Mexican Pork Torta with Refried Beans, Avocado and Queso Fresco

What you need

• 600 g (1 1/3 lb) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 white onion, halved; one half stays whole for simmering, the other is sliced thin
• 5 cloves garlic cloves, 2 for simmering, 3 for the adobo
• 2 leaves bay leaves
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 dried pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) white vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tbsp lard, or neutral oil
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 4 bolillo or telera rolls, split in half
• 200 g (7 oz) refried beans, warmed
• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and sliced
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz) queso fresco, crumbled
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) crema, or sour cream
• salt, to taste

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Season the pork with salt and put it in a pot with the onion half that is left whole, 2 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Add water to just cover.

2. 2

   Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the pork is very tender, about 1 hour.

3. 3

   While it simmers, cover the ancho and pasilla chiles with boiling water. Let them soften for 20 min, then drain, keeping a cupful of the liquid.

4. 4

   Blend the chiles with the vinegar, the remaining 3 garlic cloves, oregano, cumin and a pinch of salt into a smooth paste. Loosen with a spoonful of the chile liquid only if the blades stall.

5. 5

   Lift the pork out of the pot, discard the liquid and onion, and shred the meat finely.

6. 6

   Heat the lard in a wide pan over medium heat. Stir in the chile paste carefully, since it spatters, and cook over low heat until it darkens and smells rich, about 10 min.

7. 7

   Add the pork and cook until heated through and lightly crisp at the edges, 5 min. Taste and add salt.

8. 8

   Blend the jalapeno with the tomatillos and a pinch of salt into a rough, bright green sauce.

9. 9

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Set the rolls cut side up on a tray and toast until the edges are crisp, 6-8 min.

10. 10

    Spread the bottom of each roll with refried beans and pile on the pork. Spoon over some of the green sauce.

11. 11

    Top with sliced avocado, the remaining sliced onion, queso fresco and a drizzle of crema. Close the rolls and serve warm.

Imported from tastingtable.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.