I love love love chile peppers! And there is evidence from a recent study of 500,000 people in China that a chile habit is a healthy habit. This study showed a link between chile consumption and longevity, with study participants who ate chiles 1-2 times per week being 10% less likely to die and those eating chiles 3 or more times per week being 14% less likely to die than study counterparts who ate chiles less often than once per week. It's just an observational study and so no direct causation can be attributed to frequency of chile consumption on survival, but it's still pretty cool! And hey, the placebo effect is a very powerful thing, so if I believe that my chile pepper addiction is helping me live longer, then it just might be true...!
Anyway. Back to the story behind this recipe.
When my husband and I visited our good friends in New Mexico last year, I gorged on the state's prized chiles. And, to bring a little New Mexico home with me, I bought a big bag of freshly dried green and red chile powder from one of the local farmer's markets. Sauces made from the fresh chiles are the more traditional condiment, but unfortunately many use flour as a thickener. However, it's becoming more common to find gluten-free options made with cornstarch instead. (Hopefully next we'll see grain-free versions with something like potato starch!)
Before I became educated about New Mexico chiles, I used to think that green chiles and red chiles were different species. They're not. They are the same peppers, but, like other plants, they are green before they turn ripe. Green chiles are hotter, but red chiles have a more complex flavor profile. The subtle yet distinct flavor differences lead to heated (ha!) debate about which kind of chile is the best kind of chile, with #TeamGreenChile and #TeamRedChile factions. It's green all the way for me, baby!
Some people can't choose between the two, though, and will order food "Christmas" style - a mix of red and green chiles. Since red + green = Christmas!
This recipe came as a random spark of inspiration the other morning when I was looking at my chile powders, looking at my carton of pastured eggs (which I can get now for TWO DOLLARS A DOZEN. OMG. So grateful!), and wondering how I could combine them. I remembered Grok Grub's AH-MAZING recipe for Red Eggs, and decided to come up with my own version of spiced fried eggs using my New Mexico chile powders. To balance out the flavors I added in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper and BAM! perfectly seasoned breakfast. My niece agrees!
Again, big thanks to Rachel at Grok Grub for the inspiration to experiment with spices on my fried eggs. I'm embarrassed to admit that before I tried her Red Eggs I never put anything but salt and pepper on my fried eggs. It just, like, never occurred to me to put spices on them. D'oh!
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
New Mexico "Christmas" Chile Fried Eggs (Paleo, Whole30, 21DSD)
Boiled, scrambled, over easy.... eggs can get boring if you don't get creative with how you prepare them. In this simple recipe, a few key spices turn fried eggs into something extraordinary to enjoy for breakfast!
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 eggs (from pasture-raised hens if you can get them)
- 1/2 to 1 Tbsp non-hydrogenated lard
- 1/4 tsp New Mexico red chile powder
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp New Mexico green chile powder (green chile powder is hotter, so adjust to your taste preference)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp (or to taste) coarse sea salt (if using a fine salt, reduce amount)
- 1/4 tsp ground peppercorns (I like this blend)
Cooking Directions
- Heat a small frying pan over medium heat for about a minute.
- Add lard and allow it to melt and cover the pan. Add more if needed to thoroughly grease the pan. Heat lard for about a minute.
- Crack the eggs into the pan, being careful not to drop any eggshell pieces or to break the yolk. If you'll be enjoying a sunny side up egg, sprinkle all seasonings on top now. You can do them individually, or add them to a little bowl, mix them up, and then sprinkle. (I prefer to sprinkle the spices individually, and sometimes make one green chile egg and one red chile egg!)
- If you'll be enjoying over easy (or medium, or hard) eggs, wait until you flip them to sprinkle the seasonings.
- Enjoy fresh out of the pan as soon as they are cooked to your liking. I fry mine sunny side up for about 5 minutes and they are just perfect for me!
Ingredients and Tools I use in my kitchen
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