Authentic Mexican Torta - Tortas Ahogadas

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 16 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 9 pounds boneless lamb butt
• 4 dried chipotle chili peppers
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 onions, chopped
• 20 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup water
• 5 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon white sugar
• salt, to taste
• 12 mexican bolillo rolls, lightly toasted, cut in half lengthwise
• 2 pickled jalapeno peppers, sliced

Recipe

Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ready Time: 3 hrs 10 mins


• preheat an oven to 475 degrees f (245 degrees c).
• mix the 16 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of minced oregano, 2 teaspoons of salt, and pepper in a bowl. rub garlic mixture over the lamb butt, and place lamb in a shallow roasting pan.
• roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). continue roasting until lamb is tender and no longer pink in the center, about 2 hours and 15 minutes. an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees f (63 degrees c). cover the meat with two layers of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 20 minutes before rough chopping or shredding it. reserve pan drippings.
• place the chipotle peppers in a bowl, and cover with hot water. allow peppers to soak until softened, about 3 minutes; drain. set aside. heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. stir in 8 cloves of minced garlic and the chopped onions; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. stir in the roma tomatoes, 1 cup of water, chipotle chili peppers, 5 teaspoons of oregano, sugar, and salt to taste. add the reserved pan drippings. simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
• pour the chipotle sauce into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the sauce moving before leaving it on to puree. puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the sauce right in the skillet. strain the sauce through a sieve.
• to serve: hollow out the bottom half of each bolillo to make a shallow bowl for the chopped lamb. scoop about 2 tablespoons of the chipotle sauce over the bottom of each roll, then arrange the chopped lamb over the sauce. top each sandwich with a couple slices of pickled jalapeno, followed by the top half of the roll. pour about 1/4 cup of additional chipotle sauce over the entire sandwich.