Cook\'s Country - 2019-02-03

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 • COOK’S COUNTRY 27

HUEVOS RANCHEROS, OR
“rancher-style eggs,” are a happy mess
of slightly runny eggs snuggled in spicy
tomato sauce and draped with melted
cheese. The dish is typically served
with tortillas to mop up all the saucy,
yolky goodness, and it packs enough of
a wallop to jump-start even the foggi-
est of mornings.
The test kitchen has a handful of
recipes for huevos rancheros, but they
all take a bit of labor to build layers of
fl avor. I hoped I could create a stream-
lined version to serve two that avoided
the hard work (such as charring toma-
toes and onions and making salsa) but
still paid off in fl avor.
You can certainly cook the eggs and
sauce separately and combine them on
the plate—many restaurants do it this
way. But the fl avors meld and the dish
tastes better when you cook the eggs
directly in the sauce. Plus, cleanup is
easier. So to start, I chopped an onion
and a jalapeño chile and sautéed them
in a little oil. Then I stirred in chopped
fresh tomatoes and let the mixture sim-
mer until thickened, which took about
10 minutes. I sprinkled pepper Jack
cheese over the top and then used a
spoon to make four wells in the tomato
mixture before cracking an egg into
each well. Finally, I covered the skillet
and continued to cook until the egg
whites were set.
While this version had good fl avor,
it took nearly 30 minutes to soften the
vegetables, thicken the tomatoes, and
poach the eggs—plus, the eggs didn’t
all cook at the same rate. A few tests
proved that rotating the skillet halfway
through the eggs’ cooking time and re-
ducing the heat to medium-low while
poaching made the eggs cook more
gently and evenly so I could get soft
yolks and set whites in all four eggs at
the same time.
I tested a variety of canned tomato
products to see if any helped cut back
on time, but at best they shaved off a
few minutes. Instead, a coworker sug-
gested trying store-bought salsa. While
I think of salsa as a condiment, using it
as an ingredient sounded smart here;
I could omit the onion and jalapeño
since most jarred salsas already contain
them. Plus, as long as I used jarred
salsa, it was thick enough that I could
easily make wells for the eggs without

having to simmer and reduce it. (Fresh

salsa, such as pico de gallo, was too

chunky and would not work here.)

To boost the salsa’s fl avor, I added

sliced garlic, scallions, and a tablespoon

of smoky, spicy chipotle chile in adobo

sauce. A little bit of brown sugar called

out the tomatoes’ natural sweetness.

Served straight from the skillet

with a fresh sprinkling of cilantro and

warmed tortillas for scooping, this

savory, fi lling breakfast is hard to beat.

And it’s so simple that I can make it

while still half-asleep.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS FOR TWO

We developed this recipe using

Chi-Chi’s Mild Thick & Chunky

Salsa. Serve with lime wedges and

diced avocado.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 scallions, white and green parts

separated and sliced thin

2 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 (16-ounce) jar mild salsa

1 tablespoon minced canned

chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1½ teaspoons packed brown sugar

4 ounces pepper Jack cheese,

shredded (1 cup)

4 large eggs

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

1. Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet
   over medium-high heat until shim-
   mering. Add scallion whites and
   garlic and cook until softened, about
   3 minutes.


2. Off heat, stir in salsa, chipotle, and
   sugar. Sprinkle pepper Jack evenly
   over salsa mixture. Using rubber
   spatula, make four 2-inch-diameter
   wells in salsa mixture evenly around
   perimeter of skillet. (Skillet bottom
   should be visible in each well.) Crack
   1 egg into each well and season with
   salt and pepper.


3. Return skillet to medium-high heat
   and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to
   medium-low, and cook until egg whites
   are set and no watery patches remain,
   4 to 6 minutes for runny yolks or 6 to
   8 minutes for set yolks, rotating skillet
   occasionally for even cooking. Sprinkle
   with cilantro and scallion greens. Serve
   with tortillas.

Salsa Consistency

Our favorite salsa, Chi-Chi’s Mild Thick &

Chunky Salsa, is thick enough to hold wells

for the eggs; a watery salsa won’t hold the

wells, and pico de gallo is too chunky to

feel like part of the fi nished dish.

COOKING FOR TWO

The secret to our easy, flavorful sauce? Enhancing store-bought salsa with scallions, garlic,

and smoky chipotle chile in adobo sauce.

Huevos Rancheros

We wanted a hearty breakfast that was fast and easy enough to throw together

while the coff ee was brewing. by Morgan Bolling

Make the Wells

Use a rubber spatula to make room

in the salsa mixture for the eggs; you

should be able to see the skillet bottom.

Crack the eggs into the wells, cover the

skillet, and cook until the eggs are done.

JUST RIGHT

Our favorite

TOO CHUNKY

Not saucy enough

TOO WATERY

Won’t hold wells