Huevos Rancheros with Chorizo and Refried Black Beans

If I’m making huevos rancheros for breakfast, I prefer to keep them

lighter and closer to the “real thing” in Mexico: corn tortillas topped simply

with eggs and salsa. But the flavors are too good to enjoy only on an

occasional Saturday morning, so this recipe dresses up the dish tostado-style

for dinner.

I gave it a little heartiness with refried black beans and crumbled

chorizo sausage. But you can keep it vegetarian—and rich—with simply the creamy

beans, cheddar cheese, and a spicy, smoky sauce made with chipotle.

If you’re using chorizo, use one skillet to cook both the meat and the

beans. It’s not only less cleanup, but the leftover oil from the chorizo

(cooked first and kept warm) infuses the black beans with extra spicy flavor

when they’re mashed into it.

Serves 2 (or makes 4 light lunches)

beginning to soften, 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, green parts of the scallions, chipotle pepper, cumin,

and chile powder and season with salt. Bring to a light simmer and cook until

slightly thickened, 7-8 minutes.

Scallion Mixture Beginning to Cook Tomato Mixture Beginning to Cook Remove from the heat. Carefully pour the mixture into a food processor

and grind until pureed. Add the broth and process until the mixture has the

consistency of a thick sauce.

Pureed Tomato Mixture Sauce with Broth Added Return the sauce to the saucepan and keep warm over very low heat. (Or,

cool completely and remove to a sealable container. Refrigerate overnight and

re-warm before proceeding.)

For the Chorizo

and Beans

Preheat the oven to its lowest temperature and place a plate in it.

Heat a large,

nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the chorizo,

garlic, and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the

sausage until crumbled and just cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Use a slotted

spoon to remove the mixture to a bowl and keep warm in the oven. Do not wipe

out the skillet.

Beans Beginning to CookCooked Chorizo Mixture To the same skillet, add the black beans, vegetable broth, cumin, and oregano

and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until some of the

broth is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Beans Beginning to Cook

Beans Ready to Mash Reduce the heat to low and use a potato masher to mash the beans with the

remaining broth and oil from the chorizo. (Add a little more broth if the

mixture is too dry.) Mash until chunky smooth, leaving bits of whole beans.

Keep warm over low heat.

Mash the Beans with a Potato Masher

Mashed Beans Heat another large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush with olive oil.

Place 2 tortillas in it side by side (or slightly overlapping, if necessary)

and fry 2 minutes. Turn and fry until the tortillas begin to brown, but

are not crisp, about 2 minutes longer. Stack on the warm plate in the oven and

repeat with the remaining 2 tortillas.

Tortillas after Turning Heat the same skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter

begins to sizzle, crack the eggs into the skillet and fry until the whites are

set and the yolks are still runny (or until desired degree of doneness).

Set EggsTo serve, place 2 tortillas on each of 2 plates, barely overlapping. Spread

each tortilla with 1/4 of the mashed black beans. Scatter 2 tablespoons of

cheese over the beans on each and top the cheese with 1 fried egg each. Divide

and spoon sauce on top of the eggs and scatter the chorizo around the plates. Garnish

with cilantro and serve right away.