Eggplant Cemitas with Carrot Escabeche
Eggplant lovers, meet your next Poblano sandwich obsession.
You never forget your first cemita in Puebla, México.
I was lucky to visit ¡Qué chula es Puebla! (Puebla’s official hymn!) a few years ago for the first time. Puebla is so epic. For starters, it is the birthplace of the taco árabe, a specialty with Middle Eastern roots that features juicy marinated pork off the spit wrapped in warm pita bread. It is also the place of origin of cemitas, and right outside Puebla is The Great Pyramid of Cholula, also known as Tlachihualtepetl, which means "made-by-hand mountain" in Nahuatl.
Tlachihualtepetl is the largest pyramid as well as the largest monument ever constructed anywhere in the world. It is even larger than that of the taller Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. So what did the violent Spanish conquistadores do? They built a goddamn church on top of this pyramid and on top of every native temple in the area. You have to see it with your very own eyes one day to feel the rage.
Back to cemitas.
In a universe of tortas ahogadas, cubanas, and lonches, cemitas are truly in a category of their own. Cemitas are perhaps the most minimalist torta next to a mollete. It has no spread, mayo, or salsa. It leans on the smokiness of chipotles in adobo and the tartness of jalapeños en escabeche to keep you going back for more.
It’s also one of the tortas with the strongest identity because it didn’t assimilate when it was brought by Poblanos to the U.S. Go to many of the cemita shops in L.A. and you’ll find cemitas layered with unpasteurized briny quesillo brought back by Poblanos in suitcases, crispy milanesas, and sesame-flecked cemita bread. Avocado is essential, never extra. While pápalo is still hard to find at most Mexican grocery stores, the herb it’s always present at cemita shops. Pápalo is similar to cilantro but with a pungent citrus-lemony flavor that haunts you.
Milanesa is the most common filling in cemitas, and if I’m setting up a breading and frying station to make them, it’s going to be with the vegetable that has the most unparalleled custardy texture: eggplant. It’s not that I prefer it to meat, but ok, sometimes I do! It adds a flexitarian option to the torta world and it provides a substantial filling. It still offers the jaggedly crispy texture that you’d find in a traditional beef or chicken milanesa, too.
Cemita rolls are hard to find in Mexican bakeries (unless you’re lucky to live near a community of Poblanos), but you can substitute that rustic, dense crumb texture with Filipino Pandesal, which is easily available at Filipino markets. If you’re in a pinch, telera is a great oversized vehicle for your milanesa.
Once you make your first escabeche, you’ll realize how easy it is to make your own. I like the soft but crunchy carrots in escabeche, so I went all carrot for this recipe and kept it very simple so it’s not a daunting DIY pickle project. Feel free to pack yours with sliced jalapeños and onions, and aromatics like allspice and garlic.
Cumbia sounds that take me back to eating chiles en nogada, cemitas, tacos árabes, and all the things in Puebla on this week’s mixtape just for you.
P.S. Don’t miss the note at the end of the recipe for my favorite cemita shop in Los Angeles.
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