From the Yucatan in the South of Mexico, soft eggs sit on top of refried beans and slightly-crisp corn tortillas. Sprinkled with ham and peas and covered in salsa, this dish is incredibly satisfying.
First sort through the beans and remove any stones. Rinse them well and cover with cold water. Soak the beans for up to 8 hours (or overnight).
If you have forgotten to soak the beans in advance, bring them to a boil over high heat for about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and continue with the recipe.
To cook the beans, first drain the soaking liquid. Rinse and place into a medium-sized pot. Mince the garlic and onion. Add these to the pot, along with the epazote. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about an hour, or until the beans are almost cooked through.
Once the beans are almost done, add the salt. When tender, drain and reserve about one cup of the cooking liquid.
Place the beans into a food processor. Add the reserved liquid, a few tablespoons at a time. Add just enough liquid to help blend the beans. They should still be a bit chunky.
To fry the beans, heat a small, non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the beans and stir to heat through. You can break up the beans even more with a potato masher, if you like. Let the beans fry for a few minutes until the excess moisture evaporates.
Set aside and keep warm while you prepare the rest of your mise en place.
To prepare the rest of the ingredients, dice the ham into approximately 1/2" -inch pieces and set aside.
Heat a small fry pan over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of the canola oil and cook the salsa until most of the excess liquid has evaporated.
While the salsa cooks, bring a small pot of cold, salted water to a simmer (to later cook the peas).
Next, heat another fry pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the tortillas with a bit of canola oil. Once the pan is hot, gently fry the tortillas until lightly golden and crispy, but still pliable, about one minute per side. Place onto a plate lined with paper towel.
Spoon a few tablespoons of the refried beans onto each plate and then top with a tortilla and a bit of diced ham. Once the salsa has cooked, check for seasoning and set aside.
To finish the dish, heat a fry pan over medium-low heat and add the oil. Crack the eggs into the pan and sprinkle with a bit of salt. While the eggs are cooking, make sure the salsa is nice and hot. Cook the peas in the salted, simmering water for a couple of minutes.
Fry the eggs just until the whites are set (sunny-side up) or however you prefer. Once the peas are done, drain and set aside.
To finish assembling, top each tortilla with an egg and some of the peas. Finally, spoon some salsa over top and garnish with a bit of crumbled feta and a pinch of freshly cracked pepper. Serve.
Huevos Motulenos is a great way to use leftover re-fried beans. If you make the beans the day before, this recipe can be made in under 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can use canned, re-fried beans – just heat them through before using.