The Tasty Mexican Torta

4 Written by Abby on June 4, 2009 – 11:22 am

If you’re a sandwich lover, you definitely need to check out the torta. So what is a torta? Basically, it’s a Mexican sandwich, which may or may not have come about due to French influences. In fact, the history of the torta is rather sketchy.

There is speculation that during the French occupation, Mexican bakers took inspiration from the French baguette, which is a hard crusty bread. They used similar bread dough to create smaller loafs called bolillo and telera. The bolillo is oval shaped and has a crusty exterior and soft interior while the telera is slightly larger, rounder and has a crease or two in the middle. A great torta is defined by the bread having enough texture to hold up, being soft enough to bite and large enough to contain a plethora of ingredients.

The preparation method is relatively straightforward. Before any ingredients are placed on the roll, it is split in half, spread with either butter or mayonnaise and usually toasted quickly on one side on a griddle.

On traditional tortas, one half of the roll is smeared with refried beans, while the other is coated with some mashed avocado and a little crema, or Mexican sour cream. Other ingredients could include pickled jalapenos, lettuce, tomato and onion and any variety of meat like pork carnitas, beef barbacoa, shellfish, fish or chicken.

Tortas will also take on distinct flavors based on the Mexican regions where they are made. In Guadalajara, rolls filled with roast beef, ham or milanesa (breaded steak) are dipped in a large jar of thick, hot salsa. In Monterrey and the state of Sonora, the favorite is the carne asada torta. In Tijuana, milanesa and turkey tortas are favored.

Out of Mexico, you may encounter more westernized tortas with ingredients that could include anything from smoked salmon to grilled vegetables to ham. Not being traditional doesn’t make them any less delicious.

Once the torta is loaded up with ingredients, it either is grilled in a panini-like press or simply toasted on both sides on a griddle using something weighted to hold the torta down. You’ll see street vendors in Mexico use either gas-fired or charcoal-heated griddles to toast their tortas.

What’s great about tortas is they are relatively inexpensive sandwiches. They’re generally sold for $6 to $8 at torta shops and if you’re lucky enough to be around street food vendors, those tortas will sell for $4 to $5. So if you’d like to check out tortas for yourself, look below for some restaurant recommendations and Happy Dining!

Super Tortas
360 S Alvarado St Ste 6
Los Angeles, CA 90057
(213) 413-7953

Tortas El Angel
1018 N Shepherd Dr
Houston, TX 77008
(713) 862-9333

Tortas Jalisco
534 Frontier
Lawrence, KS 66049
(785) 865-1515

Puras Tortas
4166 Buford Hwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30345
(404) 633-2110

Tortas El Guero
2518 N 16th St
Phoenix, AZ 85006
(602) 252-9228