Spicy Pork Tortas with Chipotle Mayo

I love it when I have a hunk of meat in the fridge that needs to be used pronto and am unsure of its demise. Usually I prepare my meat for slow-cooking the night before, but was uninspired and waited to season it until right before cooking. This procrastination naturally forced me into creative mode to make this pork truly spicy and flavorful, especially since I was out of Mexican-style tomato sauce which is my go to for dense flavor. I’ve been wanting to make tortas at home for awhile and this slow-roasted pork was perfect for them, but could be used for tacos or nachos too!

Spicy Pork Tortas
2 lb. pork butt roast
3-4 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 Tablespoons of each of the following spices:
Smoked Paprika
New Mexico Chile Powder
Cumin Powder
Chipotle Powder
Mexican Oregano
2 t. Tipsy Habanero (from Spiceology)
1 md. onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. butter
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Preheat oven to 275°

Melt butter in a stock pot and add sliced onion and garlic. Saute’ until garlic is aromatic. Turn off heat, remove onion from the pan and set aside. Meanwhile, place 3/4 c. of the chicken broth in a small bowl. Whisk in paprika, chile powder, cumin, chipotle powder, oregano and Tipsy Habanero seasoning with a few pinches of kosher salt. Add a little of this sauce to the stockpot with butter and turn heat to low. Wash roast and pat dry. Add to stockpot and sear on one side in sauce and butter. Flip roast over, add remaining spicy sauce and chicken broth. Add onions and more salt and pepper. Cover and place in preheated oven for 6-8 hours. I cheated and cooked mine at 275° for 3 hours, then turned it up to 350° for 2 hours and then back down to 275° until done.

For tortas you will need:
Bolillo bread  (can be homemade, but I purchased mine at my favorite grocery store).
Good melting cheese (like quesadilla cheese)
Shredded lettuce
Mashed beans, if desired (I used black beans)
Chipotle mayo

My version of chipotle mayo is as follows:
Mayonnaise
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Lime juice
Cilantro

I made a large batch and used:
1 1/4 c. mayo
2 T. sour cream. Then I added:
1 minced chipotle pepper (with seeds)
2-3 t. adobo sauce
1 good squirt lime juice
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Stir until combined and chill.

I toasted the bread with a little butter, then added the chipotle mayo, beans, pork and cheese on each side of the bread. I returned the tortas to the broiler to melt the cheese, then added shredded lettuce.

Served with guacamole and pico de gallo.

© Amy Carpenter @ Afternoon Popcorn Snack, 2013

To print this recipe, click on the ‘Print & PDF’ button below.