This dish is a great example of your new skills working together in the kitchen!
We're going to use the "middle ground" refried beans in tandem with a freshly made Tomato Jalapeno Salsa to make a delicious batch of Huevos Rancheros. Yum!
You'll recognize this Tomato Jalapeno Salsa from the first Module but I'll go over the details here as well in case you haven't made it yet.
It's the world's easiest Salsa and you get massive return for very little effort.
We'll start by roasting three tomatoes in the oven at 400F. They'll need about 20-25 minutes to fully roast.
I usually de-stem them knowing that any leftover juices in the pan will go into the blender. And don't forget that you've got options on how to roast them, the key is applying sustained heat to them.
Into the blender they go along with:
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
1/2 jalapeno
Give it a whirl and taste for heat and seasoning. You can add the other half of the jalapeno if you want more heat, and if your tomatoes were struggling you might need a pinch of salt.
You're definitely going to want the Salsa to be warm when you goop it over your Huevos. With freshly roasted tomatoes it will be warm out of the blender, but you can also give it a quick simmer over medium heat if necessary.
This quick simmer (10 minutes or so) will also liven up any struggling Salsa, so it's a good trick to keep in mind if you're using out-of-season tomatoes. The heat will sweeten them up and concentrate the flavors.
You'll definitely want to warm up the tortillas before serving and you've got a few options on how to get there.
The old school method is cooking the tortilla in a thin layer of oil for 15-30 seconds per side.
I use a kitchen thermometer to get the oil up to 360F before frying them, but you can always test the oil by plopping a piece of tortilla in it -- if it bubbles furiously then it's probably ready to go. Somewhere between medium and medium-high on my stove keeps the oil at the right temp for frying.
The other extreme is simply warming up the tortillas in the oven or microwave. You can wrap them in foil and put them in the oven for a few minutes, or if you want to nuke them simply cover them with a damp paper towel and put them in the microwave for 60 seconds or so.
The middle ground, which I probably use the most often, is cooking the tortilla in some oil to both crisp it up and warm up the beans at the same time.
Add a dollop of oil to a saute pan over medium heat. Add the corn tortillas along with a layer of refried beans and some cheese (optional). Let these cook until the cheese is melted and the tortillas crisp up. Take a peek at the underside of the tortillas; once you've got heavy brown spots forming they're ready to go.
Traditional Huevos Rancheros are served sunny-side up but you can cook your eggs as you see fit because you've already got the secret weapon on hand (the Salsa!).
Then it's just a matter of placing your eggs over the crispy tortillas and gooping your Salsa all over them.
Cotija cheese and freshly chopped cilantro are optional garnishes to keep in mind.
And I like a bit of acidity to top off these Huevos Rancheros, with Valentina and lime juice both being good options.
I think most brunch spots tend to overcomplicate Huevos Rancheros, so it's worth keeping this simple option in mind the next time you're searching for a new breakfast dish. Once you get the Salsa to your liking then everything else falls in place quite easily -- maybe it's time to give them a try!
The recipe box for these Huevos Rancheros is down below. To move on to the next recipe click 'Next Recipe' down below.
Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients
- 1 cup refried beans
- 4-5 eggs
- 4-5 corn tortillas
- oil
- Jack cheese (optional)
- cilantro (optional)
- Cotija cheese (optional)
For the Tomato Jalapeno Salsa:
- 3 plum tomatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 jalapeno
- 1 garlic clove
- salt to taste
Instructions
- To make the Tomato Jalapeno Salsa, start by rinsing and de-stemming the tomatoes. Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes to a blender along with 1/2 onion, 1 peeled garlic clove, and 1/2 jalapeno. Combine well and taste for seasoning and heat, adding salt and more jalapeno if necessary.
- For this batch I sauteed each tortilla in a dollop of oil over medium heat, adding the beans and cheese to the tortilla in the pan. This will crisp up the tortilla and also heat up the beans at the same time.
- For sunny side up eggs, heat up 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook until the top of the eggs are set. You can cover with a lid or some foil to ensure the tops are cooking.
- Each tortilla gets a layer of refried beans, cheese (optional), 1-2 eggs, and plenty of the Tomato Jalapeno Salsa. Optional garnishes include cilantro, Cotija cheese, hot sauce, and lime juice.