The pambazo never appealed to me until a few days ago, when I was puttering around Mercado San Juan Arcos de Belén, trying to brainstorm some new snack ideas for Eat Mexico.
Pambazos aren’t exactly snacks. They’re plump, bulging sandwiches stuffed with potato and chorizo. The roll — which according to Wikipedia was originally called “pan basso,” or lower-class bread — is drenched in a guajillo-chile sauce and then fried.
I’d always placed the pambazo up there with the torta de tamal. (A fine sandwich, particularly suited to laborers and other people who aren’t going to eat for five or six hours.) But how could I call myself a Mexico City food tour operator if I had not tried the pambazo? Plus I’d worked out four times last week.
So I got one.
The woman grabbed a roll off the stack, fried it briefly, then sliced it and placed it on the grill. Once the bread was dark-golden brown and toasty, she she slathered the chorizo-potato mixture on one side. Then came the crema on top: one spoonful. Two. Three.
She pressed the sandwich together, cut it in half, y ya. Done.
This was a simple, toasted torta. And it was fantastic, actually: the crema had oozed into the potatoes and chorizo, creating this comforting, warm potato salad. The bread, not greasy at all, crunched with each bite. I’d balked at the amount of crema involved, but the crema brought everything together. You could not have this sandwich without three spoonfuls of crema. Or could you?
I briefly wondered whether could make a healthy version at home. (Potatoes and mushrooms, maybe? Yogurt instead of crema?) But that would be blasphemous. The pambazo was perfect just as it was: crema, chorizo and potatoes, and crisp, salsa-dipped bread.
Have you tried pambazos? Did you have as rapturous as an experience as I did?
Yummmm! That looks so rico! I’ve got to try it at home, but I imagine that having the right bread is vital. Any idea how to get a receta for the bread?
Hi Peggy: Apparently the bread is softer than a typical Mexican bolillo roll, which I’m assuming means they use more butter or lard. Here’s a pambazo bread recipe I found on Emeril’s website — it calls for adding cinnamon to the dough. (I’ve never heard of such a thing, but it might be popular in Veracruz, where pambazos are also popular.) You could try it and leave out the cinnamon. https://www.emerils.com/recipe/1120/Pambazo—Vera-Cruz-Sandwich
My last trip to Mexico I tried a Pambazo in downtown Queretaro. The best thing I had on that trip followed by the Volcano. I ate what ever I wanted since I knew that when I arrived back in Canada I couldn’t get either of these delicious unhealthy snacks!
Do you think It is very hard to make the guajillo-chile sauce at home??
Hi Heather: Nope, it’s not hard at all, as long as you have access to dried guajillos.
Here’s a thread on pambazo recipes that might help: http://foro.univision.com/t5/Amigos-de-Puebla/RECETA-DE-PAMBAZO-POBLANO/m-p/345316625
I don’t know if you read Spanish, but the first entry has a chile guajillo recipe that calls for 6 chiles guajillos (soaked in boiling water for five minutes); 1/4 piece of onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 cup of water and salt to taste. You blend everything until smooth and then strain, and there’s your sauce. You could also try frying the sauce in oil for a few minutes after blending, just to get some of the flavors to meld.
Kathleen of Cooking in Mexico also has a guajillo chile sauce recipe here. This one has tomatoes and looks a bit chunkier — with the pambazo sauce, you want something thin and smooth. But her pictures are very helpful: http://cookinginmexico.com/2010/08/21/salsa-rojosalsas-de-chile-ancho-y-chile-guajillo-and-a-question-of-color/
Hope that helps! I’d experiment and see what you come up with.
Trying to imagine “a healthy (sic) pambazo” is like talking about a healthful reuben sandwich, i.e. don’t bother. I’ve had clean, fresh ones that weren’t grease bombs. But they’re hard to come by.
Love a greasy-ass pambazo, but only in certain contexts. A national holiday. A Sunday night meal on the street. A hangover.
So I guess I got a clean, fresh one? I’m telling you (and you, Nick!) that it was not a grease bomb. I was pleasantly surprised. I’d order it again, maybe if I was splitting with Crayton.
No, never tried one. Never heard of one. I always learn new things here.
