Tortas are great in all forms, but something about a well-soaked roll can turn the common sandwich into something we’re emotionally codependent on. Power dynamics aside, there’s probably no dish that better represents Guadalajara than the wet and spicy torta ahogada. Tortas Ahogadas Ameca in Montebello serves it on a traditional birote salado, a salted bread roll that can withstand several spoonfuls of spicy salsa de tomate. The stiff bread is first filled with refried beans and tender Jalisco-style carnitas before being coated in a tomato-based sauce that dyes the whole thing a satisfying red. The deep smokiness in the sauce from the chile de arbol and mingles nicely with the briney pickled onions that garnish the sandwich. And in the end, you’re left with a torta that’s sharp, spicy, and super tender with its soaked bread and slow-cooked carnitas. Ameca’s does an excellent job of preserving this Jalisco classic and offers other protein options like chicken tinga too.