Chanclas poblanas — Mexico

Chanclas poblanas is a roll opened flat and piled high with shredded meat and potato, then covered so generously in sauce that it is eaten with a fork rather than held in the hand. The name refers to the flattened, sandal-like shape the bread takes once it is split and spread open on the plate. It is reported from Mexico, where it sits alongside other sauced-bread dishes as a filling plate for lunch, built from ingredients that home cooks and market stalls usually have close at hand: leftover shredded meat, boiled potatoes, and a jar or pot of mole or red sauce. An oval roll is split and opened like a book, then lightly toasted. Shredded chicken or pork and sliced boiled potato are layered over the bread, and warm mole or red sauce is spooned over everything until the filling disappears underneath it. Crumbled queso fresco and thin slices of raw onion finish the plate, adding a sharp, salty contrast to the rich sauce. The sauce is where most of the variation sits: some cooks use a dark mole poblano, others a simpler red chili sauce, and the meat can be chicken, pork, or a mix of both depending on what is left over from another meal. Shredded lettuce is sometimes added at the edge of the plate for a bit of crunch, though the sauced roll itself stays the center of the dish.