Thanks for including a link to the guajillo salsa on my blog. My recent post on enchiladas rojas has a thin guajillo salsa that may work for pambazos. http://cookinginmexico.com/2011/01/26/enchiladas-rojas-en-mi-cocina-pequena/
Kathleen
wowza! So is the bread toasty all the way through? crouton-like? I’m intrigued by this. And chorizo con papas is one of my favorite combos, y crema??!!! I’m drooling.
It’s not toasted all the way through — you still get the soft innards of the bread. But it has a nice, hearty toast on the outside. The sandwich gets soggier as you eat, from the crema. It’s good stuff.
I feel like guajillo chiles make everything better. 🙂
I tried what I thought was a panbazo in Puebla. It had mole and it looked like it was dusted with flour (?) powder sugar (?)… don’t know, so long ago, but it was delicious.
That is the neatest, least-messy panbazo I have ever seen. I’ve eaten my fair share, and usually they’re pretty drippy. Not greasy, just more saucy. And sometimes very spicy! I’m surprised you didn’t eat them much in TX.
I LOVE pambazos! Im from Mexico City and we would have them every once in a while. Here in Atlanta, you can buy pambazo bread at most Mexican bakeries. Since I’m a vegetarian, I make the papas con chorizo using soyrizo! nomnomnom! one of my all time favorite guilty pleasure snacks!
Ps. sometimes they add lettuce to the pambazo too, on the top, and queso cotija, I believe, or whatever the crumbly kind is.
Hi Paulyna: Love the soyrizo idea. Mine came with lettuce too, and the option of cheese but I refused it. (I’ve found that a lot of times the cheese doesn’t really add anything.) Next time I’m in Atlanta I’m going on a hunt for pambazo bread. 🙂 I don’t make it there often but my husband has family nearby.
We had pambazos once, long ago, in the plaza of Coyoacan. They were enjoyable.
But I haven’t had one since.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Heaven in a bread.
I’ve never tried or seen a pambazo with cream.
The hidalguense version isn’t soaked in salsa, instead is soaked in oil.
Interesting! I admit the salsa-soaked version sounds more appealing to me. Might have to give it a try next time I’m in Hidalgo — which will actually be the first time I’m in Hidalgo — just for comparison purposes.
I love pambazos one of my mom’s co-workers makes them once every two weeks (she sells food on weekends). I couldn’t believe she had such great food in the middle of the U.S. I do live in Nebraska, a place where apparently discrimination is still okay, but yeah I love them and depending on who is making them, but I never really felt guilty after eating one or two!
Hi Juan: Very cool that you’re able to find pambazos in Nebraska. I’ll have to tell a girlfriend of mine who’s from there. Saludos!
Over the weekend, I noticed quite a number of places in DF that offered the pambazo, but with so many other delectable choices, I just never got around to trying it. Maybe I’ll have to head to a friends shop near my home this week and see what it’s all about!
You should, Jay. Although from what I’m gathering, they do make them differently, depending on the region of Mexico. Just make sure you get a lot of crema.
We had veg pambazos right by Bellas Artes. The innards weren’t that thrilling but the bread and trimmings were pretty spectacular. I’m not saying I’ll return to DF just for another pambazo, but it’ll definitely play a determining factor in how soon i return. That and the street gorditas, the street tamales oaxaqueños, the tlacoyos, the bunuelos…
Veg pambazos? I’m intrigued. What was the filling, do you remember? And oh, the tlacoyos… I was just in the Centro yesterday and was delighted to discover that my favorite tlacoyo lady was back. (She’s at Delicias and Aranda, near Metro Salto de Agua, tucked behind a panadería.) The tlacoyo still remains my favorite every-day snack in the city.
Yes, and they are actually very good! However it is the type of food I would eat once every 10 years! (too many better options)
una senora that works with my dad makes these and sells them. i was a little hesitant the first time that my dad brought them home, but i must say it’s sinfully, delicious. it’s creamy, warm and a the salsa just makes the taste amazing.
Torta de tamale is a staple in our home during the holidays. The first year I was married and made one for mi esposo nuevo, he looked at my like a desecrated the tamale he so fondly loved his entire life. One bite and his eyes closed… and he was hooked. 🙂