Chilaquiles For Dummies and Aficionados

Chilaquiles are the best breakfast food In The Whole World. I've tried them from Morelia to Midland, and while there are probably a dozen significant variations in the recipe, they're almost all good -- even the kind that looked like tomato soup that I had at a house in Monterrey once.

The exception seems to be in the far northern parts of San Antonio. I don't know, the infestation of lousy chilaquiles may extend beyond, even to Comal and Guadalupe counties, but in the past few months I've embarked on a quest to find decent chilaquiles in that part of town, and have failed repeatedly. The latest disappointment is Zarazua's, on Sunset. This place has been around in one form or another for about 35 years, according to an old advertising calendar on the wall, yet somehow they've not mastered the essential art of chilaquiles. Theirs consist of small chips of corn tortilla, lightly fried and then smothered in plain ol' scrambled eggs. Boring.

I suspect that the people who own mom-and-pop Mexican restaurants in that area are losing that bit of their heritage, a tragedy that I feel compelled to try to avert, to whatever poor extent I can. Maybe they didn't grow up eating chilaquiles; maybe their people were from a part of Mexico that lacked some ingredient (that's hard to believe) or maybe their moms and abuelas just thought it was too much trouble to make (that's even harder to believe). I just don't know.

But what can I, a poor consumer of this delectable creation, and an Anglo to boot, do to stem the withering of Mexican culture? I would prefer not to go into the kitchens of north-east San Antonio and lecture cooks on how this dish is supposed to appear, feel and taste.

No, all I can think of to do is to post, for the perusal of cocineros anywhere, the recipe that I use myself when I make chilaquiles. This is easy for me, since I happen to have written it down a couple of years ago for some friends in Toronto, and I have it here on my computer:

Chilaquiles a la moda potosina

(Chilaquiles in the style of San Luis Potosí)

½ tsp cooking oil
1 corn tortilla, shredded
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded & chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
½ onion, chopped
½ tomato, seeded & chopped
4 eggs*
black pepper to taste
salt to taste (optional)
pinch of chile powder (optional)
shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, or jack, or a blend)
4 flour tortillas
salsa

* egg substitute can be used in place of one, two, or three of the eggs. The flavour will be only slightly less intense; the appearance, consistency and texture will be unaffected. If plain egg whites are used, the colour will suffer.

a note on quantities: this recipe serves 2 people. For larger batches just increase the quantities in proportion. As with all really good recipes, the quantities of the ingredients are approximate, and flexible. Experiment with it, looking for tweaks that suit your own preferences.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized skillet. Toss in the shredded corn tortilla and let it fry, stirring. It will cook quickly, so pay close attention. When it starts to brown on the edges, toss in the peppers, onion, and tomato. If you want your chilaquiles a little spicier, throw in the chile powder too. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs (or egg substitute) and pepper, and salt if desired, in a bowl. Pour over the vegetables in the skillet and reduce the heat to the low side of medium. Let that cook, stirring occasionally to keep it from burning on the bottom, until the eggs are set to your satisfaction.

While that cooks, heat the flour tortillas on the stove burners, being careful not to let them burn. Stack them on a plate and cover with a towel.

Sprinkle the cheese over the egg and vegetable mix and turn off the heat. Stir in the cheese, spoon the mixture onto a platter, and serve with flour tortillas, and salsa on the side.

There: that's all I can do, I think, short of causing scenes in kitchens all across the suburbs.

Zarazua's