The Torta Cubana

This post comes to us from KCRW’s own Matt Holzman, Director of Program Development and resident taco-lover. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a picture of this torta… I don’t think it was around long enough.

So tonight I went to my favorite Oaxacan truck for a delicious torta…a fresh, toasted bun, a little bean paste, chili-rubbed, thinly sliced pork, avocado, lettuce and Oaxacan string cheese.

But it was a new truck and I thought I’d give it a try. I ordered a torta. It took an awfully long time to make, and it cost $7, which is way more than they usually do.

When I bit into it, I found out why.

It had cecina, that delicious pork.

But it also had tasajo, salted beef.

And milanesa, a breaded, fried piece of beef.

And sandwich ham.

And a hot dog.

And cheese sauce to top it all off.

It seems I had ordered a tortacubana, which has like everything but the kitchen sink. Wikipedia says they usually have eggs, too.

It was kind of like the “Zoo,” that trough of fat you’d get at the old Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlours…if you ate the whole thing, you’d get a hat or something that said “I MADE A PIG OF MYSELF AT FARRELL’S!” Only this case, I think it would have been an epitaph.