Pambazo Sandwich: A Flavorful Fiesta in Every Bite

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The Pambazo Sandwich: A Flavorful Fiesta in Every Bite

Nothing is more pleasurable than walking down the street feeling hungry and finding a pambazo stand!

This type of torta, or sandwich, is made with bread seasoned with guajillo chile sauce, which will make you very happy, believe me.

I’ll tell you some of its background and a recipe from my grandma (I hope she doesn’t find out) to prepare at home.

This Mexican street food is ideal at any time of the day.

Competing with corn dough preparations like the guajolota, pambazos have won our hearts for being filling, tasty, and economical.

Pambazo history

Although Pambazos are claimed to be born in Xalapa Veracruz, this street food is based on the bread of the same name created very close to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

It is a dough made with egg, milk, and flour that, according to some chroniclers, was called “pan basso” and was made for the “lower classes.”

It is economical, filling and very good for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Also, in Veracruz, this variety is usually eaten alone with a café lechero.

The idea is to be a cheap but not less tasty meal. The bread is bathed in a guajillo chile sauce and then cooked on a griddle with oil.

It is then stuffed with different stews, among which potatoes with chorizo is the winner.

Hot and ready, it is topped with chopped fresh lettuce, sour cream, and grated cheese. From there, the rest is up to the creativity of whoever prepares it.

Make no mistake; pambazos are not to be confused with torta ahogada.

A secret to making the pambazo even better is to leave it longer on the griddle ’til it gets crunchy while the sauce is absorbed and seasons everything else.

Pambazo recipe

As I said earlier, you can make this street food at home and surprise your folks. It’s effortless and can be a fantastic snack or meal.

If you can’t find the special bread, you can substitute it with telera, ciabatta, birote, or bolillo.

Ingredients (4 servings)

For the sauce:

• 3 guajillo chiles
• 1 tomato
• ½ onion
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup water

For the potatoes with chorizo filling:

• 3 large potatoes
• 250 grams of red chorizo
• 1 liter of water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil

For the assembly:

• 4 pambazo buns
• ½ romaine lettuce chopped in julienne strips
• Sour cream
• Grated cheese

Process

• Prepare the stuffing: peel the potatoes and chop them into small cubes. Boil in salted water until soft. Set aside
• In a frying pan, sauté the chorizo sausage with a little vegetable oil and add the potatoes. Let cook and season. Set aside
• Prepare the sauce: hydrate the chiles in boiling water and remove seeds, tail, and veins
• Blend with the onion, tomato, and garlic
• Pour into a saucepan and cook until it boils. Remove from heat and let it cool
• Cut the bread in half and glaze the crust with the sauce
• On a hot griddle, sear the bread on both sides until brown
• Fill the pambazos with the potato and chorizo stew and cook for 5 more minutes
• Top with lettuce, sour cream, and fresh cheese. Serve and enjoy!