Tortas ahogadas

Step 1: Simmer 6 ripe tomatoes, ½ white onion and 2 cloves garlic in a saucepan with 1 cup water over a medium heat until the tomatoes are completely soft.

Step 2: Blend with 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, ¼ tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp salt until smooth, then sieve back into the pan. Keep warm over a low heat; it should be thin, like a light soup.

Step 3: Toast 25 dried chiles de árbol in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring, just until they darken slightly and smell toasty; burnt ones turn the salsa bitter.

Step 4: Blend the chillies with ½ cup cider vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, ½ tsp salt and ¼ cup water until smooth. Strain if you like it silky. It is very hot: a few spoonfuls go a long way.

Step 5: Reheat 1 ⅛ lb cooked pork carnitas in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, stirring, until sizzling, crisp in places and steaming hot right through (at least 165°F for reheated pork).

Step 6: Split 4 birote or crusty small baguettes lengthways, leaving one side hinged, and toast the cut sides in a dry pan or under the grill until golden and firm.

Step 7: Spread the bottom of each roll with 7 oz refried beans if using, then pack in the hot carnitas and close.

Step 8: Set each torta in a deep plate or shallow bowl and ladle the warm tomato sauce over until it is half submerged, then spoon over chile de árbol salsa to taste. Don't drown them until you are ready to eat: even a sturdy roll goes soggy within minutes, which is the usual reason tortas ahogadas fall apart.

Step 9: Serve at once with 3 ½ oz pickled red onions, 6 radishes and 2 limes, and more of both sauces on the side.