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Cemita poblana
Pork milanesa sandwich
Puebla's giant sesame roll with crisp pork milanesa, avocado, stringy quesillo, chipotle and pápalo
MexicanPuebla's markets have whole aisles of cemita stalls, where a domed, sesame-crusted roll is split and piled with a thin, crisp milanesa, sliced avocado, a nest of stringy quesillo, smoky chipotle in adobo and leaves of pápalo, a pungent herb that tastes somewhere between rocket and coriander. This version uses pork loin for the milanesa, the most common choice alongside beef; thin beef steak works the same way. Pápalo is rarely sold outside Mexico, so coriander stands in for it here. It is a meal in itself, eaten with both hands at midday. Chef's tip: pull the quesillo into fine strands rather than slicing it, so it melts into the warm cutlet and holds the sandwich together.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the milanesa
- 4 pork loin steaksabout 120 g each
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 2 eggsbeaten
- 1 cup vegetable oilfor shallow frying
For the cemitas
- 4 sesame cemita rollsor large soft sesame buns
- 7 oz quesillo (Oaxaca cheese)or low-moisture mozzarella
- 4 chipotle chillies in adobosliced, plus a little sauce
- ½ white onionthinly sliced
- 1 bunch pápalo leavesor a small bunch of coriander, as pápalo is hard to find
To serve
- 1 lime wedges (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put each 4 pork loin steaks steak between two sheets of baking paper and pound it with a rolling pin to an even 5 mm. Season both sides with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper.
5 minStep 2: Set out three plates: 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, 2 eggs and 4 oz fine dried breadcrumbs. Dip each steak in flour, shake off the excess, then egg, then press firmly into the crumbs on both sides.
Step 3: Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat to about 350°F, when a crumb sizzles at once. Don't fry in oil that is too cool: that is the usual reason milanesa comes out pale and greasy.
4 minStep 4: Fry the cutlets one or two at a time until deep golden, 2–3 minutes a side. Thin pork is cooked when the crumb is crisp and the meat is white right through and at least 145°F in the centre. Drain on kitchen paper and rest 3 minutes.
10 minStep 5: Split 4 sesame cemita rolls and warm them, cut side down, in a dry pan for a minute until lightly toasted.
Step 6: Pull 7 oz quesillo (Oaxaca cheese) into thin strands. Halve and slice 2 ripe avocados.
Step 7: Spread the bottom of each roll with avocado and a little adobo, then add the hot milanesa, a pile of quesillo, 4 chipotle chillies in adobo, ½ white onion and plenty of 1 bunch pápalo leaves leaves. Close and press gently. Serve with 1 lime wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 820 kcal
- Protein
- 47 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cemita poblana take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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