Huevos Rancheros: in Mexico and at Home

Some of my fondest memories revolve around tiny Mexican cafés on the Baja peninsula. I'd catch glimpses of an aged abuela in the kitchen kicking and cursing the chickens running around underfoot as her 14-year-old grand-daughter meekly served tables and mama shouted orders. Dad was usually never to be found unless he was drinking beer with friends in a corner, gesturing for food or more drink as the day wore on.

One such café was where I had my first huevos rancheros. Not too big on eggs at that point, I ordered them for the steak instead. Sliced into short, narrow strips, tough as nails, and soaking in a rich tomato-chili sauce, who knew beef could contain so much grassy, earthy flavour? Thank goodness for Sonoran cattle!

Ten years later, I still love beef, but eggs appeal too. It took my father almost twenty years to convince me to eat eggs, but I never got beyond the occasional toast dipped in peppered yolk. Somehow, my husband had me eating eggs done all ways within six months of our marriage. Poor Dad! The trick? Keep the egg-to-other tasty stuff ratio really low and then start sneakily cranking it up.

With Mexican eggs foremost in my mind, then, here are two recipes for vegetarian huevos rancheros. The first is adapted from Gourmet magazine (April 2007); the second is from the rebar cookbook (our new favourite vegetarian cookbook, created by the cooks at rebar restaurant in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada). Both recipes have a smoky secret ingredient: chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Yes, this is an acquired taste and yes, it is worth acquiring (it took me less than a year, and now they go in many, many things for a little pizazz).

The big question for me is: should the eggs be served over-easy or sunny-side-up (traditional) or scrambled (innovative)? One of each is suggested below, but for my money, scrambled eggs with nothing in them are boring. Add a little cheese, tomato, onion or spices and now you're talking! Although I can't complain about the rebar recipe at all.

Gourmet Huevos:
(for four hungry people - dinner, perhaps?)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 (5-inch) corn tortillas
2 (14- to 15-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in juice (or use fresh ones - they're better!)
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs

Simmer tomatoes with their juice, onion, cilantro, chipotle, garlic, and salt in a hot pan, stirring occasionally, until salsa is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. (Gourmet suggests puréeing the sauce. I think this is messy and makes the sauce so wet that it soaks the tortillas, making them mushy (ick!). But if you like smooth sauces, use a blender by all means, just don't blender the sauce once it is hot unless you would like your kitchen decorated in salsa - I have done this with tomato soup.)

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then crack 4 eggs into skillet and cook to desired doneness. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered, then cook remaining 4 eggs in remaining tbsp. oil in same manner. (If you have a big enough pan, do them all at the same time - I can always tell when my eggs have sat for even a few minutes. They're just not as good.) Season eggs with salt and pepper.

Serve 2 warmed tortillas (you can fry tortillas in oil in a hot pan or reheat them wrapped in a clean, slightly damp cloth in the microwave) topped with 2 eggs and a big spoonful or two of salsa to each happy customer.

Rebar Huevos:
(for two - and yes, this is my favourite because the beans are to die for; this despite the scrambled eggs)

Toss a can (14 oz) of drained, rinsed pinto beans, 1 tsp. (or to taste - this stuff can be HOT!) chipotle purée (just throw the can in the blender - oops, I mean take the peppers and sauce out of the can, put them in the blender and purée them rather than the aluminum can), 1 tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. brown sugar (this is very important), 1/4 tsp. salt into a saucepan and heat slowly while making the eggs. (Or, if you are very lazy, buy a can of refried beans and add some - or none, but that would be sad - of the ingredients above to taste. You can get veggie refritos, but in my opinion, the traditional lard-based beans are unbeatable.)

Scramble four eggs with salt and pepper (this is where I am always tempted to add extra cheese, tomato, peppers, onion, something!) and set aside. While the beans are still heating slowly, heat the tortillas too.

Rebar suggests making a kind of tortilla omelet in the pan at this stage, which is fine (and has the added bonus of melted cheese, always a plus): add some grated cheese to a fried tortilla, top with salsa, eggs and beans etc. We, however, like to serve these buffet-style instead: put out a little bowl of cheese (spicy jack? aged cheddar?), some fresh salsa (I'll post a good salsa recipe at some point - for now, think: the best tomatoes money can buy (smell, don't look), lots of parsley, a bit of jalapeño, more lime juice than you'd think and some mild onion), some spicy red sauce (taco?) and, of course, some beans. Take your tortilla, add eggs and toppings, and breakfast is served!