Huevos Rancheros are so much more than just a fried egg, with some salsa and beans on a limp tortilla. Kick it up with this recipe for Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros.
Your search for Ultimate Huevos Rancheros is over
I've been obsessed with Huevos Rancheros over the past few years. It all started with a trip up to Oregon and staying at a B & B that was being run by two culinary students that made, at the time, the best I had ever eaten.
Since then, whenever they are on the menu, I have to try them. I've had some pretty good ones, and some pretty meh ones, so I've been working in the kitchen to perfect my perfect Huevos Rancheros taking what I liked about each one and then adding my own touch, putting a little crunch in the tortilla, sautéed poblano peppers, and smokey black beans.
These Huevos Rancheros are so good … I'm about ready to do a "throw-down" with Bobby Flay!
Mission accomplished. My job is done.
A quick video on the making of Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros
What Makes these Ultimate?
As with everything, layering flavor with the best flavors you can.
The Beans
The Tortillas
So many places I've eaten Huevos Rancheros at simply heat a corn tortilla and throw it on a plate. Flabby and flavorless. I had to fix that, so I did by soft frying them in oil until the edges just begin to crisp. You want the center to remain rather soft so you can cut into it, don't want a tostada, you want a cooked tortilla.
So this is step 2 to Ultimate.
The Sauce
This is my little "cheat" to ultimate. While there are recipes for sauces out there, I found almost all of them to be too tomatoey. I really like the flavors of Herdez Salsa Ranchera. It's combination of green and ancho chilies along with spices is perfect for dipping that crisp-edged tortilla into and a little spoonful on top of the eggs adds so much flavor.
Now do know that there is a small amount of MSG in the salsa so if you are super-sensitive to that you may want to find another sauce.
Fried Green Chilies
What's missing from most restaurant recipes is that extra layer of flavor. Not counting the toppings of course. And that flavor comes from some sauteed poblano peppers. You can roast and peel if you prefer, but I find that a quick saute makes the pepper nice and tender and I don't have to have the time or make the mess of roasting and peeling.
You could also use California or Jalapeno for this step.
A one-hour sous vide egg
The Eggs
Huevos Rancheros would not be Huevos Rancheros without the egg. The best egg is one with firm whites and runny yolks so it can ooze down into all those delicious lower layers. You have a number of choices on how to do this:
- Poach - Poaching an egg is really not too tough to do but many are afraid to try. The trick is gentle water poaching liquid, not boiling. I've never added vinegar to my poach, but many recipes do, it's supposed to keep the white floating away in the water. Don't worry about that part of the white, you don't need it anyway. The yolk and the albumen is all you really need to use. This is a good method to use if you are making Hueveros for a larger crowd as you can make them in advance, hold them in an ice bath, then return them to the gently simmering water to heat up before putting them on the tortilla.
- Sous Vide - This is one of my new favorite ways of cooking a soft-cooked egg. There are a number of ways you can sous vide eggs, from long cooks 60 minutes plus, to short cooks, 8 to 12 minutes. But they both turn out perfectly cooked soft-cooked eggs.
- Fry - When making Hueveros Rancheros for just BB and I, I fry the egg. Sunnyside up. Or you can make them over-easy, just be careful you don't break the yolk.
Finally the Toppers
I like to finish with a spoonful of the ranchero sauce, a few slices of ripe avocado, perhaps a bit of fresh salsa if I have some, and for me, a dollop of sour cream. BB just says no to the sour cream.
That is how you make Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros.
Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients
- 8 small or 4 large corn tortillas
- oil for frying I used grapeseed
- 2 7-ounce cans Ranchera sauce (you can make your own, but I find most of them to be too tomatoey for me, I like Herdez salsa Ranchera, it has all the flavors I want and it's easy too!)
- 1 recipe Savory Black Beans or canned black beans doctored up with some cumin and oregano
- 2 poblano chilies cut in half, seeded and sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter or as needed
- 4 - 8 farm fresh eggs I only do one for each, but that's how we like it
- Cotija cheese*
- Crema or sour cream (optional)
- 1 avocado sliced
- *Cotija cheese is a dry cow's milk cheese found in most markets these days but in Mexican markets for sure. If you can't find it, crumbled feta or even parmesan can be an acceptable substitute or grated jack cheese.
Instructions
- In a small fry pan, heat the oil and fry the tortillas until they just begin to crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Set - aside. Drain the oil heat the ranchera sauce - keep warm.
- In a small saucepan, heat the beans, loosen with a little water if they seem too dry. Lightly mash.
- In a small skillet, heat the butter over medium heat; add the peppers and sauté until soft and tender (the cooking really mellows out the flavors of the peppers). Or you can roast the peppers whole in a broiler, when blackened, place in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap. After about 15 minutes, remove from the bowl, and skin. Seed and slice.
- Heat butter in another skillet and cook the eggs to your preference. (We like them soft, so over easy. I also wait to cook the eggs until the initial assembly is done so they are hot and fresh and don't over-cook). Or use one of the other cooking methods.
- To assemble: Dip the tortillas into the ranchera sauce and put on a warm plate. Spread the beans over the top, then give a little sprinkling of Cotia cheese. Split the sautéed peppers amongst the plates and spoon on top of the beans. Now, I fry my eggs; place 1 - 2 eggs on top of each serving. Spoon a bit more Ranchera sauce over, sprinkle with Cotija, add the avocado slices and top with Crema (or sour cream) if desired. Serve hot.
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