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One of our favourite breakfast or brunch plates! For sure, it gets you going! Perhaps for a weekend brunch, with or without guests, maybe a Caesar to kick things off?
Makes Approximately 4 Servings
For the Beans:
1/2 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight
4 Tbsp., approximately, EVOO
1 small onion, chopped fine
½ bay leaf
½ tsp. oregano (Mexican if you have it)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. minced jalapeno pepper
1 small tomato, quartered
¼ tsp. ground cumin
Chicken broth & water to cover the beans
For the Huevos Rancheros:
1 large egg per person
2 small corn tortillas per person
1 250 gram container salsa, or homemade**
(opt.) 6 Tbsp. diced lightly fried smoked chorizo
6 – 8 Tbsp. Grated Monterey Jack cheese or cheddar
3 – 4 Tbsp. cilantro, coarsely chopped
Make the Beans:
Drain the soaked beans, rinse & drain; place the beans into a medium-sized deep pot, cover the beans with a mixture of chicken stock & water by 2”; add 1 Tbsp. EVOO, onion, bay leaf, oregano, garlic, jalapeno, tomato & cumin; bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer; cover & let the beans cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring them occasionally. After 1 hour test the beans to see if they are almost done, if so, add 1 to 1 ½ tsp. salt, then continue cooking until the beans are softened but not mushy. Remove from the heat, remove the lid & allow them to cool in their liquid. If you are doing the beans ahead of time, store them in their liquid until ready to use.
Finish the Beans:
Preheat oven to 180 F.
Heat a small frying pan over medium low heat; add 1 – 2 Tbsp. EVOO & heat until warm; add the drained beans & heat until hot; keep warm in the preheated oven. If you like you can mash the beans a bit, adding some of the bean cooking liquid to make re-fried beans.
Meanwhile, place 4 dinner plates in the oven to warm.
Make the Huevos Rancheros:
Have heating a large frying pan over medium-high heat; add some of the EVOO to coat the pan & when hot but not smoking, fry each tortilla for about 1 – 2 minutes per side, adding more oil as necessary. As tortillas are fried, place 2 on each of the plates & keep warm in the oven. Note: you can use 2 frying pans to speed things up.
Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat; add some EVOO & heat until hot; then fry the eggs the way you like them (yolk should still be runny).
Remove the plates from the oven; place an egg on top of the tortillas on each plate, scatter with the beans & chorizo; drizzle with some salsa & top with the grated cheese & cilantro, serve immediately.
Note: You can use purchased cooked black beans or refried beans instead of cooking the beans from scratch.
