Forget Tacos, Mario Lopez Wants This Underrated Mexican Dish On Your Radar

As we know them, tacos have likely been around since the 1700s, and the corn tortilla has been an integral part of indigenous cuisine for literally thousands of years. There is an enormous variety of fillings and preparations, ranging from rustic and traditional to quirky and creative, but the taco is not the only way to enjoy a handheld Mexican meal.

This is where the torta comes in, a staple of Mexican cuisine that you have to try. As actor and TV host Mario Lopez told Mashed, the torta is "Mexico's version of the hoagie or the sub." While you can find tortas filled with cold cuts like ham and mortadella, they can also be stuffed with any kind of meat you'd expect to find in a taco.

In Lopez's delivery-only, virtual restaurant, Mario's Torta Lopez, the sandwiches are served on teleras, which are soft, oblong, relatively flat white bread rolls with three distinct humps. Bolillos, which are football-shaped rolls that are slightly crisp on the outside, are also commonly used for tortas.

Wheat-based breads and tortillas did not arrive in Mexico until Spanish colonization in the early 1500s. Something like the torta could have naturally developed after Spaniards established wheat plantations and bread bakeries in Mexico. Others attribute the torta's invention to influence from the French in the mid-1800s following France's invasion of Puebla. Regardless, tortas remain popular for a quick, homemade meal or a lunch on-the-go, while the numerous regional variations shine a light on a brilliant array of Mexican flavors.

While construction can vary wildly, tortas typically are built around these four components: something creamy (refried beans, crema, mayonnaise, or sliced or mashed avocado), something fresh (raw tomatoes, onions, lettuce, radishes, green chile peppers, or cabbage), something pickled (red onions, escabeche, or jalapeños), and something rich (grilled or braised meats, breaded cutlets, cold cuts, or melted cheese). Of the torta options at his virtual restaurant, Mario Lopez's favorite fillings are grilled chicken and pork carnitas paired with toppings like cheese, guacamole, lettuce, and salsa.

Milanesas (breaded beef or chicken cutlets), pierna (roasted pork leg), chicharrones, chorizo, eggs, carne asada, beef barbacoa, lengua (tongue), al pastor, and even chilaquiles can all be found in a torta. Some tortas are loaded with a mix of meats, veggies, and cheeses, while others are quite simple, like the traditional cochinita pibil torta. This Yucatán-style pit-roasted pork is flavored with ingredients like achiote, oregano, black pepper, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, charred garlic, and bitter orange. In a torta, the meat is typically served with nothing more than pickled onions. On the "more is more" side of the spectrum is the pambazo, a large, messy torta named after its crusty roll. The bread is dunked in red chile sauce, grilled, and then loaded with fried potatoes and chorizo, ham, beef, refried beans, and more.