Breakfast Nook: Huevo Benedictino

Eggs Benedict tops my list as favorite breakfast meal. With the soft, slightly crunchy English muffin soaking up all that rich egg yolk and hollandaise and the salty sweet Canadian bacon cutting right through, this is my go-to brunch staple. But staples can get boring sometimes. I like to use regular bacon instead of Canadian, a biscuit in place of the English muffin and sausage gravy standing in for hollandaise on my Texas Eggs Benedict. This is my Tex-Mex Benedict. Ancho Grits, Beef, Egg, Rosemary Guajillo Sauce

You will need:

For the Ancho Grits
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
5 ancho chiles
1 cup white cornmeal (grits)
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter

For the beef:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup diced white onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 lb freshly ground chuck
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chile powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

For the Rosemary Guajillo Sauce
2 cup chicken stock
5 guajillo chiles
1 sprig of rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch

8 Corn Tortillas
8 Eggs
Canola oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Fresh lime for juice
Cheddar cheese

Make the Ancho Grits: In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the ancho chiles, chicken stock and milk to a boil with a lid on. Once the anchos have softened, puree with a hand blender. Place back over heat and once boiling, add cornmeal slowly, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for ten minutes, add peanut butter and butter, taste, season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

Make the beef: In a large saute pan over high heat, fry the onions and garlic in the canola oil until they are brown around the edges, about six minutes. Add the beef, cumin, chile powder, paprika and Mexican oregano. Add a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Saute until the beef is completely browned. Taste, season and keep warm.

Make the Rosemary Guajillo Sauce: Bring the chicken stock, guajillo chiles and rosemary to a simmer. Once the chiles are soft, puree with a hand blender. Make a slurry with cornstarch and one tablespoon water. Once pureed sauce is simmering, add slurry to thicken. Taste and season with salt, pepper and lime juice.

Using a ring mold or metal 1 cup measuring cup, cut the corn tortillas into rounds. Fry them in a medium sized pot, half way full of 375 degree canola oil and drain. Using heat resistant ring molds or egg pans. Cook the eggs so they retain a perfect circular shape. I use the same size for the tortilla and eggs. Cook the eggs so the white is set but not browned and the yolk is still runny. I went from the stove top on low heat to the broiler.

Assemble: Place a small (about half a teaspoon) dollop on the plate to stabilize the corn tortilla chip. Add 1/4 cup of the ancho grits and spread it out almost to the edge of the tortilla. Add a few tablespoons of beef on the grits and the egg on top of the beer. Top with grated cheddar cheese and the rosemary guajillo sauce.