Street Food · Oaxacan Classic

Tlayuda

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Before the beans go on, the tortilla is smeared with asiento, the dark, unrefined lard left at the bottom of the pot after frying chicharrón.

A large, thin, hand-slapped tortilla is toasted crisp over charcoal, then spread with black bean paste and lard before being layered with quesillo, shredded lettuce, avocado, and a choice of grilled meat. Street stalls fold or cut it into wedges.

Why it's made this way: Tlayudas grew out of the large, sturdy tortillas made in Oaxaca's Central Valleys, which were partly dried so they kept for days without spoiling; the lard, meat and quesillo toppings came later, after the Spanish brought livestock.