Germany vs Mexico – Wurst Tortas

The FIFA World Cup has started; host Russia has won its first match against Saudi Arabia.  (Fun fact: the only time Canada has been at a (men’s) World Cup was in 1986, when Mexico last hosted the event; the two countries just won the bid to co-host the Cup in 2026, along with the USA.)  Mexico and Japan are both in for 2018, and one of my daughters bought a jersey for our dog; it became evident where their loyalties are, but I did not mind, since he looked adorable:

I do not follow soccer at all, but the World Cup is sort of imprinted into every Mexican’s brain, so we all are soccer fans at least every four years.  Mexico is in Group F with Germany, Sweden and South Korea; I thought it would be fun to prepare a country-themed fusion dish for each of Mexico’s first round matches.  Mexico’s first target is victory no less than against Germany, this Sunday June 17, at 11:00 AM ET.  The inspiration for the Wurst Tortas (Wurst – sausage, in German; torta – Mexican sandwich) came from a German restaurant in the Mexico City neighbourhood where I lived when I was little; they used to serve traditional German food, but also had a window with a counter facing the sidewalk, through which they offered a variety of sandwiches and beverages.  It was on the way to our apartment building from the subway station, so we would sometimes buy their signature tortas de salchicha to enjoy at home.

Wurst Tortas (Tortas de salchicha) –

German Sausage Mexican Sandwiches

Printable recipe: Wurst Tortas

Ingredients

Crusty buns (teleras are the original for tortas)
Butter, at room temperature
Refried beans, optional
Avocado, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes
Mayonnaise
Fully cooked German sausages
Pickled jalapeños and carrots, optional

I could not find teleras, but Calabrese buns were a good substitute (any other crusty large bun works, such as Portuguese or Kaiser).  I sliced the buns in half, lengthwise; spread butter on the outside of all halves, and refried beans on the inside of the bottom halves.  The sliced bread may be toasted, buttered side down, on a hot grill, but since I was preparing several tortas at the same time, I placed the buns on a baking tray in a 375°F oven, instead.  Meanwhile, I washed and dried all the vegetables thoroughly, then sliced them and set them on a tray (notice the Mexican-flag green, white and red colour scheme):

For the sausages, I found these German-style, fully-cooked ones at the supermarket:

I sliced the sausages crosswise partially to form fans, and cooked them on a lightly greased iron skillet, turning until browned all around, and they started to curl:

For the pickled peppers, I always prefer the Mexican style, which come sliced into strips and include some delicious carrots and onions; for example, I had a can of La Costeña™:

When the buns were crispy and golden brown (even looking shiny thanks to the butter), I topped the bottom halves with the raw vegetables from the tray, then placed one curled sausage on top, and some pickled jalapeños and carrots.  I spread mayonnaise on the inside of the top halves and closed the sandwiches.  I served them with baked fries, but potato chips, or any other TV friendly snack will do in a pinch:

A classic cheer/chant during Mexican sports matches:

“Chiquitibum a la bim bom ba … chiquitiboom a la bim bom ba … a la bio, a la bao, a la bim bom ba … Mexico Mexico, Rah rah rah!!!!!”