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Perhaps my abuelita Clementina would have been glad that I am writing about Huevos Rancheros, because if there is any Mexican dish that has suffered on its trip northward, this is most certainly it. It goes without saying that most restaurant style Huevos Rancheros are nothing more than a gussied-up version of nachos with rubbery overly cooked eggs attached. If you can feel my righteous indignation oozing off this post, then you are absolutely right. It is as bad as taking a fresh-faced rancherita—a sweet country girl—and making her up to look like a payasa—a painted clown.
Huevos Rancheros conjures up the image of rustic freshness—a cooked salsa made from cooked or, in this case, oven roasted vine ripened tomatoes, chiles, garlic and onions, bright with the taste of their own natural sweetness counterbalanced with a slight undertone of charred smokiness. It means eggs so fresh that they are still warm from lying beneath the little butts of the hens that laid them. And corn tortillas fried up not too soggy or too crisp, but just right. In short, the way Huevos Rancheros were meant to be: a beguiling combination of heat-sweet-tanginess, a rich creaminess together with crunchability, perfect whether you are eating them para el almuerzo—for a late breakfast, or if you are frying some up for dinner, especially if you want to eat something hearty but fast and simple to make.
As for this classic Mexican dish, wouldn't you say it is time to take it back, rescuing it from the disgusting nacho mess it has become, and cooking some Huevos Rancheros your dignified abuelita would be proud of?
You can bet your blanquillos that I would.
Huevos Rancheros With Roasted Tomato Salsa
Or, How to Fry An Egg (For Those Who Don't Know How)
Using a molcajete to crush the ingredients makes the most authentic and best salsa. Nothing can duplicate its flavor or texture--period. Also, I respectfully disagree with Cook's Magazine, from which I very loosely adapted the salsa recipe: If you want keep the rustic charm of this salsa, do not core the tomatoes or remove the seeds as some European trained cooks are apt to do. My Mexican mother never did this and neither should you. As for the jalapeño or serrano chiles, use as much or as little as you can bear.
Ingredients:
Roasted Tomato Salsa (recipe to follow)
eggs
corn tortillas
any vegetable oil
butter (optional)
eggs
corn tortillas
any vegetable oil
butter (optional)
Roasted Tomato Salsa Recipe:
Ingredients:
6 to 8 ripe medium to large tomatoes, cut in half
about a 1/3 of an onion
2 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, whole or seeded, depending how hot you want the salsa
1 fresh serano or jalapeno, finely minced
2 or 3 cloves garlic in their skins.
oregano to taste
ground cumin to taste
salt and pepper to taste
about a 1/3 of an onion
2 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, whole or seeded, depending how hot you want the salsa
1 fresh serano or jalapeno, finely minced
2 or 3 cloves garlic in their skins.
oregano to taste
ground cumin to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Making the Salsa:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
MOLCAJETE METHOD: (Don't have a molcajete? Go to Mi Tiendita—My Little Kitchen Store and buy yourself one!)
FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: Pulse the onion, chiles and garlic into small chunks. Set aside. Do the same for the tomatoes. Do not over process. Mix the tomatoes and onion-chile mixture together.
Next: add salt, pepper, oregano and ground cumin to taste. If the salsa is not acidy enough for you, you can add a little squirt of lime juice.
Refrigerate the salsa overnight until the next morning. Reheat and keep warm until ready to serve. If the salsa is a little too thick, just add a little water.
Refrigerate the salsa overnight until the next morning. Reheat and keep warm until ready to serve. If the salsa is a little too thick, just add a little water.
FRYING THE TORTILLAS & EGGS FOR HUEVOS RANCHEROS:
Heat a skillet over a medium flame for about a minute. Add vegetable oil to a depth of ¼ inch and wait until you see the oil start to shimmer. Drop a teeny piece of corn tortilla into the skillet. If it sizzles, then it is ready to fry.
Heat a skillet over a medium flame for about a minute. Add vegetable oil to a depth of ¼ inch and wait until you see the oil start to shimmer. Drop a teeny piece of corn tortilla into the skillet. If it sizzles, then it is ready to fry.
