Huevos Motuleños

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I discovered Huevos Motuleños, a typical breakfast of the state of Yucatan, Mexico, in 1975 in the city of Mérida.   Serve up a rainbow of flavors with this recipe and it’s so  complete a meal; get ready for compliments.   It’s an appreciable brunch item because it can mostly be prepared in advance.   Like to sleep late; this is your special breakfast dish.

The original recipe uses a fried egg. If you serve 6 or less guests, definitely fry the eggs.   On the occasion I served 10 guests I was unable to serve huevos motuleños in a timely manner.  Too many special requests for how folks liked their fried egg.  Some wanted over-easy, others with a broken yoke, crispy, etc.  Solution for a large group – use hard boiled eggs.  The Yucatan recipe uses chopped ham; my version brightens the recipe with crispy Italian pancetta bacon.  Let’s get started.

 

Ingredients

Serves 8

8-12  corn tostadas, store bought works

8 oz black beans

1 large carrot, peeled and roughly cut

¼ white onion

1 large garlic clove mashed

2 sprigs of parsley or epazote

5 oz pancetta rendered crispy

4 oz cheese, cotija or queso fresco

4 oz frozen petite green peas warmed

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Mexican salsa

8-12 eggs

Salt

Preparation

Beans

Spread the beans on a flat surface and inspect and remove any debris and broken beans then wash them in water and drain.  Place the beans in a large pot, cover the beans with cold water by at least 2 inches.   Add garlic, onion, carrot and herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer, cover and cook for about 2 hours. Periodically check the water level and add hot water as necessary.  When the beans are cooked soft to the touch, add ⅔ tablespoon of salt.  Remove any liquid off the top and set aside.  Puree the beans using potato masher to achieve a chunky bean paste;  If necessary add back bean-liquid to thin out the bean paste. Adjust the taste for salt.  You will only use a quarter of the amount of beans; save the rest for another use.

Pancetta

Ever fry bacon starting with a little water? Cover your bacon with sufficient water to cover your pan. Why? The addition of water keeps the initial cooking temperature low and gentle, so the meat retains its moisture and stays tender. By the time the water reaches its boiling point (212 degrees), the bacon fat is almost completely rendered, so you’re also much less likely to burn the meat while waiting for the fat to cook off. Reduces splattering considerably.  After water boils off cook until crisp.

 

 

 

Assemble 

Spread a layer of beans on the tostada, place an egg over the beans and lightly salt and pepper the egg.  Drizzle salsa, sprinkle cheese, peas, pancetta and cilantro over the tostada and serve hot.

Note:

Huevos Motuleños originated in the city of  Motul, Yucatán, Mexico.   Queso fresco in lieu of cotija cheese works well in this recipe.  Canned black beans may not be flavorful so if you use them spice them, up by adding any of these ingredients, – bacon fat, herbs, chile powder.

Buen Provecho

 

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