Photo by Christian Reynoso
It seems like no one cooks tomatoes just a little bit. This dish is a compromise; it’s somewhere between a fresh tomato salad and a full-blown tomato sauce. Tomato slices are salted ahead and then set into a garlicky, somewhat spicy olive oil bath with Cotija, a dry-aged Mexican cheese. The tomatoes keep their shape but yield a jam-like texture. Soak up the infused olive oil and tomato juices with plenty of bread. Choose a platter that is the same size or a little larger than your pan so you can slide the simmered tomatoes onto it. If you have a cazuela that can be used on a stovetop, try it out and just scale down on ingredients to fit.