Blackstone Birria Torta

A birria torta is the same beef and consomé from birria tacos, built into a crusty bolillo roll instead of a tortilla. The cut faces of the roll get dipped in the consomé fat and crisped red on the griddle, the beef and cheese melt together in a pile right on the steel, and the whole thing gets dipped in a cup of warm consomé as you eat it.

It’s a different sandwich from the birria grilled cheese, which presses everything between two slices of bread. A torta is built thicker: a big pile of beef and melted cheese, then raw onion, cilantro, and avocado on top to cut the fat. Like the grilled cheese, it assumes you already have shredded birria and consomé, whether from a fresh braise or leftovers.

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Ingredients

• 4 bolillo or telera rolls, split lengthwise
• 3 cups shredded birria beef
• 1 ½ cups shredded Oaxaca or low-moisture mozzarella
• 1 cup birria consomé, plus more warm for dipping cups
• ½ cup diced white onion
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Chopped cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
• Pickled jalapeños (optional)

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Instructions

Step 1: Skim the fat. If the consomé has been sitting, the orange fat will have risen to the top. Skim it into a shallow bowl wide enough to dip a roll into. Warm the rest of the consomé for the dipping cups.

Step 2: Preheat. Set the Blackstone to medium-high, 375-400°F, the same zone used for quesabirria tacos.

Step 3: Warm the beef. Pile the shredded birria on the hot zone in four mounds, each roughly the length of a roll. Turn them with two spatulas for 1-2 minutes until the beef is hot all the way through.

Step 4: Crisp the rolls. Dip the cut face of each roll half into the consomé fat. Set them cut-side down on a clean part of the griddle and cook 1-2 minutes, until the faces are crisp and stained a deep red.

Step 5: Melt the cheese. Spread the cheese over the four beef mounds. Squirt a little water on the griddle next to them, cover with a basting dome, and let it steam 30-60 seconds until the cheese is fully melted into the beef.

Step 6: Build. Slide each cheesy mound onto a bottom roll half with your spatulas. Top with onion, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeños if you’re using them, then close with the top half.

Step 7: Serve. Cut each torta in half and serve with a cup of warm consomé for dipping and lime wedges on the side.

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Tips

Get the right roll. A bolillo or telera has a crisp crust and a soft middle that soaks up consomé without falling apart. A soft hoagie roll goes soggy fast once it’s been dipped and loaded.

Dip only the cut faces. The fat on the cut side is what crisps and colors the roll. The outside crust stays dry, so the torta holds together when you pick it up and dip it.

Melt the cheese into the beef pile. Melting the cheese over the beef pile on the griddle binds it into one piece that slides onto the roll in a single move. It’s the same trick as a chopped cheese.

Keep the toppings raw. The onion, cilantro, and avocado are there for contrast. They go on after the hot pile, right before the top half.

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More flat-top recipes: Blackstone Birria Tacos · Birria Grilled Cheese · Blackstone Mexican Recipes · Blackstone Griddle Sandwiches

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a birria torta?

A Mexican sandwich built on a bolillo or telera roll with shredded birria beef and melted cheese, usually topped with onion, cilantro, and avocado and dipped in the birria consomé as you eat it. On the griddle, the cut faces of the roll are dipped in the consomé fat first so they crisp up red.

What’s the difference between a birria torta and birria grilled cheese?

The bread and the build. A torta uses a crusty bolillo or telera roll with the beef and cheese melted together in a pile, then gets fresh onion, cilantro, and avocado on top. Birria grilled cheese uses sliced sandwich bread, pressed and griddled on both sides like a regular grilled cheese.

What bread is best for a birria torta?

A bolillo or telera roll. Both have a crisp crust and a soft middle that holds up to the consomé dip. Soft hoagie rolls get soggy quickly once they’ve been dipped and loaded with beef.

Can you make a birria torta with leftover birria?

Yes, it’s one of the best uses for it. Warm the shredded beef on the griddle until it’s hot through, reheat the consomé gently, and skim the fat for dipping the rolls.

What temperature do you cook a birria torta on a Blackstone?

Medium-high, 375-400°F, the same zone used for quesabirria tacos. That’s hot enough to crisp the fat-dipped faces of the rolls and heat the beef quickly.