From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here.
This week, we’re moving on to huevos rancheros.
Huevos rancheros are a Mexican breakfast dish traditionally made with fried eggs and lightly fried corn tortillas topped with a chili-tomato sauce. Also known as ranch eggs, the dish was a small meal that farmers would have at dawn before their larger mid-morning breakfast.
Though there are many variations of it — with things like cheese and grilled chiles — the tortilla, salsa and egg dish is often served along with refried or black beans, rice, and avocado or guacamole. One popular version is “huevos divorciados”, or divorced eggs — where two eggs are served in the usual style, but with a different sauce on each (usually a red and a green chili sauce).
This recipe — from Saveur and based on a traditional recipe from Highland Park café La Abeja — makes a simple sauce of plum tomato, garlic, jalapeño, onion and fresh lime to smother the eggs with. It’s an easy and healthful way to start the new year, but serve it with rice, beans and avocado for a heartier meal.
Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients serves 4 14 plum tomatoes, cored
12 tbsp. canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ jalapeño, stemmed and minced
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 corn tortillas
8 eggs
Pickled jalapeño slices, for garnish
Directions
Heat a 12″ cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add tomatoes and cook, turning, until skins blacken, about 8 to 10 minutes. Peel tomatoes; purée in blender; strain; set aside.
Heat 4 tbsp. of oil in a 4-qt. pan over medium heat. Add garlic, jalapeños, and onions; cook until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir in lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Working in 4 batches, heat 1 tbsp. oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 2 tortillas and cook, flipping once, until warmed, about 20 seconds. Transfer tortillas to 4 plates. Working in 2 batches, heat remaining oil in skillet over medium heat; cook eggs to desired doneness. Top each tortilla with a fried egg and tomato sauce. Garnish with pickled jalapeños.
This article appears in Jan 1-7, 2015.
