Craig's favorite Huevos Rancheros

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medtran49

Master Chef
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Serves 2-4

1 can 14 oz chopped/diced tomato
1 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 large onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp (or more to taste) cumin
1/2 to 2/3 cup Chipotle Salsa (recipe below)
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 recipe of Mayan Cacao nib spice mix
3-5 poached or fried eggs (Craig used 3, I used 1) (see notes)
1 ripe Haas Avocado (see notes)
1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked seasoned black beans (see notes)
2 links of chorizo sausage, removed from casing, broken up, cooked until done, drained
1/3 to 1/2 cup queso fresco crumbling cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
6 five-inch or so corn tortillas (homemade if possible, see notes). You can also use flour tortillas if you don't like the corn ones, but I would encourage you to make some corn tortillas. I don't like the commercially made ones, but love homemade.
Fresh or pickled jalapeno slices (optional)
Sour cream or crema (optional)

NOTES:
I chunked the avocado, sprinkled some salt and pepper lightly, and squeezed a bit of lime juice over, then tossed.

We cooked extra black beans for another meal, then used remainder for this. We saute some onion and green bell pepper, then add garlic and some chopped fresh tomato (can use canned if you have extra from something), as well as some cumin, add some chicken stock, 2 bay leaves, and the medium size can of black beans. Black beans come in 3 sizes here, the 14-15 oz can, a bit bigger can, and a huge can, but I don't know the sizes of the larger cans.

I used a "No-Fuss" method of poaching the eggs. Bring 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inch water (no salt or vinegar) to a gentle simmer in a large dutch-oven type pan. Break eggs, 1 at a time, into a ramekin and slip into the water. After all the eggs are in, cover, turn burner off and let sit for 3-1/2 minutes for runny egg yolks, remove with a slotted spoon, blot with folded paper towels under the spoon (trim any tendrils if desired) and serve IMMEDIATELY. If you need to let them sit for a few minutes before serving, only cook 3 minutes. The egg (mine) that sat for 3-4 minutes was kind of runny, but more loose jelly like, which was fine since that's the way I prefer.

I used dry masa for the tortillas and followed the directions on the package, although I did add a small amount of salt, 1/2 tsp for 2 cups of masa. You can also use fine corn meal/flour if you can't find masa. Any corn tortilla recipe will do.

Mayan Cacao nib spice mix. Courtesy Food and Wine Magazine September 2019

Recipe can be halved or quartered as desired.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons pequín chiles or cobanero chiles (about 1/4 ounce)
1/2 cup cacao nibs (about 2-1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon hot or sweet smoked Pimentón de la Vera

Directions
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add chiles; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly toasted, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a large plate. Add cacao nibs to skillet; cook, stirring often, until darkened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate with chiles; sprinkle with salt and, if desired, smoked Pimentón. Let cool 20 minutes. Working in 3 batches, process chile mixture in a spice grinder until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Do not over-process or the cacao will start to melt and become sticky. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Chipotle Chile Salsa. Courtesy of Mesa Mexicana cookbook
Makes 3 cups

We originally made this for another meal. It can be used to season refried black beans for bean dip, as a cocktail sauce for shrimp or oysters, or just as a dip for chips or vegetables. I froze the remainder in around 1/2 cup amounts in a silicone mold we have, popped the frozen pieces out and bagged.

2 ounces (about 12-15) dried chipotle chiles, stemmed
4 ripe Roma tomatoes, cored, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
1 quart water
2 Tbsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes uncovered. Cool. Use a food mill to process into a smooth sauce, discarding skins, seeds, etc. Alternatively, place mixture in a blender or food processor, process until smooth and strain through a fine-mesh colander. Chill.

Red sauce directions

Place EVOO in a saucepan over medium heat, add onions, saute until almost translucent, add garlic and cumin, saute for about a minute. Add can of tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender or counter-top blender and blend until nearly smooth. Stir in Chipotle Chile Salsa. Taste and add more cumin, salt and/or pepper if needed.

Assembly
Place 3 corn tortillas in a large bowl. Cover well with red sauce. Place eggs, avocados, black beans, cheese, and chorizo in mounds around the bowl. Sprinkle with spice mix, cilantro and optional jalapenos as desired. Get the sour cream or crema in there somewhere along the way if using.
 

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