The History Behind the Tortas Ahogada Sandwich!

A typical dish from the Mexican state of Jalisco and particularly in the city of Guadalajara is the torta ahogada or drowned sandwich, popular in many parts of Mexico. The sandwich was invented in the early 1900’s and was the creation of a slip of the hand, a mistake! But this delicious mistake slowly spread throughout the City of Roses until it had became one of the signature dishes of this region. The creator of the sandwich died many years ago but a link to the start of this simple man’s sandwich still remains in the city where his apprentice has been clocking in every morning for 55 years!  Don Ignacio “Nacho” Saldana was in his thirties when he started working for Luis De La Torre’s father in the city’s central plaza selling the ordinary torta.  The story goes that one-day a customer asked for a little extra sauce on his torta when he accidently dropped the whole sandwich in the container. To which the customer cried, “You drowned it!” But then of course he ate it, loved it and from then on De La Torre and his son started selling tortas ahogadas!
The torta ahogadas sandwich is either totally or partially submerged in a sauce made of dried chili peppers called chile de årbol and it has remained mostly unchanged all this time. The torta ahogadas are made with birote bread , also called bolillo.  The bread has a thick, crunchy crust and soft interior which is more salty than sweet in flavor. This type of bread consistency allows it to be drowned in sauce without crumbling or falling apart. The bread is sliced open on one side and the sandwich is filled with chopped, fried pork. The pork filling is marinated in garlic and citrus and cooked slowly and then fried up until crisp.  This delicious meat soaks up the spicy salsa and the richness and fat of the meat balance the acidity of the spicy salsa. The fillings of chicken, beans and cheese are usually available. The sandwich is served with onion rings, radishes, avocados and chili peppers.
The sauce is either spicy or mild and is made with the ground arbol chilies, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano and other spices. If you order your sandwich media ahogada or half drowned it is partially dipped in the sauce. If you order your sandwich, bien ahogada or well drowned the bread and meat are completely submerged in the sauce until no bubbles emerge.
If you are hungry for a torta ahogada then look no more and please join us at Las Originales for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Please call 661-259-0884 or visit our webite at www.tortaslasoriginals.com.