It can’t be done. Strike that. Actually, you must attempt to eat a tostada with finesse, otherwise all hope is lost, and the thing will crumble in your hands with the mounds of filling succumbing to gravity only to ricochet off your plate to the surrounding table, lap, floor, etc.
What Is a Tostada?
A tostada has a pretty simple construction: it’s like a taco, but flat. It’s usually made with a fried corn tortilla, topped with refried beans, shredded cheese, salsa, and other toppings. Anything that could go in a taco could also go on a tostada, so you can have fish tostadas, shredded chicken tostadas, or beef tostadas.
How to Make Tostadas
We almost always make tostadas with refried beans and plenty of toppings. When we make them we put all of the toppings in separate bowls in the center of the table, distribute the freshly cooked tortillas, and then we each add our topping of choice, starting with the beans. Mashed refried beans are usually used as the first layer because they spread over the tortilla well, and the other toppings have a better chance of sticking to the beans than they would the straight tortilla.
An Easy Recipe to Adapt
The decision that confronts you when you decide to make tostadas is, “How easy do I want this process to be?” If you want something truly over-the-top you might make your own tortillas from scratch, let them get a day or two old, then fry them and top them with home-cooked beans that you’ve smashed up with bacon fat. Or, if you were looking for a quick mid-week meal, you could use canned refried beans (or even canned white beans that you heat and mash with a little chile powder added for flavor) and packaged tostada shells. We almost always make our own refried beans from scratch, because with a pressure cooker it just doesn’t take that long. And we almost always use packaged tostada shells, because we live in California where you can buy them at almost any supermarket (when you are shopping for them, the thicker the tortilla the better, by the way).
Looking for More Great Mexican Dishes?
Chicken and Black Bean Tostadas Chicken Tortilla Soup Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas Pressure Cooker Green Pork Pozole Carne Asada
Corn oil or extra virgin olive oil
12 corn tortillas
Salt
For the toppings:
3 1/2 cups refried beans, homemade or from 2 (15-ounce) cans
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, sliced thin and seasoned with salt and vinegar (no oil)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 to 2 avocados, chopped peeled and pitted, or guacamole
8 ounces grated Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, or crumbled queso fresco and/or cotija cheese
1 cup salsa, or 1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapeños
A handful chopped fresh cilantro
For extra flavor for the beans you can stir in a tablespoon of bacon fat to them and/or a big slice of cheddar cheese. Keep the beans on warm while you prepare the tortillas, adding water to them as necessary to keep a creamy consistency. One at a time, fry the tortillas in the oil. Bubbles should form in the tortilla immediately as you put the tortilla in the oil, otherwise the oil is not hot enough. Fry until golden brown on both sides, cooking about 30 seconds to a minute per side. Use metal tongs or a spatula to push the tortilla down in the oil, and to turn and lift the tortilla out of the pan, draining the excess oil as you do so. (The tortilla should be fairly stiff and crisp. If not, the oil is not hot enough.) Place the tortilla on a paper towel-lined plate, to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle with a little salt. Put the cooked tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a 250°F oven to keep warm. Add more oil to the pan as needed, taking care that the oil heats sufficiently before adding a tortilla to the pan. To prepare a tostada, spread a large spoonful of mashed beans over a tostada shell. Sprinkle on cheese and other toppings (sliced lettuce, avocados, salsa, etc.) Don’t load the tostada too much or you’ll find it difficult to eat. Eat by picking up the tostada with both hands (like a pizza slice).
