November 14, 2018

Huevos Rancheros on the Grill

Name: Huevos Rancheros on the Grill
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon paprika; 2 teaspoons cumin; 1 teaspoon chipotle powder; 3 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon oregano; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 3 cups gold potatoes, chopped; 1/2 cup diced yellow onion; 1 bell pepper, diced; 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed; 2 teaspoons Adobo all purpose seasoning; 1/2 cup diced yellow onion; 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, diced; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced; 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced; 8 6" flour tortillas; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 8 eggs; 1/2 cup sour cream

It was a cold and gloomy November Sunday. My daughter insisted on playing outside, so we lit a fire on the back porch and the smell made us hungry for any grilled fare.

We had eaten a meager breakfast of cereal. Our stomachs were lacking our usual hearty egg sandwich. Dinner two days before was tacos, and our refrigerator still contained the leftovers: a few small tortillas, black beans, and cilantro. Naturally, we fired up the coals and embarked on a wonderful experiment: huevos rancheros entirely on the grill.

Huevos rancheros is a hearty and warming Mexican dish. It originated as a farmer’s brunch and is considered a southwestern comfort food. The dish has innumerable regional variations, as any respectable staple does. We used only what we had on hand for this variation, and it turned out to be one of the most delicious breakfasts I have eaten in a long time.

From start to finish the meal took about an hour and a half to complete. It has many components, which means you use lots of dishes, but they are all simple to prepare.

The only unique piece of equipment needed for this recipe is a grill pan, like this. It allows you to cook things like vegetables, potatoes, and eggs directly on the grill. We use a charcoal grill, and it imparts that wonderful, smokey flavor to everything.

Huevos Rancheros on the Grill

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

For the southwestern seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder

For the grilled potatoes

3 cups gold potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 bell pepper, diced

For the black beans

15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons Adobo all purpose seasoning
1/2 cup diced yellow onion

For the salsa fresca

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced

Toppings

8 6" flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

Prepare the grill.

The grill should be heated to 450F. You will need a grill pan, olive oil, and tin foil.
Prepare a large baking sheet to hold the components of your huevos rancheros when they are done cooking.
Prepare the southwestern seasoning. Mix together all of the spices in a small container and set aside.

Prepare the potatoes.

Dice the potatoes, bell pepper, and 1/2 cup of the yellow onion.
Mix the potatoes with olive oil in a bowl, placing the pepper and onion in a separate bowl.

Prepare the black beans.

Drain and rinse the black beans and place them in a small pot, covering them in roughly two inches of water.
Dice an additional 1/2 cup of the yellow onion, and add it into the pot along with adobo seasoning.
Simmer on medium-low heat for fifteen minutes.

Prepare the salsa fresca.

Dice the tomatoes, mince the cilantro and another 1/4 cup of yellow onion.
Mix together in a medium sized bowl, and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Let sit until ready to use.

Grill.

Bring potatoes, pepper/onion, tortillas, and eggs out to the grill.
Cook the tortillas on the edge of the grill, flipping once, until crisp.
Place the potatoes in the grill pan and sprinkle generously with southwestern seasoning. Cook in the center of the grill for ten minutes, stirring frequently. The grill should be at 450F (400F when uncovered). After ten minutes, add in the onions and peppers and cook for an additional ten minutes.
When the tortillas and the potatoes are done, cook the eggs. Place tin foil in the grill pan and coat in olive oil. Cook eggs, two at a time, in the grill pan. Sprinkle with southwestern seasoning. Eggs will need to cook for 3-3 1/2 minutes covered on the grill.

Assemble.

Place two crisped tortillas on each plate and cover with cooked black beans.
Add a spoonful of potatoes and two eggs per plate.
Top with shredded cheddar, salsa fresca, and sour cream if desired.

Cooking the seasoned potatoes in the grill pan. You can see that we put in the peppers and onions from the start. I do not recommend this, as they were charred by the time the potatoes were cooked.