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Huevos Rancheros with Charred Tomato Salsa

Crisp fried flour tortillas, refried beans, a fire-charred tomato salsa, and two farm-fresh eggs with runny yolks. Finished with cilantro, jalapeño, avocado, a drizzle of crema and a good crumble of queso fresco.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 People
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Charred tomato salsa (makes about 4 times what you need)
  • 6 on-the-vine tomatoes
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1/2 onion peeled
  • 2 garlic cloves unpeeled
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp salt to taste
  • Pinch of caldo de pollo chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 piece fried flour tortilla from the batch below
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying the salsa
Beans
  • 2 cans 16 oz each La Preferida Vegetarian Refried Beans
  • 1 tbsp lard bacon grease or vegetable oil (oil keeps them vegetarian)
  • Splash of water as needed
Tortillas
  • 5 medium flour tortillas cut into quarters (1 per plate, plus 1 for the salsa)
  • Vegetable oil for frying
Eggs
  • 8 fresh eggs
  • Oil for brushing the skillet
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
To finish
  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 jalapeño sliced into thin coins
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • Cacique Mexican crema
  • Cacique queso fresco crumbled

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet (for charring the vegetables and frying the eggs)
  • Deep pot or Dutch oven (for frying the tortillas)
  • Blender
  • Large skillet for the beans
  • Medium skillet (for frying the salsa)
  • Tongs (for turning the vegetables while they char)
  • Slotted spoon or spider strainer (for lifting tortillas out of the oil)
  • Thin spatula (for lifting the eggs without breaking the yolks)
  • Paper towels (for draining)

Method
 

  1. Char the salsa vegetables. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the tomatoes, jalapeño, onion half and garlic cloves and cook, turning, until lightly charred all around. The garlic is done first: pull it when its skin is blackened in spots and it's soft inside. Peel the garlic and set everything aside.
  2. Fry the tortillas. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Fry the tortilla quarters in batches until lightly browned throughout, then drain on paper towels. Watch closely: the longer the oil is on the heat, the faster each batch cooks. Save one piece for the salsa.
  3. Blend the salsa. Add the charred vegetables to a blender with the lime juice, salt, caldo de pollo, the reserved piece of fried tortilla and the cilantro. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt.
  4. Fry the salsa. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Pour in the salsa all at once. It will sputter hard, so stand back. Stir, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer about 5 minutes, until it darkens slightly and some of the liquid cooks off.
  5. Cook the beans. While the salsa simmers, melt the lard, bacon grease or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add both cans of refried beans and cook about 10 minutes, stirring often so they don't scorch. Loosen with a splash of water if they get too thick.
  6. Fry the eggs. Brush a cast iron skillet with oil and set it over medium heat. Gently crack in the eggs and turn the heat to medium-low. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper as they cook. Go slow so the whites don't overcook before the yolks set. A couple of minutes before they're done, cut the heat and let them finish in the warm pan. They'll release from the skillet when they're ready. Lift them out gently, since the yolks still break easily.
  7. Assemble. Layer four fried tortilla quarters on each plate, spread on the refried beans and spoon some salsa over them. Top with two fried eggs, then spoon a little more warm salsa over and around the eggs, leaving the yolks showing. Finish with cilantro, jalapeño coins, avocado, a drizzle of crema and a sprinkle of queso fresco. Serve right away, while the tortillas are crisp and the yolks are runny.

Notes

Brands. These are what I use and love, but they're not required. That said, Cacique really is the one here. The queso fresco is salty, soft and crumbles just right, and the crema drizzles where sour cream would just sit.
Flour vs. corn. Flour tortillas are my preference. Traditional huevos rancheros use corn tortillas, fried just briefly so they stay soft and pliable. Flour tortillas are common in northern Mexico, but corn is the more authentic choice. Either works here.
Why fry the salsa. Pouring the blended salsa into hot oil is a traditional Mexican step. It deepens the color and flavor in a way simmering alone doesn't. Don't skip it.
Spice level. The salsa lands at medium. For more heat, add a second jalapeño to the salsa. For less, leave it out or use half a jalapeño. Skip the jalapeño coins on top for anyone who wants it gentle.
Feeding a crowd. For 6 to 8 people with one egg each, use 3 cans of beans, 7 to 9 tortillas (1 per plate plus 1 for the salsa) and 6 to 8 eggs. If everyone wants two eggs, just double the eggs.
Leftover salsa. You'll have plenty. Keep it in a covered jar in the fridge and use it on everything: chips, tacos, more eggs tomorrow.
High-elevation adaptations. Nothing here is baked or boiled for long, so this one needs very little adjusting above 3,500 ft. Moisture evaporates faster up high, and that's what to watch.
  • Beans: refried beans thicken fast, especially in a full skillet. Keep a splash of water nearby and stir it in whenever they start to stiffen or stick.
  • Salsa: it reduces faster. Start checking at about 3 minutes and pull it once it's heated through.
  • Tortillas: frying oil isn't affected by altitude, but tortillas brown quickly in dry climates. Keep a close eye on each batch.
  • Eggs: no change needed. The low-heat, finish-off-the-heat method works the same.