Everyone will say that what sets this iconic Puebla “torta” apart is the bread, the rambunctiously herby pápalo, great cheese and pickled chipotles. The round of bread is perfectly crunchy and crusted with sesame, the herb has a singular flavor (though some say it tastes like a muscley cilantro), the cheese is fresh and rich, and the sweet-sour smoke and spice of the chipotles are unique to Puebla. Add to those a crispy slab of beef, pork or chicken milanesa and more-than-average amount of avocado–well, you see why it’s a stand-out.

Here's the recipe: [ Ссылка ]

Even without the perfect ingredients, though, I think this torta deserves your consideration. I’d recommend you try it with a toasted telera bun (I’d cut the ends off to approximate the cemita’s size). I’d ask for pápalo at your Mexican grocery store and, if they can’t get it, substitute cilantro. And, for sure, I’d make the sweet-sour chipotles.

In Puebla, cemitas are most often constructed with crispy-breaded milanesa. I’m giving the recipe for beef milanesa here, starting with bistec from the Mexican groceries or thin-cut steaks (often called sandwich steaks) from regular grocery stores. Some Puebla cemita eaters leave off the meat altogether or replace it with pickled pigs or beef feet, both of which are in abundance in the markets there. A smear of beans on the roll–as is typical in most Mexican tortas–is part of some cemita versions, though I haven’t included it here.

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