Friday, October 17, 2008

The world's best Huevo's Ranchero's!

Huevos Rancheros (literally "ranch eggs") was one of the first real fusion cuisines, born of the culinary marriage between the Spanish Conquistadors and the Native Americans. Much of what is labeled "Mexican" food is a variation of several regional cuisines (i.e. Tex Mex), and the New Mexico fusion of Indian and Mexican foods are beyond compare.

Best of all, you can get the ingredient's by mail order:


Monroe's mails chile worldwide (505-881-4224)

While there are several variations on a theme, real Huevos Ranchero's consist of a homemade tortilla (usually a flour tortilla), smeared with refried beans, covered with eggs of your style (I use omelet style), and smothered with read or green chile and sharp yellow cheddar cheese.

(WARNING - Putting salsa on Huevos Rancheros is a California invention, and it's a serious crime in some areas of Texas and New Mexico).



It's not hard to make world-class Huevos Rancheros at home, provided that you order the right ingredients:

- Chile - Chile (not Chili) is those wonderful peppers grown only in the field's surrounding Hatch New Mexico. In late summer, you can buy the fresh green chile in 50 lb. bags at any New Mexico Supermarket, and they roast then on-site, with the wonderful smell of roasted chile in the air. The fresh Green Chile's are hard to transport, but the second best option for world's best Huevos Rancheros is the jar version sold at Monroe's. Not too hot and full of flavor, New Mexico chile is the best in the world.

- Refries - Most folks like real homemade pinto beans with their Huevos Rancheros, but they don't like the work. The pintos must be soaked and cooked with smoked ham hocks for that original smoky flavor. If you not inclined to do the beans from scratch, canned refried beans are acceptable, but you need a drizzle of bacon grease to give then that homemade smoky flavor.
Homemade tortillas - Making your own flour tortillas is not difficult, just use lard, flour. Se here for flour tortilla recipe.

- Eggs - Some folks like their Huevos scrambled, others sunny-side up, but I prefer cooking them omelet style, frying the eggs in bacon grease until they are crispy on the outside and fluffy inside.

This was mny breakfast today, true ambrosia:


Janet makes the world's best Huevos Rancheros

Read Janet's complete notes on making the world's best huevos rancheros:

worlds_best_huevos_rancheros!