Huevos Rancheros

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS? Huevos rancheros, or “ranch-style eggs,” is a hearty yet simple Mexican breakfast dish. Versions vary from cook to cook based on the available ingredients, but the basic formula is almost always the same: Fried eggs are draped with a fresh, spicy tomato salsa and served with warm tortillas. We wanted a streamlined recipe that would feed four people. For a simple salsa with big flavor, we roasted canned diced tomatoes with green chiles, onion, chili powder, and garlic. To make sure our salsa wasn’t too dry, we combined the roasted vegetables with some of the liquid from the canned tomatoes. Although many traditional recipes call for fried eggs, we opted to take an easier approach: we poached our eggs right in the flavorful tomato sauce. The eggs picked up lots of flavor from the salsa, and we could easily cook eight at a time. Serve with refried beans.

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cups chopped canned green chiles
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• Salt and pepper
• 4 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
• 8 large eggs
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, and diced
• 3 scallions, sliced thin
• ⅓ cup minced fresh cilantro
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the tomatoes in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to extract 1¾ cups of tomato juice. Discard any extra juice. Whisk the sugar and lime juice into the tomato juice.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the onion, green chiles, olive oil, chili powder, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of salt, along with the drained tomatoes. Spread the tomato mixture evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Roast in the oven until charred in spots, stirring halfway through baking, for about 35 to 40 minutes. (The tomato juice mixture and roasted vegetables can be refrigerated separately for up to 24 hours. Reheat the vegetables in the microwave for 45 seconds and bring the juice to room temperature before continuing.)
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the roasted vegetables and tomato juice in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the pepper Jack cheese evenly over the mixture. Using a spoon, make 8 indentations (2 to 3 inches wide) in the tomato mixture. Crack one egg into each indentation and season the eggs with salt and pepper.
4. Bake the dish until the egg whites are just beginning to set but still have some movement when the dish is shaken, for about 13 to 16 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack, tent with aluminum foil, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with avocado, scallions, and cilantro. Serve immediately with warm tortillas.