DESAYUNO
There is no better way to start your morning than with spicy food to get your blood flowing, right? Reading through this chapter, you will quickly find out that many of us Mexicans feel this way. We add made-from-scratch salsa to just about everything to spice it up. In fact, I am pretty sure that your tolerance for spice will grow as you cook through this chapter and feast on some of the most intriguing rustic breakfasts found throughout many regions of Mexico. Rise and shine, everyone—things are just heating up!
HUEVOS DIVORCIADOS
We Mexicans sure come up with some funny names for foods, don’t we? Divorciados simply describes eggs smothered in two different salsas. It’s like two dishes in one, and it makes great use of leftover salsa you may have in your fridge. Divorciados are served with refried beans, along with a sprinkle of Cotija cheese, and warm tortillas on the side for dipping and scooping up all that delicious salsa.
serves 4
½ cup (120 ml) Rustic Mexican Salsa (this page)
½ cup (120 ml) Tomatillo Salsa (this page)
Canola oil
8 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Traditional Refried Beans (this page), warmed
Crumbled Cotija cheese
¼ cup (10 g) chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Corn or flour tortillas, homemade (see this page or this page) or store-bought
Pour the two salsas into separate small saucepans and bring each to a simmer over low heat.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Crack 2 eggs into the skillet and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes, until the whites are set. Flip the eggs and fry them on the second side for 30 seconds. Remove them from the pan and set the eggs on opposite sides of a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining eggs, adding more oil to the pan as needed, until you have four plates with two eggs each.
Place a line of warmed beans in the center of each plate between the eggs to create two sides to the plate. Smother the eggs with the warm salsas, using the rustic salsa on one side and the tomatillo salsa on the other side.
Sprinkle some Cotija cheese over the beans. Garnish with cilantro and serve with tortillas alongside.
HUEVOS EN REVOLTILLO
The first time I had huevos en revoltillo, we were visiting my step-grandparents in Tecate. I was seven years old, and it was the first night I had ever spent away from home. The next morning, I woke to the smell of onion wafting from the kitchen, and it was enough to pull me right out of bed. We had salsa-scrambled eggs for breakfast, and I was hooked. That recipe has stayed with me since that morning, and now I’m passing it on to you!
serves 4
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ small yellow onion, minced
1 cup (240 ml) Rustic Mexican Salsa (this page), Tomatillo Salsa (this page), or prepared salsa
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crack the eggs into a large bowl (but do not whisk them).
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it is almost crisp on the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the salsa, bring it to a simmer, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add the eggs to the pan and, using a wooden spoon, start mixing them in to break up the yolks quickly. The idea is to not completely whisk the eggs but to keep breaking them up and incorporating the salsa. Continue mixing for about 5 minutes, until the eggs are completely incorporated into the salsa and set to your liking. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
HUEVOS RANCHEROS
Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. I wanted to share a recipe that takes me back to when my stepdad, Martin, came into our lives. Before he came to us, it was just my brother, my mom, and me. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were meeting the man who I would come to know as the only father I have in this world.
That day, he was sitting in our little kitchen nook enjoying the huevos rancheros my mom had just made, and I remember telling my brother, “He’s crazy! Do you see all that salsa?” My dadito, as I call him, is a man’s man, a true Mexican macho, and as such, loves a hearty breakfast. Therefore, know that this dish isn’t for the weak . . . don’t worry, you can do this.
serves 4
About 1½ cups (360 ml) Rustic Mexican Salsa (this page)
1 cup (240 ml) canola oil
4 corn tortillas, homemade (see this page) or store-bought
8 large eggs
Salt
Traditional Refried Beans (this page), warmed
Cotija cheese, crumbled
¼ cup (10 g) chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Pour the salsa into a medium saucepan. Place it over low heat and bring it to a simmer. This will take some time if your salsa has been refrigerated. Don’t worry; just keep an eye on it as you multitask through the rest of the steps.
Heat the oil in an 8-inch (20-cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat until almost smoking. Pierce a small hole in each tortilla with a fork to keep them from puffing. Slowly add one tortilla to the skillet, making sure the oil fully covers the tortilla. Fry it on each side for about 1 minute, until semi-crisp and golden brown, pressing it down with tongs as needed to keep it submerged in the oil. Remove from the oil using tongs, allowing excess oil to drip off, and place it on a large paper towel–lined plate. Repeat until all the tortillas are fried.
Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the frying oil into a bowl, increase the heat to medium-high, and heat until it is almost smoking. Crack two eggs into the skillet and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes, until the whites are set. Flip the eggs and fry them on the other side for 1 additional minute. Remove them from the oil and place them on a plate. Continue adding oil and cooking two eggs at a time until you’ve cooked them all. Season each batch of fried eggs with salt as they’re done.
To serve, place a tortilla on a plate and add two fried eggs. Smother them with some simmering salsa, add a side of refried beans and a little Cotija cheese, and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.
