Panuchos and salbutes were our favorite meal when we went to Merida, Mexico over the summer. Fried corn tortillas topped with eggs and pickled onions, and sometimes black beans and/or avocados. Then you drizzle on this super spicy green salsa. Oh my! I am not quite sure the difference between the two, but from what I read somewhere, the tortilla base is first cooked then fried for panuchos but the dough is only fried for salbutes. Regardless if I got this right, they are both delicious!

In the couple of weeks after coming home, we had a few unenjoyable meals out (for some reason nothing tasted quite right!) until I finally decided it was time to make a panucho feast at home. So on Saturday morning, I ran to Vons only to find that they didn’t have any ripe avocados. Oh no! It was actually the best thing to happen because I discovered a Mexican market about 1 mile from home that has EVERYTHING. Produce and avocados of different ripeness and Maseca flour and black beans and just anything I might need. So I stocked up and spent the rest of the morning slaving away in the kitchen making homemade black beans, fresh tomatillo salsa, fresh dried chile salsa, and homemade corn tortillas for panuchos. The results were delicious!

I used a tortilla press for the homemade tortillas which I highly recommend and Lodge cast iron reversable grillfor cooking the tortillas. It makes it really easy to do a bunch at once.

Homemade Corn Tortillas
1 cup Maseca(or other brand of masa harina)
Salt
Warm water

1. Spinkle the masa harina with a little salt. Mix in water slowly starting with 1/2 cup until a wet down forms. You don’t want it to be sticky, but kinda wet so that it isn’t crumbly. Wrap in plastic and let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Add a little more water if the dough feels dry. Separate into about 12 little balls, keeping them moist under the plastic wrap.
3. Take a tortilla press and a quart size ziplock that has been split up the sides. This makes a notstick surface for the tortillas.
4. Heat a griddle on high heat. Heat each tortilla until they start to brown in little spots, then flip and do the other side. Stack and wrap in a towel until you’re ready to fry.

Pickled Onions
The pickled onions common in the Yucatan are normally pickled with a bitter orange (naranja agria). We don’t have this so I used a combination of fresh squeezed limes, orange juice and white vinegar. Just use a little of each to cover sliced red onions and let sit to really marinate!

Panucho de Juevos
3 eggs
Oil for deep frying
Corn tortillas
Black beans
Pickled red onions
Avocado sliced
Tomatillo salsa (or any fresh green salsa – traditional is this green habanero salsa yum!)
Dried chile salsa (optional)
Cilantro chopped

1. Boil the eggs. I usually bring the eggs to a boil starting in cold water. Once boiling, I turn off the heat for 10 minutes. Cool, peel and cut into slices.
2. Heat oil in a shallow pan and deep fry each tortilla until they puff up. Drain on paper towels.
3. Take a tortilla, spread with black beans, then top with eggs, pickled onions, avocado slices. Drizzle salsas and sprinkle with cilantro!