Lamb and Potato Tortas with Goat Cheese and Pickled Jalapeños
By Annie PetitoPublished on July 24, 2025
Time
40 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
12 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks1 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking potatoes1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound ground lamb 1½ teaspoons ground coriander 1½ teaspoons ground cumin 4 ounces (1 cup) goat cheese, softened1 cup jarred sliced jalapeño chiles, plus 2 tablespoons brine4 kaiser rolls, split, inner crumb removed, lightly toasted1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
Before You Begin
Be sure to remove the inner crumb from the tops and bottoms of the rolls to accommodate the filling. For the most contrast, use crusty rolls. Serve with salad and plantain chips.
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups water to boil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks, and 1 teaspoon table salt. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Wipe skillet clean with paper towel.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound ground lamb and cook, mashing and stirring until browned and broken into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons ground coriander, 1½ teaspoons ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in potatoes, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until potatoes are fully softened and have soaked up most of lamb juices, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through. Off heat, use potato masher to mash potatoes into lamb until mixture is creamy. Cover and keep warm.
- Stir 1 cup softened goat cheese and 2 tablespoons jalapeño brine in small bowl until creamy and spreadable. Spread over cut sides of 4 split kaiser rolls, inner crumb removed and lightly toasted. Divide lamb-potato mixture among roll bottoms, gently pressing to compact filling. Top each with ¼ avocado, sliced thin; ¼ cup jarred sliced jalapeños; and ¼ cup shredded romaine lettuce. Place roll tops over sandwiches and press gently to compress. Cut in half and serve.
Time
40 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
12 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
1 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground lamb
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
4 ounces (1 cup) goat cheese, softened
1 cup jarred sliced jalapeño chiles, plus 2 tablespoons brine
4 kaiser rolls, split, inner crumb removed, lightly toasted
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
Ingredients
12 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
1 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground lamb
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
4 ounces (1 cup) goat cheese, softened
1 cup jarred sliced jalapeño chiles, plus 2 tablespoons brine
4 kaiser rolls, split, inner crumb removed, lightly toasted
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
Ingredients
12 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
1 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground lamb
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
4 ounces (1 cup) goat cheese, softened
1 cup jarred sliced jalapeño chiles, plus 2 tablespoons brine
4 kaiser rolls, split, inner crumb removed, lightly toasted
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
Why This Recipe Works
Our torta was inspired by the classic Mexican sandwich featuring a wide variety of fillings and garnishes, such as jalapeños, shredded lettuce, and avocado, piled into a crusty roll. We cooked ground lamb with spices and added parboiled diced potatoes to absorb the flavorful juices as the potatoes finished cooking. Mashing the potatoes into the lamb made for a cohesive filling. A combination of avocado, pickled jalapeños, and shredded romaine lettuce complemented the richness of the filling. Removing the rolls’ inner crumb before building the sandwich created more room to hold the filling and garnishes.
Before You Begin
Be sure to remove the inner crumb from the tops and bottoms of the rolls to accommodate the filling. For the most contrast, use crusty rolls. Serve with salad and plantain chips.
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups water to boil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks, and 1 teaspoon table salt. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Wipe skillet clean with paper towel.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound ground lamb and cook, mashing and stirring until browned and broken into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons ground coriander, 1½ teaspoons ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in potatoes, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until potatoes are fully softened and have soaked up most of lamb juices, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through. Off heat, use potato masher to mash potatoes into lamb until mixture is creamy. Cover and keep warm.
- Stir 1 cup softened goat cheese and 2 tablespoons jalapeño brine in small bowl until creamy and spreadable. Spread over cut sides of 4 split kaiser rolls, inner crumb removed and lightly toasted. Divide lamb-potato mixture among roll bottoms, gently pressing to compact filling. Top each with ¼ avocado, sliced thin; ¼ cup jarred sliced jalapeños; and ¼ cup shredded romaine lettuce. Place roll tops over sandwiches and press gently to compress. Cut in half and serve.
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