NJPerkins

M. Le Craig's Most Excellent Huevos Rancheros

This meal, and it is a complete meal, can be prepared in many ways. In its simplest form it may consist of fried or poached eggs served on a flour tortilla with some salsa and refried beans on the side. This version is similar to how it is prepared at the Casa Del Rio Hotel on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas.

Below is the way that I have been doing it of late, but there are as many variations
as there are grains of sand.

Do it your way, and enjoy!

- Huevos Rancheros -

Ingredients

• 2 Flour Tortillas (taco size)
• 1-2T Unsalted butter
• 4-5 Eggs, or as many as you want to fill the pan
• 1 Can Refried beans of your choice
• 1 Cup Salsa (your choice, but Mrs. Renfro's Black Bean is extremely good.)
• 1 Cup Grated Cheese (your choice)
Note: There are no rules. Ingredients can be changed, added, subtracted and quantities changed at the discretion of the chef!)

Instructions

If you have a skillet or frying pan that matches the size of your tortillas you will have the best results. I use an 8” stainless steel Calphalon skillet, but anything similar will do.

Cooking

• Heat the refried beans over low to medium heat in a small saucepan stirring frequently.
• Heat the salsa. I use a bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
• Melt the butter in the skillet.
• When the skillet is to temp., add your eggs. Cook the eggs to your desired degree of doneness. (Fig. 1)
• With practice you can flip them as a circular unit in the pan, or simply allow them to cook covered or uncovered. However, you will want to keep them as one circular piece to match the tortillas.
• When the eggs are almost done, warm the tortillas in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

Assembly

• Put one tortilla on a large plate.
• Spread 1/2 of the refried beans evenly over the tortilla. (Fig 2.)
• Add a bit of the salsa.
• Remove the eggs from the pan in one piece and center on the beans/tortilla/salsa. Add some more salsa. (Fig 3.)
• Add the second tortilla.
• Add the remaining refried beans and spread evenly across the top.
• Add the remaining salsa and spread evenly across the top.
• Spread the cheese evenly across the top.

Finishing Touches

• Place under a preheated broiler (about 3" away) to melt the cheese until bubbling. Or bake in a preheated 350 oven until the cheese is evenly melted.
• Use care not to burn the cheese.
• Cut into quarters. The wedges should nicely maintain their shape. (Fig 4.)
• Serve and enjoy!!

This will serve four hungry people very well and makes superior microwaveable leftovers.

Photos