CHILAQUILES VERDES
Green chilaquiles are like green enchiladas for breakfast! They are spicy, crunchy, and just so comforting. They remind me of weekend breakfasts at home with my mom. At my house, weekends were for real, hearty breakfasts with eggs and beans—the kind that would hold us over almost until dinnertime. Chilaquiles were my favorite breakfast, and the green variety, using tomatillo salsa, was my favorite type. The tartness of the tomatillo-based salsa works perfectly with the cool texture of Mexican crema. When I was lucky enough to get a fried egg on top, that was the best treat. A medium fried egg will have you screaming, “Ay, yai, yai, yai” like a mariachi singer!
serves 4
1 cup (240 ml) canola oil
12 (6-inch/15-cm) corn tortillas, homemade (see this page) or store-bought, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) squares using kitchen scissors (save the rounded ends too)
½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1½ to 2 cups (360 to 480 ml) Tomatillo Salsa (this page)
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Mexican crema or sour cream
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Toss in a little piece of tortilla to test it: If it sizzles, it’s ready. Add one-third of the tortilla squares and ends to the oil and fry until they’re golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined plate to absorb excess oil. Repeat with the remaining tortilla squares and ends, making sure to let the oil come back up to temperature between batches.
Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the frying oil from the pan, add the onion and garlic, and sauté until they are fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the salsa and bring it to a simmer. Remove the skillet from the heat and fold in the tortilla chips until fully coated. Cover tightly and allow the pan to rest for 2 to 3 minutes for the chips to soak in the salsa. Uncover, fold them one final time, and serve the chilaquiles garnished with Cotija cheese and crema.
notes
You can use pretty much any homemade salsa for your chilaquiles, but if you’re pressed for time, you can substitute a bottled salsa.
Try making “divorced” chilaquiles by using two different types of salsas. Serve them side by side on the plate, and voila!
TAQUITOS DE CHORIZO CON HUEVOS
If you ask Munchkin what she wants for breakfast at Grandma’s house, nine times out of ten she will tell you chorizo con huevos (chorizo and eggs). One of my favorite ways to eat chorizo and eggs is in crispy corn tortilla tacos. This is one of those recipes that can be easily adapted based on what you have in your fridge or what cheese you prefer, but these tacos will have you wanting breakfast for lunch, or dinner, or even as a late-night snack!
makes 12 tacos
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 ounces (115 g) fresh ground or packaged soft chorizo
4 large eggs
12 (6-inch/15-cm) corn tortillas, homemade (see this page) or store-bought
8 ounces (225 g) Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely shredded
Rustic Mexican Salsa (this page), Tomatillo Salsa (this page), or a good bottled salsa
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and stir until it is cooked through and darkened by about two shades, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add them to the chorizo and cook, stirring continuously, until they are nearly set, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Heat a large skillet or comal (tortilla griddle) over medium-high heat. Place a couple of tortillas on the skillet and cook for 1 minute, then flip them and cook for an additional minute, or until soft and pliable. Wrap them in a kitchen towel as they are heated to keep them warm. When all the tortillas have been heated, reduce the heat under the skillet to low.
Build your tacos by cupping your hand around a warm tortilla. Add some cheese and about 2 tablespoons of the chorizo and egg mixture. Fold the taco in half, place it on the skillet, and use the back of a spatula to press it down for about 15 seconds, until the taco stays shut on its own. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the taco shell is hardened and crisp.
Carefully remove the taco from the skillet with the spatula and repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, making two or three tacos at a time as you get more skilled at stovetop multitasking. Cuidado (careful)—the melted cheese inside will be hot! Serve the tacos with salsa; add some refried beans (see this page) for a more substantial meal.
notes
If you live near a good butcher, you may be lucky enough to find freshly made chorizo. Just remember that fresh chorizo can vary in spiciness or chunkiness. Play with the recipe and use a little less chorizo if you want to cut down the spice level.
This is an easy recipe to turn to when you’re making breakfast for lots of people, as you can cook the chorizo in advance; when you toast the tortillas on the skillet, it will reheat the chorizo.
MACHACA TRADICIONAL
I dream of opening my own restaurant someday, and part of what drives me is the idea of rectifying the misconception about what authentic Mexican food really is. There are delicious taco shops and amazing street food stalls popping up everywhere, and I love them as much as anyone. But many of their adaptations of classic dishes have lost their origins over time. Machaca is one of those dishes.
Simply put, authentic machaca is a shredded beef main dish that traditionally is never scrambled with eggs! In fact, machaca is usually served as a protein for dinner. Here, I’m sharing a traditional machaca recipe, the way I learned to make it. That said, feel free to serve it any time of day or night, and if you really want to, I won’t mind if you go ahead and eat it with fried eggs, the way we truly eat machaca and eggs!
serves 6
2 pounds (910 g) boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) cubes
6 black peppercorns
1 yellow onion, cut in half
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 Anaheim chiles, sliced into ¼-inch (6-mm) rounds
1 large Roma tomato, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chuck roast, peppercorns, and an onion half. Return to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the beef is fork-tender, 60 to 90 minutes. Remove the beef to a cutting board and reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the broth for later.
Using two forks, shred the meat into a thin yarn-like texture (it is much easier to do this when the meat is still warm).
Finely chop the remaining onion half. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chiles and sauté for an additional minute, until they start to soften. Add the tomato and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until softened. Add the shredded meat and mix to incorporate. Add the reserved broth, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, adding more broth if needed to further moisten the meat. Turn off the heat and allow the meat to rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