Spoon some of the warm tomato salsa evenly over the eggs. Serve with some hearty refried beans that are topped off with a bit of stinky Mexican style cheese like that stinky-feet but utterly delicious Zacatecas-style cheese or maybe some mild Queso Fresco. Serves one.
21 comments:
This looks delicious, particularly the salsa! I have not had good Huevos Rancheros in years - that soon will end with this recipe.
Sounds and looks so good. I have my tomatoes, chile's, onions, garlic ready to go in the oven. Then....my arthritis in my knees started acting up so I went to lay down. I'm back up again and I'll put them in the oven, not my knees...tee hee...and then I'll drink a beer. What the heck. Great post, great pictures. Have a great weekend
Me diste hambre! Great post! Now I know what I am making for breakfast tomorrow morning!
Provecho!
Hola, Dona Licha,
I hope you'll like the huevitos!
Hola, Tsimajo,
Now more than ever is the time to learn and to apply the lessons are elders have taught us.
Hasta la proxi!
Looks like we have our dinner picked out for this evening. I already had some frijoles de la hoja going. ;)
Bienvenida, Vivi!
Ay, mujer, frijoles de la hoya. Como me encantan--how i love them so.
Enjoyed reading your thought provoking websites.
De veras, tienes razon about Huevos Rancheros. Yours look absolutely perfect and delicious. I'm making your salsa next weekend. Great post!
I love Blanquillos Rancheros! ;) I don't understand the tomato deseeding either, that's kinda weird.
Here's my recipe, i like to use a bit of guajillos in the salsa to give it some depth of flavor.
http://chanfles.com/comida/hrs/index.html
Saludos!
Looks great - sounds fun to make tambien. I need to find a spare molcajete at my mamita's then I can attempt to make my favourite Mexican breakfast - Huevos Rancheros yay!
Hola, Jan!
I hope you'll like the recipe. There are many receipes for this salsa, and I think that EL CHAVO's is very good,too.
Hola CHAVITO,
That salsa for Huevos Rancheros looks delicious! Pero . . . para decirte the verdad--to tell you the truth, there is no vegan equivalent for Huevos Rancheros. No use messing around with a masterpiece. Buen provecho!
Hola, Mummy D
I hope your mom is willing to part with the molcajete!
Los huevos me encantan! You make perfect fried eggs, Clementina. I always break the yolks!
Hola, Kobico!
Honestly, Kobico, I have broken my share of yolks, which is fine with me. I really prefer them broken and almost burned.
Nice to hear from you!
These really look delicious. This is my first visit to your blog and I've spent some time going through your earlier posts. I love your recipes and the tone of your blog. I'll be back often to see what else you've been cooking. Blessings...Mary
checking in every day looking for a new post hope you have a new one for us soon love your blog cant get enough of it ...
Hola, Anonymous!
Thank you for your kind words. Next on the menu: Tres Leches Cake!
I have added you to my site: TinoLinks » Latino and Hispanic blogs. The best blogs. I hope that it will generate more traffic to your site and expose all of the great Latino voices out there.
All the best,
Ryan
http://tinolinks.com
Leticia said..Thank you, Clemintina, I never thought in my life, that I would be so honorably
mention.. 40 years of marriage!
I feel so proud to be included along with my mother and father.
Thank you...
I have a question, por favor, Dona. Can you roast all of the vegetables on the comal (I have my mother's comal that my father made almost 60 years ago!) or is the oven method preferred for this ranchera salsa? Pase buen dia, Dona!
Hola, DodgerFan!
I roasted all my my vegetables on my comal, but I promise that it is never going to be as special as yours. I like to add a tiny bit of oil to the hot comal. It keeps the vegetables, esp. the tomatoes from sticking.
Cuidate, and don't invite me to your house--I just might steal that comal!
blanquillos! jajaja.
I remember when I first went to go visit my mom's padrinos and they asked me if I wanted some.
I was like "que es eso"!?
ha ha.
buen provecho :)
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