Tri Tip Torta
Tri tip piled on a toasted telera roll with beans, avocado, salsa, and pickled jalapenos. The Mexican sandwich that out-sandwiches the sandwich.
A torta is what happens when the sandwich grows up. Tri tip on a toasted telera with beans, avocado, and pickled jalapenos turns the leftovers into a serious, two-handed lunch, and it borrows from the same Mexican-Californian table as the rest of the plate.
The build matters: toast the roll, beans on the bottom as the anchor, then the cool stuff against the warm beef. Messy by design, and better than the sandwich it is related to.
Work from cold leftovers: slice the tri tip thin against the grain, then warm the slices in a hot pan just long enough to take the chill off, never longer.
What separates a torta from a sandwich is the bread and the beans. A telera is soft and wide with just enough chew to press flat without tearing, and a layer of warm refried pinquito beans on the bottom is the anchor, a savory layer and the glue that keeps the roll from going soggy under everything else. Build up with avocado, tomato, pickled jalapenos, a spoon of pico de gallo or salsa, and a little mayo, all cool and sharp against the warm beef, then press the whole thing flat so it eats like one thing instead of a pile.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb cooked tri tip, sliced thin
- 2 telera or bolillo rolls
- 1 cup refried or mashed pinquito beans, warm
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 tomato, sliced
- Pickled jalapenos, to taste
- Mayonnaise
- Salsa and queso fresco, optional
Instructions
- 1
Split the rolls and toast the cut sides on a hot griddle until crisp and golden.
Toasting is not optional. It is what keeps a loaded torta from going soggy.
- 2
Spread warm beans on the bottom half and a little mayo on the top.
The beans are the glue. They hold the whole thing together and add their own savory layer.
- 3
Layer the tri tip, avocado, tomato, and pickled jalapenos, spoon on salsa, close it, and press.
Press it down so it compacts into something you can actually bite.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
- Calories
- 580
- Protein
- 32 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Sat. Fat
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 880 mg
- Cholesterol
- 70 mg
Values are estimates based on standard ingredients and serving sizes.
Related Recipes
Tri Tip Burrito
A loaded tri tip burrito with rice, pinquito beans, salsa, and cheese in a warm flour tortilla. The Central Coast answer to the California burrito.
Tri Tip Sandwich
Sliced tri tip on a French roll with salsa roja, grilled onions, and optional horseradish cream. The Central Coast sandwich that started at the tailgate.
Tri Tip Tacos
Sliced or chopped tri tip in warm tortillas with onion, cilantro, salsa, and lime. The fastest, best thing to do with leftover Santa Maria tri tip.
Pico de Gallo
Fresh chopped tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime. The bright, crunchy salsa that finishes tri tip tacos, tortas, and burritos.