Camp-Ready Chilaquiles
Thomas J. Story
Bacon and eggs make a fine campsite breakfast, but chilaquiles are an even easier upgrade with major flavor. This version comes from avid camper and chef Wes Avila, the mastermind who made his name with Guerrilla Tacos and now presides over Angry Egret Dinette in downtown Los Angeles’ Chinatown and Yucatan-inspired Ka’teen in Hollywood. All you need to do is cook up and cool down the chile-spiked chilaquile sauce at home. Pack in the sauce, eggs, and a bag of chips. Crank up your burner and in five minutes you’ve got breakfast.
Sunset Wine Club: Perfect Pairing
THE WINE: 2020 Angeline Pinot Noir Reserve Mendocino County
TASTING NOTES: While the nose is centered on plush berries, plums, and bing cherries, wild violets and stone fruit blossoms surround the periphery, as do tiny hints of cinnamon and anise.
WHY IT WORKS: This expression of Mendocino Pinot is high on pleasure with a low monetary impact, making it an excellent choice for these no-fire camp cooking dishes.
Find this bottle, and others just like it, at the Sunset Wine Club.
How to Make It
1
In a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and chiles. Toast chiles, turning occasionally, until they are aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add onion, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, allspice, and salt, and cook until the onion is soft and the tomatoes have broken down, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a blender and blend on high. Add apple-cider vinegar and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2
In a large cast-iron pan, add the sauce and cook over medium-high heat until warm, then gently fold chips into sauce and cook until chips have absorbed the sauce slightly but aren’t falling apart, about 2 minutes. Top with cheese and let warm until the cheese slightly melts. Sea- son again liberally with black pepper.
3
Transfer cooked chilaquiles to a serving platter, top with fried eggs, avocado, sesame seeds, red onion, and cilantro, and serve.
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 California chiles (aka dried Anahaeim chiles), stemmed and seeded
1 pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
1 white onion, diced
8 roma tomatoes, cut in half crosswise
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup apple-cider vinegar
6 cups tortilla chips
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 eggs, fried
1 avocado, sliced into thin crescents
1 tbsp sesame seeds
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Directions
1
In a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and chiles. Toast chiles, turning occasionally, until they are aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add onion, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, allspice, and salt, and cook until the onion is soft and the tomatoes have broken down, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a blender and blend on high. Add apple-cider vinegar and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2
In a large cast-iron pan, add the sauce and cook over medium-high heat until warm, then gently fold chips into sauce and cook until chips have absorbed the sauce slightly but aren’t falling apart, about 2 minutes. Top with cheese and let warm until the cheese slightly melts. Sea- son again liberally with black pepper.
3
Transfer cooked chilaquiles to a serving platter, top with fried eggs, avocado, sesame seeds, red onion, and cilantro, and serve.
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