- Carefully place the top half of the roll onto the torta.
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