Molletes Tradicionales con Pico de Gallo
Molletes Tradicionales con Pico de Gallo·(moh-YEH-tess trah-dee-see-oh-NAH-less kohn PEE-koh deh GAH-yoh)
El Desayuno de Fin de Semana (Slow Weekend Mornings)
There is an old Mexican adage that everything can be fixed over a cup of coffee. In the bustling cafeterías of Mexico City, that coffee is almost always flanked by a plate of molletes. At their core, these are humble, open-faced sandwiches of crusty bread, refried beans, and melting cheese. But true Mexican home cooking relies on technique, not complexity. The secrets of the grandmother's kitchen are simple but absolute: excavate the soft crumb to prevent a soggy base, toast the buttered roll before it ever meets a bean, rub the hot crust with raw garlic, and ensure the beans are aggressively reduced. Crowned with a bright, acidic pico de gallo to slice through the richness, it is a fiercely guarded piece of domestic heritage perfectly built for a slow weekend morning.
Before you start
Macerate the pico de gallo.
Combine the tomatoes, onion, chiles, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a bowl. Letting the onions sit in the lime juice extracts their natural sweetness and removes their harsh, raw bite. This can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
Reduce the refried beans.
Heat the refried beans in a small skillet over medium-low heat until hot and thick. They must not be watery, or they will soak into the bread and ruin the sandwich's structural integrity.
Ingredients
- Roma tomatoes2 med
- white onion1/2 med
- jalapeño or serrano peppers2 small
- fresh cilantro1/4 cup
- fresh lime juice2 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- bolillo, telera, or demi-baguette rolls4 med
- unsalted butter3 tbsp
- garlic clove1 large
- refried beans1 1/2 cup
- Queso Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, or Muenster cheese2 cup
Method
- 01
Preheat the broiler to high and arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven.
- 02
Hollow out the bread halves to create a shallow boat.
Use your fingers to gently pinch and scoop out the soft white interior crumb. This simple grandmother's trick prevents the dish from being overly dense and makes a cavity for the beans.
- 03
Spread the softened butter evenly across the cut side of each bread half.
- 04
Broil the buttered bread for 1 to 3 minutes until deeply golden brown and crisp.
Watch them like a hawk to ensure they don't burn.
- 05
Rub the raw garlic clove over the hot, toasted bread.
The residual heat melts the garlic oils directly into the crumb, while the toasted butter creates a waterproof barrier against the heavy beans.
- 06
Spread a generous, even layer of the warm, thick beans into the hollowed-out cavity of each half.
- 07
Top the beans completely with the shredded cheese.
Ensure the cheese covers the beans entirely and reaches the crispy, toasted edges of the bread.
- 08
Return the assembled molletes to the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes.
Broil until the cheese is bubbling furiously and developing beautiful caramelized, golden-brown spots.
- 09
Spoon a generous amount of fresh pico de gallo over the molten cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
Seek out day-old bread if possible.
Slightly stale bread holds up much better against the heavy, moist toppings without disintegrating.
Elevate weeknight canned beans with fat and heat.
If you are using store-bought canned beans, quickly fry them in a skillet with a tablespoon of hot oil, butter, or bacon fat, stirring until they reach the requisite dense consistency.
From Cook Mexican in America.