Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Chilaquiles with steak

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My Saturday morning routine includes a trip to the Virginia Park farmers market. The famous Santa Monica farmers market is on Wednesday mornings, but my office is in the opposite direction, so I rarely get there. The Virginia Park market is smaller but feeds our family for the week just as nicely.

Most of the time Emery, my nearly teenage son, comes to the market with me. His reward for playing sherpa is a plate of steaming-hot chilaquiles from one of the market stalls. We sit in plastic chairs across a plastic table from each other with the plate in the middle and pick at it with compostable forks. Sometimes I pay, and sometimes my sweet boy buys me breakfast with his allowance.


When we miss the market, we still crave the chilaquiles. I once saw celebrity chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken make chilaquiles at Border Grill; they added a touch of heavy cream before adding the tortilla chips to the skillet. Sounds unorthodox, I know, but it works. The cream rounds the acidic edges and brings the dish together.

We used leftover steak, but feel free to use chicken or pork, or no meat at all.


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Chilaquiles with steak
In this traditional Mexican breakfast dish, tortilla chips are warmed and softened in a savory tomato sauce. A touch of cream brings the dish together.
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 red or yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (substitute canned tomatoes)
  • 1/8 cup heavy cream
  • 4 cups tortilla chips
  • 1 cup cooked steak, diced (substitute chicken or pork)
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack or Mexican blend cheese
  • 1 lime, cut in half
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook another 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and start to come together into a cohesive sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine.Tip the tortilla chips into the skillet, then the steak. Stir, coating the chips with the sauce and pressing them with a wooden spoon or spatula to break them up a bit. After a few minutes the chips will be soft but not mushy - that's what you're looking for. Add the cilantro or parsley and the cheese to the skillet, toss to combine, and pour the chilaquiles onto two plates. Squeeze the lime over the top and serve immediately.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 2 servings

4 comments:

Presley's Pantry said...

Interesting that you add the sauce first.... That is the last ingredient I usually add when I make mine. Would love to give your version a spin. :) Glad Emery loves them.... I do too! Now I know I'm sitting in good company.

Erika Kerekes said...

Presley's Pantry - I can't imagine that this version is as authentic as yours, but that's the way the Border Grill ladies made them too - sauce first, chips last.

Geez Louise! said...

drank my shake for breakfast... after seeing this , i think i just heard my stomach growl. fried egg on top and that's breakfast!
Happy Holidays, lovely to have seen you...

Julia Drew said...

No chance of me using pork or chicken with this one. There's just no substitute for good old red meat when it comes to something like this.

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