Torta Especial

What the heck is a torta, you ask yourself? Well, Mexico has a Panini-style sandwich we call tortas. These sandwiches contain all sorts of ingredients, but my favorite is with pork, Swiss cheese, jalapeno peppers and avocados. The key to this sandwich is the bread. You will need bolillo or birote bread, which is a telera type of bread that most Mexican bakeries have available. If you can't find this bread at your local bakery, you can use telera or cibbatta bread.

INGREDIENTS (2 servings)

• 2 Birotes or bolillos, sliced in half
• Crisp lettuce leaves
• Sliced tomatoes
• 1 avocado, sliced into 8 wedges
• 2 Jalapenos, sliced lengthwise
• 4 slices of good Swiss cheese
• 4 slices of your favorite ham
• 4 slices of roasted pork
• Mayo <= very important because we use mayo in everything in Mexico

DIRECTIONS

First, heat up your Panini grill (if you have one) or a non-stick skillet on medium-high.

Next, spread mayo in the 4 slices of bread.

Starting with the bottom bread, layer the ingredients in the following order: 1 slice Swiss, 2 slices of roasted pork, 1 sliced jalapeno, tomato slices, 4 slices of avocado, lettuce, 2 slices of ham and one more slice of cheese. Top with bread slice and place the torta in a Panini grill and grill until it's lightly grilled and warm and cheese has melted. Repeat process for the other torta.

If you are using a skillet, place the torta in the hot skillet and weigh it down with something heavy. I usually put a jar of pickles that I wrapped in aluminum foil over it. Grill it for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Cut your torta in half and serve immediately. It's best when it's warm and the cheese is melted. YUMMY!