Baked Ranchero Eggs with Blistered Jack Cheese and Lime Crema
Ranchero sauce:
- 1 jalapeño
- 3 cups (from a 28-ounce or 795-gram can) whole tomatoes, fire-roasted if you can find them
- 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed and peeled
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1Âľ cups cooked black beans (or from a 15-ounce or 425-gram can), drained (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 4 small (6-inch) corn tortillas
- Salt, to taste
- 12 large eggs
- 1ÂĽ cups (4 ounces or 115 grams) coarsely shredded jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1 cup crema mexicana or sour cream (240 grams)
- ÂĽ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
The “rancheros” sauce in huevos rancheros—a salsalike tomato sauce—is usually dolloped on eggs that are served on tortillas, rather than in the sauce.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. First, taste your jalapeño for heat. I find that they can range from mild-as-a-green-pepper to why-didn’t-you-warn-me! and look the same, so I like to see what kind of jalapeño I ended up with before using the whole thing. Adjust the amount accordingly, halving or quartering the pepper, if needed, and toss into a blender. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and several pinches of salt and pepper, and blend until smooth. Pour into a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, add black beans (if using them), and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, or until it has reduced slightly.
- Meanwhile, brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cut the tortillas into ½-inch-wide strips, and arrange them on the oiled tray. Brush the tops of the tortilla strips with the remaining tablespoon of oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 3 to 6 minutes, or until they are brown and crisp, turning over once if needed. Remove strips from oven, then preheat broiler.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the lime juice, crema, and a pinch of salt.
- Once the sauce has thickened slightly, remove the pan from heat, and break the eggs across the surface of the sauce, distributing them as evenly as possible. Return to heat, cover the pan, and simmer eggs gently in sauce for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the whites are nearly but not completely opaque. (You’ll finish them up in a minute.) Sprinkle the surface of the tomato-egg mixture with cheese, and broil until the cheese is bubbly and a bit blistered—just a few minutes.
- Garnish with dollops of lime crema, broken-up pieces of tortilla strips, and cilantro. Serve immediately.