Beef Torta

If you are not familiar with tortas, you are going to thank me for the introduction. Some refer to a torta as a sort of Mexican Sandwich or even a Mexican Hamburger. It is essentially both of those things – meats, cheese, beans and veggies on a roll or bun of some sort. To give another point of reference, its sort of like a taco but on fluffy bread instead of a tortilla. My take on a Beef Torta, is a great starting point for anyone that hasn’t had a torta before. It is a simple but flavorful dish that works so well on a weeknight.

Most tortas are either beef or pork. Some times is shredded beef, sliced beef, ground beef and sometimes shredded pork, chopped pork or even ham steak. I decided to go with a carne asada style beef, just because that’s one of my favorites. If you are fortunate enough to live near a Mexican meat market, and they have that amazing pre-marinated carne asada meat that we all love so much, you want to use that beef for this!

If you like a little bit of kick, you could absolutely pile on some fresh or pickled jalapenos with the other veggies. The sort of fresh pico on top is a great flavor combination. You could also switch up the cheese with some queso fresco or cotija cheese. The fun thing with tortas, like tacos or burgers, is that you can change them up to your tastes and preferences.

This is a rather hearty meal, so big sides probably aren’t needed. I just served the tortas with some tortilla chips and the rest of the beans. You could do fries with some tajin sprinkled on top, or full rice and beans on the side.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Beef Torta

A flavorful sandwich made with beans, cheese, thin-sliced beef piled high with fresh veggies.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword beans, beef, cheese, cilantro, refried beans, steak, tajin, tomato, torta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 3 Roma Tomatoes diced
• 1 Small White Onion diced
• 1 Romaine Heart shredded
• ½ bunch Cilantro chopped
• 2 Limes quartered
• 6 Bollio Rolls
• 12 slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Cooking Oil

For the Beans

• 2 15oz can Refried Beans
• 1 15oz can Pinto Beans drained
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Chili Powder

For the Beef

• 3 lb Skirt Steak, thin-sliced
• 1 tbsp Tajin
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 2 tbsp Oil

Instructions

• Add beef ingredients to a gallon sized zippered bag. Seal up and swish around to evenly coat all sides of the beef. Let rest for at least 15 minutes (up to overnight, the refrigerator).
• Preheat oven to 450degF.
• Add bean ingredients to a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir to combine and let cook together, stirring regularly until ready to build the tortas.
• In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add pieces of beef and cook on each side for 3-5 minutes (may need to cook in batches). Remove to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes before chopping up.
• Split the rolls and line out on a baking sheet. Spray the inside lightly with cooking spray. Place in oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and place 2 slices of cheese on each roll and place back into oven for 5-7 minutes more (until melted).
• Build the torta – add a large spoonful of beans over melted cheese. Then add a portion of steak. Next add lettuce, onion, tomato and cilantro. Squeeze quarter lime over top.