Chorizo Ragu with Cheesy Toasts
WHAT YOU NEED
- 3 bolillo-style rolls or 1 long baguette
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
- 2 to 3 carrots, chopped
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 6 cloves garlic
- 8 ounces white or baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1⁄4 lbs ground beef
- 1 (9-ounce) package Cacique Pork Chorizo
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed or pureed tomatoes
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 9 Tablespoons Cacique Crema Mexicana, plus more for serving
- 1 1⁄2 cups crumbled Cacique Ranchero Queso Fresco
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Halve the bread lengthwise.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add them to the pot with the mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes more.
- Use your spoon to push the vegetables to the edges of the pan, then add the tomato paste, oregano, and cumin to the center of the pan and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Increase the heat to high and add the beef and Cacique Pork Chorizo. Break the meat up with your spoon but don’t over stir. When the beef is no longer pink, pour in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Decrease the heat to medium-high and let simmer, stirring occasionally.
- While the ragu simmers, use a fork to mash or whip the butter with the Cacique Crema Mexicana until smooth. Mince the remaining 4 cloves garlic or use a Microplane to finely grate them, then stir the garlic into the crema mixture.
- Spread the crema mixture evenly over the bread, trying to cover as much area as possible. Sprinkle the crumbled Cacique Ranchero Queso Fresco all over and place on a rimmed baking sheet, cheese side up. Toast for 4 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. If you’d like, finish it under the broiler for 30 to 60 seconds for deeper browning. Cut the bread into individual portions.
- After about 20 minutes of simmering, the ragu should have thickened up a bit and its flavors melded. Swirl in a splash of Cacique Crema Mexicana, then serve the ragu in bowls with cheesy toasts on the side or ladle it right over the toasts.
