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Ingredients
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Salsa roja (red sauce)
Salsa verde (green sauce)
Béchamel queso (cheesy béchamel)
Eggs & tortillas
Garnish & finish
Method
Salsa roja (red sauce)
- 1
Roast vegetables
Halve the Roma tomatoes and place them cut-side down in a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add serrano chiles whole and the half onion (cut side down). Dry-roast until tomatoes and onion are well charred and softened, 6–8 minutes; turn chiles so all sides blister. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 2
Blend
Transfer roasted tomatoes, onion, chiles, and the 3 garlic cloves to a blender. Add 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp ground cumin. Blend until mostly smooth but still with a bit of texture (about 20–30 seconds). Taste and adjust salt.
- 3
Simmer & finish
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour the blended salsa in and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and brightened, 6–8 minutes. Keep warm on the lowest heat while you prepare other components.
Salsa verde (green sauce)
- 4
- 5
Blend
In a blender, combine the cooked tomatillos, 1 small/quarter onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 jalapeño (stemmed; seeded if you want milder heat), 1/2 cup packed cilantro, and 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Blend until smooth. Add 1 tsp kosher salt and pulse to combine; taste and adjust seasoning.
- 6
Finish
Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low for 3–4 minutes to meld flavors. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Béchamel queso (cheesy béchamel)
- 7
Make the roux
Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and let melt. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and whisk continuously for 1–1.5 minutes until the raw flour smell cooks out and the mixture has a pale golden color (do not let it brown).
- 8
- 9
Add cheese & season
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in 1.5 cups grated Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese until fully melted and smooth. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg. Keep warm on very low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
Eggs & tortillas
- 10
Warm and toast tortillas
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Working in batches, briefly fry each corn tortilla for 15–20 seconds per side until slightly crisp at the edges and warmed through. Stack and wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm (2 tortillas per person).
- 11
Cook eggs (sunny-side or your preferred style)
In a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Crack 2 eggs per person (8 total) into the pan in batches so they don't crowd. Cook sunny-side up until whites are set but yolks still runny, about 3–4 minutes; cover the pan for the last 30–45 seconds for evenly set whites if desired. Alternatively, scramble gently to your liking. Season eggs lightly with salt and pepper.
Garnish & assembly
- 12
Plate La Bandera
On each plate, place two warm corn tortillas folded or flat. Using ladles or spoons, arrange the three sauces in parallel stripes or semicircles across the plate to evoke 'La Bandera' — one stripe of salsa roja, one of salsa verde, and one of the béchamel queso (about 2–3 tablespoons of each sauce per plate).
- 13
Top with eggs & finish
Set two cooked eggs over the center of the sauces. Spoon a little extra béchamel over the eggs if you like. Crumble about 3 tablespoons of cotija cheese over each plate, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and serve with a lime wedge on the side. Encourage diners to squeeze lime over the sauces and eggs.
- 14
Serve
Serve immediately while sauces and eggs are hot. Leftover sauces keep refrigerated up to 3 days (reheat gently).
