Street food is perhaps the best kind of food.
Street food dishes are usually made from chefs and home cooks who are extremely passionate about their craft. They are out all day/night cooking dishes they’ve worked at for years.
Thinking back to every country I’ve traveled to, my favorite meals have been those I’ve eaten from a tiny cart on the street. These foods also tend to be best consumed after a couple of beers and late at night.
I’d never heard of Tlayuda before I started cooking Mexican food this month. I’ve mentioned before that my short trips to Mexico have been of the resort variety with limited access to authentic Mexican cooking.
But now I know what I’m picking up next time I travel to Mexico. Hot damn this “Mexican pizza” Tlayuda is good.
I made mine with pickled corn.
Because I have a corn-buying problem and my favorite way to extend the shelf life of food is to pickle it.
The thing I love about Tlayuda is that it’s 1000% easier than making your own pizza. Tortilla, beans, toppings, boom, done.
I made this Tlayuda with Chorizo and Pickled Corn a little more time intensive than it needs to be but…it’s worth it.
Feel free to make this vegetarian and skip the chorizo – but if you aren’t living that meat-free life PLEASE GO FOR IT. It’s spicy and adds substantial flavor to the Tlayuda.
This Tlayuda has everything – crispy bottom, salty luscious toppings, pickled crunchy things and fresh greens and herbs.
Go for it, you won’t be sorry.
Tlayuda with Chorizo and Pickled Corn
(Start making 2 hours before you want Tlayuda with Chorizo and Pickled Corn)
3 large flour tortillas
Start by making the pickled corn. Combine the corn, onion, cucumbers and garlic in mason jars (or another container with a lid). Boil the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, mustard seed and turmeric together in a sauce pan for 2 minutes. then remove from heat and allow to cool.
Add the liquid to the veggies in the mason jars. Allow to pickle in the fridge for at least an hour (up to 1 week).
Turn your oven to 350F.
Start the black bean sauce. Heat up a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Add canola oil. Then add diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Then add garlic, black beans and water, cook for another 2 minutes. Then add everything to a blender or mash the beans to desired consistency (I made mine pretty smooth!).
Then, heat up a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook chorizo until a little dry (let the oil cook out).
Time for assembly. Take your tortilla and spread out 1/3 of the black bean sauce, kind of like a pizza. Then top with chorizo and cheese. Bake for 7 minutes. During the last 2 minutes, top with a couple of big spoonfuls of the pickled corn, just so it warms up.
Once out of the oven, top it off with greens, more cheese, cilantro and hot sauce.
Danielle
