La Marada
Submitted by Petertercier
Tex-Mex tostadas with deep-fried flour tortillas piled with pork, Rotel tomatoes, refried beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, avocado, and sour cream. Family-style Southwest dinner.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minLa Marada is a family-name tostada that lands somewhere between a taco and a Mexican pizza. Crisp deep-fried flour tortillas form the base, then each one gets stacked with a warm layer of pork-and-Rotel-tomato saute blended into refried beans. Cold toppings (shredded lettuce, cheese, avocado, sour cream) pile on top for contrast.
The genius here is the hot-cold stack. The fried tortilla stays crisp long enough to eat because the hot meat mixture goes on first and the cool toppings insulate it from steaming. Rotel is the secret weapon, doing the work of fresh tomato, green chile, and onion all at once without any knife work.
Kitchen Tips
- Fry the flour tortillas flat in oil around 360°F (180°C), pressing gently with tongs to keep them from bubbling up into uneven shells.
- Drain tortillas on paper towels and salt immediately. Salt sticks to hot oil, not to cool surfaces.
- Cook the pork until it has real browned bits stuck to the pan. Those fond flavors are what the Rotel deglazes into the final sauce.
- Assemble at the table, not the kitchen. Hot-to-cold transit softens the tortilla fast.
Variations
- Swap pork for ground beef or shredded chicken.
- Use corn tortillas in place of flour for a more traditional tostada crunch.
- Add pickled jalapeños and crumbled cotija for a tangier, saltier finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Brown pork over medium heat until tender.
Drain excess grease.
Add tomatoes to taste.
Cook until tomatoes are tender.
Reduce heat and add refried beans.
Simmer until blended well.
Deep fry 6 inch flour tortillas until light brown. Top with meat, bean and tomato mixture.
Top with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced avocado and sour cream if desired.
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