AL PASTOR TORTA

Frankie’s Torta’s and Tacos | 30 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
The Broadsheet Melbourne Cookbook: The New Classics

Putting a sandwich together may seem simple, but the care that we take with each step of our al pastor torta is what makes it a sandwich that consistently tops the sales at our restaurant. So much so that it’s gained a cult following – it will never be absent from our menu.

The trick with this recipe isn’t in the assembly but in the preparations. There are seven steps that go into the making of this one sandwich: the refried beans, the marinade for the meat, the cooking of the meat, the pickled onions, the finely shredded salad and two different hot sauces. We’ve simplified things for home by letting you opt out of making your own hot sauce – just pick your favourite and have at it.

This will leave you room to focus on the assembly, which is a bit more advanced than just placing fillings upon bread, requiring toasting, melting, flipping and a very ambitious folding moment. Pull it off, and it’s a sandwich to remember.

– Angus McCarthy, chef

Makes 4

INGREDIENTS

1kg pork neck or leg steaks
Splash of olive oil
4 long Vietnamese banh mi rolls
Oil spray, for greasing
400g Oaxacan cheese (or low-moisture mozzarella with a pinch of salt)
Hot sauce of choice
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
1/4 small head white cabbage, finely shaved
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt flakes, to taste

AL PASTOR MARINADE

1 guajillo chilli
11/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 onion, cut into rounds
2 small whole garlic cloves
1/3 long red chilli
40g tinned crushed pineapple and its liquid
25g achiote annatto paste
3 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp brown sugar
Pinch of dried oregano
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of roasted and ground black peppercorns

BLACK BEAN PUREE

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried epazote
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1/2 tsp roasted and ground
black peppercorns
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 pasilla chilli
100g tinned black beans
100g tinned crushed tomatoes
Salt flakes, to taste

QUICK-PICKLED RED ONION

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp fine salt
100ml white vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 cinnamon quill
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes

RECIPE

For the al pastor marinade, dry-fry the guajillo chilli over medium heat until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from the pan, then add 1 tsp of the oil, followed by the onion. Sauté until the rings start to brown, then flip them and add the garlic to the pan. Once the garlic cloves have browned on one side, about 1–2 minutes, remove the onion and garlic from the pan and allow to cool. Transfer to a blender with the guajillo chilli, the rest of the oil and all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Pour the marinade into a bowl, add the pork and rub the marinade all over it. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight to marinate.

For the black-bean puree, heat the oil in a small saucepan over low heat, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is nice and soft, about 10 minutes. Add the epazote, dried spices and the chilli, stir well, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the spices are fragrant and the chilli has softened, about 5–10 minutes.

Add the drained black beans, the tomatoes and 21/2 tbsp water. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 20 minutes until the beans are very soft. Turn the heat off, leave for 10 minutes to cool, then blend thoroughly until very smooth. Season to taste with salt, blending through any added salt, then refrigerate until needed.

For the quick-pickled red onion, mix the onion through the salt with your hands in a non-reactive container. Meanwhile, combine all remaining ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to the boil, swirling to dissolve sugar, then remove from heat. After 30 minutes, pour the vinegar mixture over the onions, add 21/2 tbsp of water and mix to combine. These can be used straight away, or refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Remove the pork from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat, lightly oil the pan, then add the pork and cook until caramelised and lightly charred, about 4–5 minutes, then flip and cook for a further 2–3 minutes or until the meat is tightened up and just cooked through.

If you want to be really indulgent, using lard instead of oil to fry the pork will increase the depth of flavour and colour of the meat.

Remove the pork from the pan and rest for 15–20 minutes. Cut into 5mm slices against the grain with a sharp knife.

Now it’s time to toast the rolls, melt the cheese and assemble the tortas. Slice the rolls in half, taking care to not cut the whole way through (the “hinge” is important). Spray a little oil onto a large frying pan (you may need to do this in batches) or the clean flat plate of a barbeque and heat it to medium. Place the rolls, cut-side down, on the cooking surface, and toast until they develop a crust and a golden-brown colour, about 2 minutes.

Place 100g of Oaxacan cheese under the top of each roll and allow it to melt and lightly caramelise while pressing the lid into the cheese.

With a thin metal or plastic spatula, lift and flip the cheese and rolls so that the cut sides are facing up, with the melted, caramelised cheese on one side and a blank toasted side on the other. Spread a heaped tbsp of the black-bean puree onto the blank sides, heat the al pastor pork on the cooking surface, then heap it onto the black bean side of the rolls. Remove your tortas from the cooking surface, place them onto a chopping board and top the pork side with your choice of hot sauce.

Combine the lettuce, cabbage and a healthy pinch of the pickled onion in a small bowl, then add a squeeze of lemon, a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Place a small handful of the salad mix onto the cheese side of the rolls, then using a bread knife to hold everything in, fold the salad and cheese side onto the pork side of the tortas, pressing the tops down firmly. Cut the tortas in half, pop onto plates and enjoy.