Mexican Cheese and Chorizo Torta

Name: Mexican Cheese and Chorizo Torta
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Mexican, Latin American, American
Ingredients: 1 red onion; Olive oil, for frying; 300g piece of chorizo sausage; 2 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional); 225g queso de Oaxaca or firm mozzarella cheese; 4 small bolillos (soft rolls) or small baguettes (French sticks); 1 avocado, halved and pitted; Juice of 1 lime; 3 romaine lettuce leaves, sliced; Large handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped; 1 tbsp pickled red onions, from a jar (optional); 1 tbsp sliced jalapeno chillies, from a jar (optional); Sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper; Crunchy green salad, to serve

8 steps

Cook:10min

The word torta means 'sandwich' in Mexico, and I made this chorizo and cheese version on a trip to Tijuana with Gino and Fred. It calls for bolillos, which are the soft rolls they use in Mexico, and queso de Oaxaca, a firm but stringy mozzarella-style cheese that literally pulls apart in your hands. Both are easy to get hold of in the US, but less so in the UK, where soft half-baguettes and grated mozzarella would be good substitutes.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 08:48:45 GMT

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Ingredients

4 servings

1red onion

olive oil

for frying

300gchorizo sausage

2garlic cloves

peeled

1 tspchilli flakes

optional

225gqueso de Oaxaca

or firm mozzarella cheese

4bolillos

small, soft rolls, or small baguettes, French sticks

1avocado

halved and pitted

1juice of lime

3 leavesromaine lettuce

sliced

fresh coriander

cilantro, roughly chopped

1 Tbsppickled red onions

from a jar, optional

1 Tbspjalapeno chillies

sliced, from a jar, optional

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

green salad

Crunchy, to serve

Instructions

Step 1

Place a large, non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat.

Step 2

Peel and slice the onion.

Step 3

When the pan is hot, drizzle in a little olive oil, then add the onion. Season with salt and pepper and allow to soften for 1-2 minutes.

Step 4

Chop half of the chorizo into chunks, then peel the remainder and roughly chop or crumble it. Add to the pan and stir well.

Step 5

Crush (mince) or grate the garlic and add to the pan with the chilli flakes (if using) and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.

Step 6

If using queso de Oaxaca, peel the layers to shred the cheese, if using mozzarella, chop it into strips or cubes.

Step 7

Slice the rolls open.

Step 8

Mash the avocado on the bottom halves of the bread, then season with lime juice, salt and pepper. Add the lettuce and coriander, followed by the pickled onions and jalapenos (if using) and top with the chorizo and cheese. Put the bread lids on and serve with a crunchy green salad.