Tostadas de Asiento con El Auténtico Chintextle
La Base de Todo (Salsas, Beans, and Foundations)
Authentic cooking isn't a museum relic, but a Tuesday at 6 p.m. reality relying on the intensity of two foundational elements: a deeply savory roasted pork sediment called asiento, and chintextle, a smoked mountain chili paste sharp with crushed garlic. By letting the blender whir in place of a stone metate and swapping rare regional chiles for a smart chipotle and standard dried pasilla blend, you can drag that dense, smoky heat into a weeknight kitchen without compromising a damn thing. Blister supermarket corn tortillas in a hot cast-iron skillet, smear the paste, and eat.
Before you start
Substitute for dried avocado leaves.
If you cannot source dried Mexican avocado leaves, do not use leaves from a Hass avocado tree. Instead, substitute one dried bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon crushed anise seeds to replicate the authentic anise and toasted hazelnut oils.
Ingredients
- pork lard1/2 cup
- pork cracklings1/2 cup
- sea salt1/4 tsp
- dried pasilla chiles4 med
- dried chipotle morita chiles2 med
- whole dried shrimp1/2 cup
- cloves garlic6 med
- dried avocado leaves2 med
- roasted pumpkin seeds1/4 cup
- apple cider vinegar3 tbsp
- olive oil3 tbsp
- corn tostadas8 large
- refried black beans15 oz
- quesillo2 cup
- green cabbage1 cup
- radishes4 med
Method
- 01
Pulverize the pork cracklings.
In a food processor or heavy-duty blender, pulse the chicharrones until they break down into a fine, sandy powder.
- 02
Emulsify the asiento.
Add the room-temperature pork lard and a pinch of salt to the processor, pulsing until a cohesive, gritty, dark brown paste forms, then set it aside.
- 03
Char the garlic.
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet or comal over medium heat and roast the unpeeled garlic cloves for about 10 minutes until soft and blackened in spots, then let cool and peel.
- 04
Toast the aromatics.
In the same skillet, toast the dried shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes until deeply fragrant, then briefly toast the pumpkin seeds and avocado leaves for 30 to 60 seconds before removing from the heat.
- 05
Toast and steep the chiles.
Briefly press the dried pasilla and morita chiles flat against the hot skillet for 20 to 30 seconds per side without letting them burn, then transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and steep for 15 minutes before draining (reserve a splash of the steeping liquid).
- 06
Grind the chintextle base.
In the food processor, combine the peeled roasted garlic, dried shrimp, pumpkin seeds, avocado leaves, and softened chiles, pulsing until a coarse paste begins to form.
- 07
Stream in the liquids.
With the machine running, slowly stream in the apple cider vinegar and olive oil until the paste resembles a thick, dark pesto, adding a splash of the reserved chile liquid if it is too thick, and season with salt to taste.
- 08
Build the tostadas.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), lay the tostadas flat on a baking sheet, and spread a generous, edge-to-edge smear of the asiento on each one.
- 09
Layer the beans and chintextle.
Spread the warm refried black beans over the asiento layer, then swirl in 1 to 2 teaspoons of the chintextle—be warned, it is incredibly potent and a little goes a long way.
- 10
Melt the cheese and serve.
Top generously with the stringy quesillo, bake for 3 to 5 minutes just until the cheese melts into the beans, and finish with fresh shredded cabbage and sliced radishes for crunch.
Notes
Sourcing the cracklings.
For the best asiento, buy meaty chicharrones from the glass case at a local Latin market if possible. If you must use bagged, seek out a high-quality artisanal brand that retains some fat and meat, not just puffy skin.
Store your foundational pastes.
Both the asiento and the chintextle will keep in the fridge for weeks. They are the ultimate secret weapons for elevating almost any Mexican dish.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.