This recipe is a version of the delicious huevos tirados served at Antojitos Lolita in Veracruz. The secret of Senora Mencilla’s smooth, richly flavored black beans is manteca, or lard in which an onion has been fried until it is blackened. Even though we don’t have the pleasure of using that lovely soft, caramel colored pork fat, cooking the onion and the beans in peanut oil does add a touch of extra flavor.
To serve 2
Ingredients for the black beans:
1 pound black beans
3 cups water
3 to 4 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 medium onion, sliced thin
Chicken stock, if desired
Method:
1. Wash the black beans, removing any stones. Place in a medium bowl with 4 cups of water and soak for 3 hours.
2. Place the beans and their soaking liquid in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with a tightly fitting lid, and reduce heat to low. Cook until the beans are very soft, but still hold their shape, 40 minutes or longer. Older beans usually take longer to cook; check to see if it is necessary to add more water. When the beans are done, they should be should be slightly soupy.
3. Scoop 1 cup of cooked beans from the pot, with some of the cooking liquid .and place them in a bowl. (Reserve the rest for another use.) Using a potato masher, mash them until they are very smooth and creamy. Add a little water or chicken stock if they seem dry.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the peanut oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are blackened. Remove the onions from the oil in the pan. Add the mashed beans and slowly fry them until they have absorbed all the oil. Remove from the heat and let them cool. The beans can be kept overnight in the refrigerator.
Ingredients for the tomato salsa:
1 pound plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 large jalpeno pepper
Salt to taste
Method:
1. While the beans are cooking, combine the tomatoes, onion and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is cooked through. Add the cilantro and stir.
2. While the salsa is cooking, char the jalapeno in a gas flame until it is blackened and blistered all over. (Or toast it on a griddle or in a dry cast iron frying pan that has been heated over a high flame.) Let it cool slightly, then remove the stem, cut in half and remove the seeds.
3. When the tomato mixture is cooked through, put it in a blender along with the jalapeno and whir briefly. The salsa should not be smooth, but a little chunky.
4. Remove from the blende, add salt to taste, and allow to cool. The salsa may be refrigerated overnight.
Ingredients for the eggs:
5 large eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablepoon canola oil
Sliced avocado (optional)
Sliced papaya (optional)
Cooked tomato salsa (see above)
Refried black beans (see above)
Chicken stock, if needed
Method:
1. In a small saucepan, heat the tomato salsa over a low flame. In another saucepan, heat the refried black beans very gently over low heat. If the beans seem dry, thin them with a little chicken stock. They should be very soft, but not runny--about same consistency as eggs that have been just barely scrambled.
2. When the salsa and beans have been heated through, whisk the eggs in a large bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a cast iron or nonstick pan over medium high heat. When it is hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, whisk the eggs again and pour into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and with a spatula, begin to scramble the eggs. When they are partly cooked but still soft and loose, add the refried beans and scramble them together until the eggs and beans are completely mixed. Do not overcook—lower the heat if necessary.
3. Serve at once with cooked tomato salsa on the side and, if desired, slices of avocado and ripe papaya.