Pambazo

Pambazos

Soft telera-style rolls are briefly dunked in a guajillo-chilli sauce, griddled so the crust turns brick red and crisps at the edges, then split and stuffed with the classic potato-and-chorizo hash. Topped with lettuce, crema and queso fresco, they're a beloved Mexico City antojito.

Prep

20 min

Cook

30 min

Total

50 min

Serves

6 pambazos

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •6 rolls pambazo or telera rolls, soft Mexican sandwich rolls; bolillo works as a substitute, just slit the side only halfway so the sauce soaks the crust
• •15 g (0.5 oz (about 10)) dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
• •2 g (1 small) dried ancho chile, for deeper color and a touch of sweetness; optional but traditional in many stalls
• •1 small piece (about 1 inch) cinnamon stick
• •1 g (0.5 tsp) Mexican oregano
• •1 g (1/4 tsp) cumin seed
• •2 cloves garlic
• •500 ml (2 cups) water or light chicken broth
• •8 g (1 tsp) salt, plus more for the potatoes
• •400 g (14 oz (about 2 medium)) potatoes, waxy type such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm / 0.5 in cubes
• •250 g (9 oz) fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed; Spanish cured chorizo is not the same thing — flavor will be quite different
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil, for frying the filling and griddling the rolls
• •120 g (about 2 cups shredded) iceberg or romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
• •180 ml (3/4 cup) Mexican crema, substitute sour cream thinned with a splash of milk
• •100 g (about 1 cup crumbled) queso fresco, or cotija; mild feta rinsed of salt works in a pinch

Steps

1. 1 Toast the chiles: in a dry skillet over medium heat, press the guajillo and ancho chiles flat with a spatula and toast 30 to 60 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly changed in color. Do not let them blacken or they will taste bitter.
2. 2 Transfer chiles to a small saucepan, cover with 250 ml (1 cup) of the water or broth, add the cinnamon stick, and simmer 10 minutes until softened. Remove the cinnamon.
3. 3 Blend the chiles with their liquid, the garlic, oregano, cumin and 5 g (1 tsp) salt. Blend until very smooth; if needed add the remaining water. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a wide shallow bowl — this is the sauce you will dunk the rolls in. It should coat the back of a spoon thickly.
4. 4 Meanwhile boil the potatoes: place cubed potatoes in a pot, cover with cold salted water by 2 cm (about an inch), bring to a boil and simmer 8 to 12 minutes until a knife slides through with no resistance. Drain, return to the hot pot off the heat to dry for 1 minute, then lightly mash leaving chunks.
5. 5 Cook the chorizo: heat 15 ml (1 tbsp) oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the loose chorizo and break it apart with a spatula. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the fat renders and the meat is deeply browned and crumbly — chorizo is safely done once it is browned throughout with no remaining raw-pink color (target internal temp 71°C / 160°F if you want to verify).
6. 6 Toss the mashed potatoes with the cooked chorizo and its rendered fat, taste and adjust salt. Keep warm.
7. 7 Heat a large griddle or comal over medium heat with a film of oil. Dip a roll quickly and completely into the guajillo sauce — no more than 2 to 3 seconds total, just long enough to coat the surface — then immediately place it sauce-side down on the hot griddle.
8. 8 Griddle 2 to 3 minutes per side until the stained crust crisps and chars lightly in spots. Repeat with all rolls, adding more oil to the griddle as needed.
9. 9 Split each griddled roll open like a book, leaving the back hinge intact. Spoon the potato-chorizo filling generously inside.
10. 10 Top with shredded lettuce, a generous drizzle of crema, and a snowfall of crumbled queso fresco. Eat warm while the crust is still crackling.
11. 11 Safety note for the chiles: guajillo and ancho are not dangerous but handle them in a ventilated area and wash hands well after seeding. The chorizo and potatoes are both fully cooked; if chorizo is substituted with a raw-style sausage from a non-trusted source, cook to an internal temperature of 71°C / 160°F.