Tlayudas are a great Mexican street food you can serve at parties or as a light dinner that is sure to please everyone in the room. An impressive step up from nachos.
This Mexican treat stems from the state of Oaxaca and is basically a big tortilla topped with beans, meat, and cheese. Because of its simplicity, the real skill in creating a great tlayuda comes from creating great toppings for it. While it's possible to purchase all the toppings from a grocery store, it is recommended to make your own from scratch if you have the time.
While wandering the bustling streets of the city of Oaxaca, the scent of grilling tlayudas wafts above all other smells. The traditionally dressed women fan the coals in the makeshift grills as the cheese and beans bubble and sizzle on the crispy tortillas. After sampling dozens of these treats, this recipe rose above the rest.
Keep in mind tlayudas are incredibly versatile and the writer's recommendations should be used only as a traditional guideline. Like mole sauce, this is a Mexican dish that can be adapted to your own particular region by using local cheeses, local vegetables, and local meats. In the oven, or on the grill, this is definitely going to be a real crowd-pleaser served with crema and salsa verde.
Tlayuda Recipe:
Ingredients
- 4 large flat tortillas
- Black bean puree (recipe follows, or use refried beans)
- Queso fresco or substitute
- Oaxaca cheese or substitute
- Pulled pork (substitute chicken, carne machaca- slow cooked shredded beef, shrimp or leave out)
- Shredded cabbage
- Cilantro
Process:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Smear a couple tablespoons of black bean puree on one side of the tortillas.
- Sprinkle cheeses and pork over the bean puree.
- Bake tlayuda for 5 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.
- Top with a small handful of shredded cabbage and a bit of chopped cilantro.
- Bake tlayuda for 5 minutes more to finish crisping the tortilla. (Optional: one interesting variation here is to fold the tlayuda in half before baking the second time before the tortilla gets too crispy)
- Serve in wedges with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.
Black bean puree (you can also you this to stuff tamales and for pombazos):
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked black beans (Canned or dried, it doesn't make too much of a difference. Drain and save the liquid.)
- Three cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, minced
- Half a red pepper, minced
- Chili powder to taste
- 3 tsp. ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Process:
- In a frying pan, fry garlic, onion, pepper and spices until soft.
- Dump all ingredients into a blender or a food processor with enough of the saved bean liquid to make a paste a little looser than tomato paste.
