Homecooking - New Mexican Style

We've had weeks and weeks of guests visiting from out of town this summer. And in exchange for the hospitality, room & board and a nice haven from the heat is a home cooked meal. Not just any home cooked meal, but a New Mexican day of feasting.

We started our morning with the best huevos rancheros we have ever had - EVER.

The combination of red beans, refried beans, homemade salsa, crispy fried tortilla and perfectly fried eggs was expertly combined. Like we said the best huevos rancheros ever!

Pinto were soaked for 24 hours and then slow cooked for over 10 hours with a secret blend of spices. The resulting red beans were creamy to the bite, but had a solid snap to them. Bacony refried red beans in combination with the whole red beans added a whole different dimension of bean awesomeness to the dish.

Homemade salsa was spicy, smokey and perfectly bitter. You bet your sweet asses we took notes on how to recreate it.

Our favorite part? The crispy tostada. The crispy fried tortilla topped with bacon refried beans added a crunch and a base to hold up all those fantastic juices from the whole red beans and salsa.

Topped with perfectly fried eggs that were a bit runny, added more texture and flavors to the dish. And a little bit of sharp cheddar cheese finished the whole dish off with a little bit more tang! Now that's how you do huevos rancheros!

That was just the beginning. Later that evening we were treated to a chicken mole feast! Yes, Holy Mole! Previous experience with mole brings to mind a chalky and sweet dish, not that there's anything wrong with that. Our homemade chicken mole was much more complex - smoky, sweet, robust, a bit bitter and a bit spicy.

Served with calabacitas, spanish rice and yes, another bacony tostada, this plate brought on a whole new meaning to the word comfort food.