Huevos Rancheros
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Ranch-Style Tomato Sauce:
10 ripe plum tomatoes, roasted (see Note), peeled, cored, and chopped
4 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded if desired, and coarsely chopped
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
Huevos:
6 large, thick corn tortillas, preferably stale
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil, or as needed
12 large eggs, preferably free-range
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups warm refried pinto beans
1 cup Crema, recipe follows, or sour cream
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup crumbled Anejo or Panela cheese
1/2 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, coarsely chopped
1/2 small bunch cilantro, leaves only, coarsely chopped
Directions
- To make the sauce: In a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine the tomatoes, chiles, onion, and garlic and pound or process until blended but still with a little texture. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Add the sauce all at once and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until thickened and orange-colored. Stir in the salt and remove from the heat (Makes 2 cups).
- For the Huevos : If the sauce has cooled, re-warm it gently. If the tortillas are fresh, spread them in a single layer and let them dry out for 5 minutes. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas, one at a time, for 2 or 3 seconds per side, just to soften them. Drain them on paper towels. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low and wait a few minutes for it to cool down. Break 6 of the eggs into the skillet and let them cook slowly until set (cover the skillet if you like the yolk firm). Season the eggs with salt and pepper to taste and transfer them to a roasting pan to keep warm in the oven. Add a little more oil to the pan, if necessary, and fry the remaining 6 eggs in the same way.
- Dip each tortilla quickly in the warm sauce and place it on a warmed breakfast plate. Spread some of the refried beans evenly on the tortilla and top with 2 fried eggs. Spoon more of the sauce generously over the edges of each tortilla and the whites of the eggs. Garnish with the crema and the avocado, then sprinkle with the crumbled cheese, parsley, and cilantro and serve immediately.
Cook’s Note
To roast a tomato, heat a dry skillet or griddle over high heat. Roast the whole tomato, turning until it is golden brown with charred patches on all sides, but not burned (the flesh will be quite mushy).
