TORTA AHOGADA

image MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TORTA AHOGADA IS A COMMON staple with street vendors in Mexico and taco trucks here on the West Coast. Ahogada literally means “drenched” or “drowned.” It’s no secret that the magic lies in the rich chili sauce, and there are a handful of different ways to approach re-creating it at home. I’ve taken some cues from my chef friend Dennis Horton, who lives in Los Angeles and knows one or two things about a good Mexican sandwich. He turned me on to a sauce that’s similar to the one here, made with pumpkin and sesame seeds along with chile de árbol to give it rich layers of flavor and an intense earthiness. Think mole—with a twist. To prepare the sandwich, you drench the bread in the sauce to let it soak up all that great flavor, grill it, and top it with any taco fixings you like. My go-to is our grilled chili-spiced sausage paired with creamy avocado, crisp red onion, and fresh cilantro.

⅓ cup pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 dried chiles de árbol

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 cloves garlic

1½ cups water, plus more if needed

⅔ cup cider vinegar

4 links Oaxacan Chili-Spiced Sausage (here) or Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausage, sliced lengthwise and brushed with safflower oil

4 crusty sandwich rolls

½ red onion, thinly sliced

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

½ bunch cilantro, large stems removed, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Lightly toast the pumpkin seeds on a dry baking sheet in the oven, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. In a blender, combine the seeds, spices, and garlic with the water and vinegar. Blend until smooth, adding water until it has the consistency of a salad dressing.

4. Grill the sausages or cook in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the heat.

5. Quickly dip both sides of each sandwich roll in the sauce and toast in a skillet or on a grill.

6. Top the rolls with sausage, onion, avocado, and cilantro. Drizzle with extra sauce.