Mexican sandwich with steak, mayo, shredded cheese, light beans, lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado and jalapeños.
Where this dish comes from
The torta is Mexico's definitive sandwich, with roots tracing to the 19th century when French-influenced bolillo rolls were adopted into Mexican street food culture. The steak torta — built on carne asada — is a staple of taquerías and fondas from Sonora to Mexico City, with regional variations in bread shape (telera in the capital, bolillo in the north) and condiment selection. It represents the everyday working lunch of urban Mexico as much as the taco does, and has become equally iconic along the U.S.-Mexico border.
1 telera roll or bolillo (or a soft hoagie roll as substitute)
8 oz skirt steak or flank steak
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 tbsp canned refried beans, warmed
1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
2 tbsp mayonnaise mixed with 1–2 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotles
2 tbsp pickled red onion (store-bought or quick-pickled: thin-sliced red onion soaked 20 min in lime juice + pinch of salt)
6–8 pickled jalapeño slices
1/4 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
4 slices roma tomato
Salsa roja for serving
Instructions
1
**Marinate and cook the steak:** Rub skirt or flank steak with olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano. Let sit at room temperature 20 minutes. Grill or sear in a cast-iron skillet over high heat, 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rest 5 minutes, then slice thin against the grain.
2
**Toast the roll:** Split the roll and press cut-side down in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 60–90 seconds until golden. Remove from heat.
3
**Make chipotle mayo:** Stir 1–2 tsp adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo) into 2 tbsp mayo until smooth.
4
**Build the bottom half:** Spread warm refried beans over the bottom half of the roll. Fan sliced avocado over the beans and season lightly with salt.
5
**Add the meat:** Pile sliced steak over the avocado in an even layer.
6
**Add toppings:** Layer tomato slices, pickled red onion, pickled jalapeños, and shredded iceberg over the steak.
7
**Finish the top half:** Spread chipotle mayo across the cut face of the top half. Press down onto the sandwich.
8
**Slice and serve:** Cut on the diagonal and serve immediately with salsa roja on the side for dipping.