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Pambazo Mexicano

In Mexico City, a “Pambazo” is a sandwich made of a particular type of bread stuffed with potatoes and chorizo and then drenched in a guajillo sauce, served with lettuce, cheese, and cream. There are other sandwiches with the same name in other parts of the country, like in the State of Veracruz, where the sandwich is filled with refried beans, ham, and even chorizo and pickled chipotle peppers. This particular bread, also called Pambazo Mexicano, is very similar to a Kaiser roll but dusted with flour and without the seeds.

Some of the research I did found that the name comes from colonial times, when the bread could be said to delineate the social classes. Since bread made with white, refined flour was mostly consumed by the higher classes (like viceroys, bishops, etc.), the commoners ate bread made out of brown flour. This cheap bread was thus very popular, and was called “pan bajo”, or “lower bread”.

How to make Pambazo Mexicano

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

DIRECTIONS:

Place the diced potatoes in a saucepan with hot water and cook at medium-high heat. It will take about 10-12 minutes for the potatoes to be cooked. (Please check the ingredients list below)
Place the guajillo peppers in a bowl with hot water to soften while the potatoes are cooking.
In the meantime, cook the chorizo in a skillet over medium-high heat. It will be ready in about 8 minutes.

By this time the potatoes should be ready, so remove them from heat and drain. Next, stir them into the skillet with the chorizo, and keep cooking for three minutes. This is just enough time to allow the flavors to blend and the potatoes to get a little more tender. Set aside.
Place guajillo peppers, 1 cup of soaking water, garlic clove, and peppercorns into a blender. Process until you have a smooth sauce. Strain and place in a bowl.

Heat a griddle and add a 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Place the sliced rolls upside down and brush their tops all over with the Guajillo salsa. Flip the rolls so the tops get a little warm and crispy. This step will be about a minute per side. Repeat the process with the rest of the rolls, adding oil to the skillet as needed.

To assemble the Pambazo, place some chorizo and potatoes on each toasted roll, then top with the shredded lettuce, cream, and cheese. Serve with a hot salsa or pickled jalapeños. Enjoy!

PAMBAZO MEXICANO: CHORIZO-POTATO SANDWICH

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 4

Author: Mely Martinez - México in my kitchen

Ingredients

2 ½ cups of diced red potatoes
3 guajillo peppers seeds, and veins removed
2 chorizos 3 oz. each
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove
8 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
4 Teleras or Kaiser rolls sliced lengthwise
1 ½ cup of shredded iceberg lettuce
¼ cup crumbled cheese
2 tablespoons Mexican cream
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the diced potatoes in a saucepan with hot water and cook over medium-high heat. It will take about 10-12 minutes for the potatoes to be cooked.
Place the guajillo peppers in a bowl with hot water to soften while the potatoes are cooking.
In the meantime, cook the chorizo in a skillet over medium-high heat. It will be ready in about 8 minutes.
By this time the potatoes should be ready, so remove them from heat and drain. Next, stir them into the skillet with the chorizo, and keep cooking for three minutes. This is just enough time to allow the flavors to blend and the potatoes to get a little more tender. Set aside.
Place guajillo peppers, 1 cup of soaking water, garlic clove, and peppercorns into a blender. Process until you have a smooth sauce. Strain and place in a bowl.
Heat a griddle and add a 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Place the sliced rolls upside down and brush their tops all over with the Guajillo salsa. Flip the rolls so the tops get a little warm and crispy. This step will be about a minute per side. Repeat the process with the rest of the rolls, adding oil to the skillet as needed.
To assemble the Pambazo, place some chorizo and potatoes on each toasted roll, then top with the shredded lettuce, cream, and cheese. Serve with a hot salsa or pickled jalapeños. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you don’t find the teleras, you can easily use Kaiser rolls or another roll with a slightly hard crust that won’t crumble. The reason I didn’t call for actual pambazos for the bread in the ingredients is that I know they can seldom be found outside of Mexico.

You will need a strainer and a pastry brush for this recipe.

Pambazo Mexicano

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