Tostadas de Arriero Queretanas

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast iron comal or clay comal for toasting chiles and roasting vegetables
• •Blender for the chile salsa
• •Volcanic stone molcajete for serving extra salsa at the table
• •10-inch clay cazuela or heavy skillet for refrying beans
• •Wide skillet and wire rack for frying tostadas

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the chiles

   Heat a dry comal over medium. Toast the guajillo chiles for about 20 seconds per side and the ancho for about 30 seconds per side, just until the skins puff and the smell deepens. Do not blacken them. Put the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water for 15 minutes. On the same comal, roast the tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic until they have dark spots and the tomato skins loosen.

   Guajillo is thinner than ancho and burns faster. Burned chile turns bitter. Throw it out and toast another if it goes black. No me vengas con atajos.
2. 2

   Fry the salsa

   Peel the roasted garlic. Drain the chiles and blend them with the roasted tomatoes, roasted onion, peeled garlic, Mexican oregano, sal de grano, and 1/2 cup of the chile soaking water. Blend until smooth. Melt 1 tablespoon manteca de cerdo in a small cazuela or skillet over medium heat. Pour in the salsa and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens to brick red and the lard leaves a thin orange edge around the sauce. La manteca es el sabor.

3. 3

   Parcook the papa

   Put the potato cubes in a saucepan and cover with salted water. Simmer 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are tender but the centers still hold their shape. Drain well and let them sit in the colander for five minutes. Wet potatoes splatter in lard and brown poorly. Dry potatoes know their job.

4. 4

   Brown chorizo-papa

   Heat 1 tablespoon manteca de cerdo in a heavy skillet over medium. Add the chorizo and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until no raw spots remain and the fat turns red from the chile. Add the chopped onion and the drained potato cubes. Cook 8 to 10 minutes more, turning gently, until the potatoes are golden at the edges and coated in chorizo fat. Taste before adding salt. Chorizo brings its own.

5. 5

   Refry the beans

   Melt 1 tablespoon manteca de cerdo in a clay cazuela or heavy skillet over medium. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the cooked frijoles with their liquid and the epazote sprig. Mash with a bean masher or the back of a spoon until thick and spreadable. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the beans can hold a trail when you drag the spoon through them. Remove the epazote.

6. 6

   Fry the tostadas

   Heat the 1 1/4 cups manteca de cerdo in a wide skillet over medium-high until the edge of a tortilla bubbles the moment it touches the fat, about 350F if you use a thermometer. Fry the tortillas one at a time, 45 to 60 seconds per side, pressing lightly with tongs so they cook flat. They should be crisp, golden, and firm enough to hold beans without bending. Drain on a wire rack and salt lightly while warm. Do not stack them while warm or they soften.

7. 7

   Assemble and serve

   Spread each tostada with a thick layer of refried beans. The beans go first because they glue the topping to the tortilla. Spoon the chorizo-papa over the beans, then drizzle with the fried guajillo-ancho salsa. Finish with queso fresco, raw white onion, cilantro, and lime at the table. Serve immediately, before the salsa softens the tortilla. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Use frijol flor de mayo if you can find it. It belongs to central Mexico and has a creamy skin that refried beans need. Frijol bayo is the second choice. Black beans are not wrong in Mexico, but they are not the Querétaro choice here.
• •Buy fresh Mexican pork chorizo from a carnicería, the kind bright with chile and vinegar. Do not use smoked Spanish chorizo. It slices instead of crumbling and the fat does not season the papa the same way.
• •Chile guajillo gives the salsa its brick-red color. Chile ancho gives body and a little dried-fruit sweetness. If someone wants more fire, put salsa de chile de arbol on the table. Do not turn the whole dish into a dare.
• •If you buy prepared tostadas, buy thick corn tostadas from a tortillería. Thin bagged tostadas break under beans and chorizo-papa. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •No cheddar, no sour cream, no shredded lettuce. That is a different border food. Querétaro does not need it.

Advance Preparation

• •Cook the frijol flor de mayo or frijol bayo up to 2 days ahead with onion, garlic, and salt. Keep the cooking liquid. That liquid is what makes the beans refry properly.
• •The guajillo-ancho salsa can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it in a spoonful of manteca de cerdo before serving so the flavor wakes back up.
• •The potatoes can be parcooked earlier in the day and held uncovered in the refrigerator. Brown them with the chorizo right before serving.
• •Fry the tostadas up to 4 hours ahead and hold them uncovered at room temperature once cool. Do not refrigerate them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)