2 hrs 15 mins plus marinating
Not Too Tricky
serves 2
About the recipe
Tlayudas are a traditional Oaxacan dish often described as a ‘Mexican pizza,’ though that comparison only goes so far. Considered one of Oaxaca’s signature dishes, they’re hearty, rustic and deeply tied to the region’s Indigenous and mestizo culinary traditions. Tlayudas are traditionally cooked over a comal (a flat griddle) or open flame, which toasts the tortilla and melts the toppings. In restaurants or street stalls, they may be finished on a charcoal grill for a smoky flavour. Feel free to scale this up if you’re feeding a crowd!
Ingredients
REFRIED BEANS
2 shallots, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
olive oil
1 x 400g tin of black beans
1 litre of chicken or veg stock
1 teaspoon paprika
MEXICAN CHORIZO
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
4-5 cloves
10 dried Guajillo chillies
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and a pinch of thyme)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle powder (or more if you want it spicier)
1 teaspoon sea salt
50ml cider vinegar
1 heaped tablespoon soft light brown sugar
500g pork mince (ideally 25% fat)
CHARRED VEG
2 romano peppers
2 spring onions
1 lime
1 clove of garlic
olive oil
PIZZA & TOPPINGS
2 shop-bought Turkish lavash breads, flatbreads or white tortillas
60g Turkish tel cheese, fresh mozzarella or quesillo (stringy cheese you can only find in Oaxaca)
½ a cos lettuce
2 ripe tomatoes
2 radishes
1 ripe avocado
30g feta cheese
2 sprigs of fresh coriander
BARBECUE KIT:
[Recipe tested on a Weber Slate Barbecue]
Weber griddle spatula
Weber griddle press
Method
- For the refried beans, cook the shallots and garlic in a saucepan on a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil until soft. Drain and add the beans, pour in the stock, add the paprika and a pinch of sea salt, then cook for 30 minutes, or until softened. Blitz in a blender until you have a smooth paste.
- Preheat the slate to a medium heat. For the Mexican chorizo, toast the black peppercorns, allspice berries, cumin seeds and cloves in a cast-iron pan on the griddle until fragrant, then crush in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
- Toast the dried chillies directly on the slate for a few seconds on both sides, or until crispy. Trim off the stem and remove the seeds, then crush in the pestle and mortar. Toast the garlic cloves on the slate for 2 minutes, or until beginning to turn golden, then add to the crushed chillies. Go in with the sea salt and crush to make a paste. Pour in 100ml of warm water, muddle in the vinegar and stir in the sugar.
- Place the pork mince in a large mixing bowl with the marinade. Using gloves or clean hands, massage the marinade into the meat and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat the slate with two heat zones: high and low. Sit a sieve over a bowl. Cook the Mexican chorizo on the hot zone for 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, using a griddle spatula to roughly chop it up and moving it over to the low zone if it’s colouring too quickly, then transfer it to the sieve – the bowl will capture all of the lovely flavoured fat.
- Wipe down the slate. For the charred veg, trim the romano peppers, halve lengthways and remove the seeds. Trim the spring onions, then place on the hot zone with the peppers. Place the griddle press on top and cook for 10 minutes, or until charred and soft, turning halfway. Finely grate the lime zest into a large bowl and squeeze in the juice. Peel the garlic clove and finely grate into the bowl, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of oil and season with a pinch of salt. Slice the peppers and spring onions into thin strips, then toss into the dressing. Leave to marinate – the longer it sits, the more it’ll absorb the dressing.
- Turn the hot zone of the slate down to low. Brush the flatbread with the reserved pork fat, then top each one 4-5 heaped tablespoons of the Mexican chorizo and 2 tablespoons of refried beans (save the rest for tasty cooking another day). Divide up and tear over the cheese, then place the pizzas on the slate and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on one side, checking the base every couple of minutes to make sure it’s not burning, then transfer to a board. Turn off the barbecue.
- Trim and shred the lettuce, finely slice the tomato into rounds, and trim and finely slice the radishes. Peel, destone and finely slice the avocado. Finely grate the feta over the pizzas, then top with the prepped veg, along with the charred peppers and spring onions. Pick over a few coriander leaves, then slice up and tuck in!
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