Yoly's-torta Recipe
Mexican pulled pork, spicy red chili sauce, lettuce, avocado, onion, on a brioche bun. Addictively excellent.
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Ingredients
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Pulled Pork (Tinga-style)
Spicy Red Chili Sauce
Toppings & Assembly
Method
Pulled Pork (Tinga-style)
Brown the pork
Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season pork pieces with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. In batches if needed, brown pork on all sides, 3–4 minutes per side, until caramelized. Remove browned pork and set aside.
Sauté aromatics
Reduce heat to medium, add sliced yellow onion to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the 4 smashed garlic cloves and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
Simmer pork
Return the pork to the pot. Add 2 cups chicken or pork stock, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook gently until pork is fork-tender, about 1.5–2 hours (or 45–60 minutes in a pressure cooker). Check every 30 minutes and add a splash of water if liquid reduces too much.
Shred and season
When pork is tender, remove from pot and shred using two forks or a mixer paddle. Discard bay leaf. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir shredded pork back into the pot with reserved liquid, taste, and adjust salt as needed (about 0.5 tsp more if desired). Keep warm on very low heat while you make the chili sauce.
Spicy Red Chili Sauce
Toast and soak chiles
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp vegetable oil. Toast dried guajillo and ancho chiles for 10–20 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Transfer to a bowl and cover with 1 cup very hot (not boiling) water; soak 15 minutes until softened. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup soaking liquid.
Roast tomato and aromatics
While chiles soak, heat the skillet (no extra oil) and char the chopped tomato and 1/2 cup white onion for 3–4 minutes until blistered and softened. You can also roast under a broiler. Transfer to a blender with 3 garlic cloves.
Blend the sauce
Add softened chiles (stems and seeds removed), charred tomato/onion/garlic, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup water (plus up to 1/4 cup reserved soaking liquid if needed) to the blender. Puree until smooth and velvety, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar for brightness. If sauce is too thick, add small amounts of water to reach a pourable, saucy consistency.
Finish the sauce
Optionally pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve for silky texture. Warm a small saucepan over medium-low, add the blended sauce and simmer gently 6–8 minutes to develop flavor, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning.
Combine pork with sauce
Stir the finished red chili sauce into the shredded pork in the pot, using enough to coat the meat well but not drown it — about 1 to 1 1/2 cups sauce for 2 lbs pork (use more for wetter filling). Simmer together 5–10 minutes so the pork absorbs the sauce. Taste and adjust salt, vinegar, or sugar as needed.
Toppings & Assembly
Assemble Yoly's-Torta
Pile a generous portion of the sauced pulled pork onto the bottom bun (about 1/2 cup–3/4 cup per sandwich). Top with shredded lettuce (about 1/2 cup), 2–3 slices of avocado, some sliced red onion, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Squeeze a little lime over the avocado if desired. Cap with the top bun.
Serve
Serve immediately while warm. Offer extra chili sauce, lime wedges, and hot sauce on the side.