Pambazos (Mexican Chorizo and Potato Sandwiches)

A pambazo is a Mexican sandwich that has different variations and origins based on the region of Mexico you’re in. My recipe pulls from the styles of Mexico City, Veracruz, and Puebla to give you the best of all regions. Here, telera rolls are dipped in a spicy chile sauce then fried and filled with a mixture of Mexican chorizo and diced potatoes that are cooked in chorizo fat. The tart slaw of fresh cabbage, salty cotija, and creamy avocado breaks up the rich flavors and provides balance to this iconic sandwich. The grand finale is a generous drizzle of the spicy sauce over the filling so you can enjoy it on more than just the rolls. Altogether, this sandwich is guaranteed to make anyone’s mouth water. 

• It’s got heat. Dried chiles are toasted first to release more flavor, resulting in an earthy spiced sauce with more depth. The rolls are dipped in the sauce then fried. As you’re assembling, drizzle some of the flavorful salsa on the inside of the sandwich for more oomph. 
• The filling is so flavorful. The potatoes are cooked with the chorizo, instead of separately, resulting in a more flavorful filling with less hassle.
• It has a fresh element. The tart cabbage slaw adds a layer of freshness, which balances out the richer earthy flavors. 

• Dried chiles: Chile de arbol adds a layer of much-needed heat and complexity to the sauce compared with just using guajillo chiles alone. When shopping for dried chiles, feel for how pliable they are. The older the chiles are, the drier and more prone to cracking they get. 
• Avocado: As a native Californian, I believe avocado is crucial in sandwiches. It adds a creamy texture and nutty flavor to the cabbage salad. 
• Mexican chorizo: Rendering the fat of the chorizo is key to ensuring your potatoes are flavorful and spiced. Look for chorizo that is in a casing and raw. Steer clear of precooked chorizo. 

1. Make the sauce. Make the spicy guajillo sauce by blending toasted and rehydrated guajillo and arbol chiles with garlic, cumin and cinnamon.
2. Cook the filling. Sauté the chorizo and toss the potatoes in the rendered fat and spices with a splash of water and cover until the potatoes are fork tender.
3. Make the slaw. Shred cabbage and toss with a generous squeeze of lime juice, crumbled cotija cheese, sliced jalapeño, and diced avocado. 
4. Fry the rolls. Dip the outsides of bread in chile sauce and pan-fry until crispy. Turn the roll halves over and fry them in the residual chile oil until golden brown. 
5. Assemble your pambazos. Build the sandwiches by spreading Mexican crema on the rolls and filling them with the chorizo, potatoes, cabbage slaw, and a drizzle of guajillo sauce. 

There are two known tales when it comes to the origins of the pambazo. Both focus mostly on the bread being used, yet each resulted in two very different versions of the sandwich. 

One version is that the pambazos were a result of needing to spruce up a “peasant” bread that was made with low-quality flours. What better way to do that than soaking it in a spicy chile sauce and frying. The other version is that the bread was created by chefs in Veracruz for a visiting empress to satisfy her love for a nearby snow-covered volcano that separated Veracruz and Puebla. The bread was not covered in red sauce but instead dusted with a white flour to resemble the volcano Pico de Orizaba. 

It is important to note that not all pambazos are created equally. The Veracruz version is not covered in chile sauce and fried, but instead the bread is dusted with white flour and generally stuffed with beans, meats, and cheese. 

Mexico City’s version, which is most widely known, is made on Mexico’s independence day. It includes the chile-covered fried rolls and the popular filling of chorizo and potato. The pambazos in Puebla, however, contain meat stewed in a spiced guajillo sauce and only the corner of the top half of the roll is dipped in sauce, but not fried. They are stuffed with stewed meat and vegetable fillings.  

These regional variations show just how complex Mexican cuisine is. The beautiful thing about recipes is that they travel across states and time just as people do. With travel comes the adaptation of communities based on accessible ingredients and cultural practices. The pambazo is the perfect example of the beautiful complexity that is Mexican cuisine.

• Swap cabbage for any sturdy crunchy lettuce such as iceberg. 
• Use plant-based Mexican chorizo instead of pork. 
• Use beef chorizo if you do not eat pork. 

• Make the chile guajillo sauce up to 2 days in advance. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, after that it will start to lose its potency. Warm the sauce up in a pan or pot over low heat. 
• Make the potato and chorizo mixture up to 2 days in advance (store up to 3 days max). Heat the mixture up by sautéeing it in a pan until hot and the oils release from the chorizo.

Since the sandwiches are pretty much a meal in themselves, I recommend serving them with lighter fare alongside, such as a simple salad of greens, cucumber, and radish.