Torta de Jamón con Queso
Ham and cheese torta; ham with melted Oaxacan cheese (quesillo) or queso manchego, often pressed on the griddle.
Andrew Lekashman
Torta de Huitlacoche
Corn fungus torta; huitlacoche (corn smut/Mexican truffle)—prized delicacy with earthy, mushroom-like flavor—sautéed with onion and epazote.
Torta de Huevo
Egg torta; various preparations—scrambled, fried, or as tortilla española-style omelette.
Torta de Huevo con Jamón
Ham and egg torta; scrambled or fried eggs with ham.
Torta de Huevo con Chorizo
Chorizo and egg torta; classic breakfast combination.
Torta de Huevo a la Mexicana
The a la mexicana scramble names itself after the flag: serrano for green, white onion, red tomato. On a warm telera with refried beans, it is the torta Mexico eats before noon.
Torta de Hongos
A torta de hongos survives on order, not a seal: beans down first as a barrier, then mushrooms cooked hard and dry with epazote. Skip either step and the telera goes gummy underneath.
Torta de Frijoles
Bean torta; refried beans as main filling, sometimes with cheese. Simple, satisfying.
Torta de Flor de Calabaza
Squash blossom torta; squash blossoms sautéed with onion and chile, often with cheese.
Torta de Cochinita Pibil
Yucatecan slow-roasted pork torta; pork marinated in achiote paste (annatto seed) and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and pit-roast...
Torta de Chorizo
Mexican chorizo torta; fresh pork sausage seasoned with guajillo/ancho chiles, vinegar, and spices; crumbled and fried.
Torta de Chorizo con Huevo
Chorizo and egg torta; scrambled eggs with crumbled chorizo.
Torta de Chilaquiles
A CDMX torta that packs already-softening chilaquiles into bread on purpose, racing the salsa clock at the Condesa corner stand that made the format famous.
Torta de Chicharrón
Pork crackling torta; crispy fried pork skin, often pressed or in salsa.
Torta de Chicharrón Prensado
Pressed chicharrón torta; chicharrón cooked down in salsa verde until soft.
Torta de Chicharrón en Salsa Verde
Chicharrón in green salsa torta; pork cracklings braised in tomatillo salsa.
Torta de Cecina
Salted dried beef torta; cecina is thin-sliced, salted, partially dried beef, often grilled. Yecapixtla, Morelos is famous for cecina.
Torta de Cecina Enchilada
A central-Mexican telera torta built around cecina enchilada: thin beef rubbed with red chile paste, dried, and grilled, with refried beans sealing the crumb. The chile rub is the loudest note.
Torta de Carnitas
Carnitas is sold by the cut, and the torta is where it counts: maciza, buche, cuerito, or surtida, chopped from a copper pot of lard-fried pork into a bean-sealed, toasted bolillo.
Torta de Carne Asada
Grilled beef torta; carne asada (grilled marinated beef), sliced.
Torta de Camarón
Shrimp torta; grilled, fried, or in sauce—various coastal preparations.
Torta de Bistec
Bistec names a thickness, not a cut: beef sliced thin enough to sear in under a minute. The torta de bistec packs it, chopped and dripping, into a telera with refried beans and avocado.
Torta de Bistec Encebollado
Torta de bistec encebollado promotes the onion to co-star: thin beef cooked down with onions until both go jammy and sweet, on a griddled telera. The cooked-with-onions method is colonial Spanish.