Mexican Pambazos Sandwich

Mexican Pambazos

SpiceBreeze
Pambazos are Mexican sandwiches filled with potatoes and chorizo. What makes the difference is the preparation of the bread roll: it's covered in chili sauce and fried. Though the chili sauce is quite hot, it only leaves a subtle heat on the roll. Of course, we included alternatives to chorizo.
hands-on time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 3

Ingredients
  

Protein

  • 6 oz chorizo [1] soy or meat

Fresh Produce

  • 2 large potatoes cubed
  • 2 cups shredded lettuce e.g. romaine

Dairy - Toppings

  • 1 cup crumbled cheese feta, cotija, queso fresco
  • 1 cup sour cream crème fraîche, or Mexican crema

Packaged Goods/Staples

  • 2 cup tomato puree [2] not seasoned
  • 6 medium bread rolls [3]
  • salt
  • oil

Culinary Spice Kit

  • Ancho chili, pasilla chili, black peppercorn, garlic, jalapeño, onion, coriander, oregano, cumin [4]

Optional Toppings

  • pickled onions or jalapeños
  • fresh cilantro leaves
  • avocado slices
  • fresh chili slices or hot salsa

Instructions
 

Salsa

  • In a POT, heat 1 tbsp oil and tomato puree. Season with 1 tbsp Pambazos spices and salt to taste. Cook over low heat for 15-30 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set aside.

Potatoes

  • In a covered POT, cook potatoes over low heat until soft. Drain and set aside.

Chorizo

  • In a large PAN, add the chorizo and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Alternatively for ground meat or beans:

  • In a PAN, heat 2 tbsp oil, add crumbled meat/beans, Season with salt and Pambazos spices to taste. Fry until cooked.

Mix

  • Add the potatoes to the cooked chorizo. Mix well and smash them a little bit.

Pambazos

  • In a large PAN, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat.
  • Dip the rolls into the salsa to cover all sides.
  • Fry the rolls on both sides until slightly crisp. Repeat until all rolls are crisp. Add oil if necessary.

Assemble

  • Fill rolls with the chorizo-potato mix. Add your preferred toppings.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

[1] Substitutes: 6 oz ground beef or poultry or 1 can black or pinto beans
Alternative: 4 eggs (scrambled) and 2 slices bacon or salami (cut into 1/4 inch cubes)
[2] Substitute:
2 tbsp tomato paste with 1-2 cups of water
or 2 tomatoes with a little water as needed
[3] firm outside, not too soft inside, for instance, Kaiser roll
Substitute: It's actually fun with any kind of bread. (see tip below)
Tip: If your bread is so soft that it would fall apart when soaked in liquid, then toast it a bit and spread the sauce on it instead of dipping it into the sauce.
[4] Minimal substitute: chili powder or paste of your choice, plus salt & pepper to taste