Sunday Tostadas al Gusto

Tostada al Gusto

This evening I learned the art of the simple Sunday tostada cena (dinner) from my host señora, Licha. The intent is pretty much the same as the taco/tostada dinner that I have been preparing at home for years.  It’s an informal way for everyone to help themselves and still achieve a good dose of vegetables while enjoying a selection of hardier meats and/or cheeses.  Essentially, you just peek in the refrigerator and see what’s available and go from there.

 

The crowning jewel on this night was Licha’s spectacular Chorizo Salsa.  As usual there are no exact measurements, and the limited number of ingredients is cooked quickly together.  Begin by sautéing seeded and chopped Serrano peppers in a bit of oil to soften, then add one or two chopped tomatoes, and continue until a loose salsa forms.  To this, add one or two Spanish chorizo sausages with meat removed from casings and chopped.  Cook the sauce briefly to combine flavors; season to taste with salt, and serve warm.  That’s it.

Leticia with Chorizo Salsa

Here in Querétaro, they usually don’t bother to cook up a mess of tostadas (corn tortillas).  Instead of frying an endless quantity over a hot pan, they opt for a stack of the pre-cooked packaged ones.   In Licha’s world everything has an order.  Accordingly, we begin by spreading refried beans onto the tostada and top it with a good layer of Chorizo salsa, and then a thin slice of smoked ham; add a layer of crisp shredded lettuce, a bit of chopped tomato, and finish with a few dabs of sour cream. 

 

On round two, I substituted a healthy schmear of herbed goat cheese for the beans―which I actually preferred.  The goat cheese and Chorizo salsa were a superb combination.  We also had a variety of hot sauces on the table for everyone to add as they wished.  There was Valentine’s sauce, a robust chipotle flavored hot sauce which seems to be everywhere here; and my personal favorite, the old standby chipotles in adobo sauce. ¡Salud!