Pambazos Recipe
Pambazo is the name of a Mexican white bread. It is also the name of the dish or antojito (very similar to the torta) made with this bread dipped in a red guajillo pepper sauce and filled with papas con chorizo (potatoes with chorizo).
The bread used for pambazos is white and lacks a crispy crust. This particular bread is made of flour, lard, eggs, and is tougher and drier than the similar bolillo (also used for sandwiches), which allows it to retain its shape while being soaked in sauce. Pambazos are usually found in Mexican bakeries where they are sold just as any other white bread. However, since its exterior surface is a bit dry and fragile, is usually reserved for other uses than a meals companion.
It is unclear since when or why the pambazo is prepared and filled in a very specific way. While other similar dishes changed the fillings or toppings, the pambazo recipe remains almost the same. The bread is dipped in warm red guajillo pepper sauce which gives the bread its notorious orange-red sprinkled coloration. Once the bread has been soaked and the excess of sauce eliminated, it is sliced in two and used as a sandwich, filling it with papas con chorizo (potatoes with chorizo) or longaniza and frijoles refritos (refried beans). It is then garnished with shredded lettuce, salsa (sauce), crema (cream) and queso fresco (fresh cheese).
In the Mexican State of Veracruz, the pambazo is also partially covered with white flour, and ham or polish meat are also used instead of the traditional potatoes and chorizo. In other regions, Pambazos are filled with meat, vegetables or cheese. In Mexican parties or social events, small sized pambazos are served instead of canapes. These are known as pambacitos, which literally means “little pambazo”.
Ingredients
8 guajillo chiles
2 garlic cloves
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 medium potatoes
6 ounces Mexican chorizo, casings removed
Salt
4 (4-inches long) pambazos, teleras, or French-bread rolls, slit lengthwise and with some bread removed
Canola oil, for frying, as needed
1 cup very thinly sliced red cabbage
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Directions
Make a lengthwise cut on 1 side of the guajillo chiles and remove seeds. Put chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water, letting soak for 20 minutes or until soft. Place chiles and some of the soaking water in a blender, puree with garlic and onion, strain and set aside.
Cook the potatoes whole with skin on in salted water for about 25 minutes or until they feel soft. Then remove the skin and cut into small dice.
In a medium-size non-stick skillet cook the chorizo at low heat and remove all the excess oil, add the diced potatoes and mix; season with salt.
Stuff the bread with the potato-chorizo mixture. Dip the stuffed bread in the guajillo sauce and saute in the hot oil on both sides.
Right before serving mix the cabbage with the vinegar, divide and insert into the sandwich.
