Papas con Huevos y Chorizo Recipe

Mexican cookery throughout its regions is justifiably famous for many delicious yet complex and time-consuming dishes such as tamales, chiles rellenos, chiles
en nogada, chile colorado, chile verde, tamales/corundas, tinga, menudo, posole rojo and, of course, its myriad presentations of multi-ingredient moles. However, thank goodness, not all of Mexico’s culinary creations are that complex. One example of this is a dish that is prepared in one version or another throughout the country’s nine regions: papas con huevos y chorizo/potatoes with eggs and chorizo. The entire preparation and cooking time for this recipe is no more than 30 minutes. This dish can be served any time of the day or season of the year, althougn in Mexico it is traditionally served for breakfast.

Before detailing the recipe for this muy sencillo/very simple meal, some words about two of the main ingredients. Like most of the produce in Mexico, the prices very drastically depending upon the season. In the nearby municipality of Zamora, which is known for both its strawberries and potatoes, new potatoes in season can cost as little as 4 pesos per kilo/about .16 per pound US but in non-peak season they can jump to as much as 14 pesos per kilo/about .56 per pound US.

All over Mexico, chorizo/Mexican sausage is quite popular and is often a filling or topping for such antojitos/snacks as tacos, gorditas rellenas, sopes, quesadillas, huaraches, and burritos.In my town of Churintzio, there are 6 small carnicerias/butcher shops (some carry only cuts of beef while others only carry pork products) of which three make their own link pork chorizo.
There is also one polleria/poultry shop that weekly makes its own limited supply of chicken chorizo (which may be healthier and less fatty than the pork chorizo but for my taste is drier and not as flavorful). The price for the pork chorizo is 35 pesos per kilo/about $1.40 per pound and the chicken chorizo is about 15 pesos more per kilo. In mid to large cities, the supermarkets have extensive selections of prepackaged chorizo.

Papas con Huevos y Chorizo

2 pounds of new potatoes, washed, peeled and diced in ˝" cubes
6 large eggs, slightly beaten
12 ounces pork chorizo, removed from casing
1 medium onion diced
3 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional ingredients used as toppings: crema/sour cream, queso Cotija or other dry,crumbly cheese, salsa picante/hot sauce

Yield: 4-6 main courses

1. Boil the diced potatoes in salted water to cover until tender and drain.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, add the chorizo, making sure to break-up any large pieces.
When the sausage is about half cooked, add the onion and cook until the onions are tender and the chorizo is cooked.
3. Add the potatoes, incorporating them into the potato/onion mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon, and cook until heated through-in this version of the recipe, the potatoes are not browned).
4. Add the slightly beaten eggs and stir them into the potato/onion/chorizo mixture until well-cooked.
5. Stir in the chopped cilantro and season to taste as some chorizo is decidedly saltier than others.

Top with any, all, or none of the optional toppings.

This muy sencillo dish is often served with either comal/Mexican flat griddle heated corn or flour tortillas. If you like, have some fun and make your own tacos or burritos out of this preparation as my father-in-law, Senor Espinoza, inevitably does when he visits us!