Carne Asada Torta Mexicana
Grilled steak on a crusty Mexican bread, spread with beans, mayo and topped with melted cheese, sliced tomatoes, avocado, onions, pickled jalapeños, and lettuce makes for the ultimate portable sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil I used canola, see notes
- 4 ounces thinly sliced steak, about 1/4 inch thick I used sirloin, see notes
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric to taste, see notes
- 1 telera or bolillo roll see notes
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup refried beans see notes
- 1 slice cheese I used gouda, but manchego, Oaxaca, panela, or any other cheese of your choice will work. See notes
- 1/2 avocado thinly sliced
- 1/8 cup thinly sliced onions
- 2 slices tomato
- 2 leafs lettuce see notes
- 4 slices pickled jalapeños optional, see notes
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a skillet or grill pan until shimmering, about 3 minutes.2 tbsp oil
- While the oil is heating up, season the steak on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric powder.4 ounces thinly sliced steak, about 1/4 inch thick, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric
- Place steak in the pan and fry, browning evenly on both sides, about 1 1/2 minute per side. Once the steak is cooked to your desired doneness, remove from the skillet and place on a plate and cover to keep warm. See notes.
- Slice the telera or bolillo through the center to create a top and bottom for your torta. Remove some crumbs from the white, soft interior if desired.1 telera or bolillo roll
- Spread butter on the soft, white side of both halves. Place the bread butter side down in the skillet. Toast until the bread is a light, golden brown, about 25-30 seconds. Flip to warm and toast the other sides of the bread, about 15 seconds more. Remove from the skillet.1 tbsp unsalted butter
- On one half of the buttered side of the bread, spread your refried beans and top with cheese. Place this half back in your skillet, cheese side down for about 15-20 seconds. This will toast and melt the cheese. Remove from the skillet with a spatula.1/4 cup refried beans, 1 slice cheese
- Thinly slice your steak into strips and place on top of your melted cheese. Layer on the sliced onions, tomatoes, avocado slices, jalapeño peppers (if using), and lettuce.1/2 avocado, 1/8 cup thinly sliced onions, 2 slices tomato, 4 slices pickled jalapeños, 2 leafs lettuce
- Spread mayonnaise on the other half of your bread and place on top!1 tbsp mayonnaise
- If you wish, you can toast the sandwich as a whole in your skillet once more to warm the bread through or make it extra toasty. Or enjoy immediately!
Notes
- You can use whatever oil you have on hand. If you are using a non-stick skillet, this amount can likely be reduced down. Use just enough to ensure your steak doesn't stick to the pan!
- I used a thinly sliced sirloin steak that was about 1/4 inch thick. Because this steak was thin, it cooked up really fast. You will have to adjust your cooking time if you are using a thicker steak, or if you want your meat more or less well-done.
- I season my steaks on both sides with a sprinkle of salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric. I would suggest seasoning with a minimum of salt, but the other herbs and spice flavors can be changed out for whatever you like. Cumin, chile pepper flakes, ground chile powder, or powdered onion would be other great options.
- Telera or bolillo rolls are traditional Mexican breads used for tortas. You should be able to find these in your local Mexican bakery or well stocked bakery sections in regular grocery stores in areas with large Mexican populations. If you can't find these breads, you could use French bread or baguettes cut into smaller sections, then sliced through the center. Do not use soft bread, like sliced sandwich bread or buns.
- You can use canned or homemade refried beans.
- I usually use whatever sliced, meltable cheese we have on hand. In this case, gouda was in my deli drawer. More traditional Mexican cheese like Oaxaca (similar in flavor and consistency to mozarella) will also work. Panela is another option, but it has a higher melting point. Other options include manchego, monterey jack, pepper jack, or muenster. Use whatever cheese you have on hand!
- Some tortas use shredded lettuce, others lettuce leaves. Use whatever you prefer!
- Tortas in Mexico are often offered with some sort of spicy chile or salsa. Sliced jalapeños en escabeche are a standard option and can be found canned in the Hispanic aisles of most well stocked grocers. Sliced chipotles in adobo are another choice if you like a more smokey flavor. Of course, if you are sensitive to spice, you can leave the chiles off!