Why it works: Oregano and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 983 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Mexican Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
Sauté bacon in a large skillet until almost crisp; drain off most of the fat.
Add onion to the pan and sauté until golden.
Add tomatoes, juice, salsa, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and sugar.
Stir to break up the tomatoes.
Simmer uncovered until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes.
Add cheese and heat until melted.
Cook the eggs
Bread eggs into the sauce, cover the pan, and cook until set.
Garnish with coriander.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 11 of 12 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 11 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Oregano | 1 tsp dried (1.8g) | 5 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Coriander | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Oregano + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together983 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Garlic + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,082 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Tomato + oreganotop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,767 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Garlic + oreganotop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,756 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Bacon
- Renders fat that cooks the onion and adds savory, smoky flavor to the sauce.
- Tomatoes
- Form the body of the sauce and provide moisture and acidity.
- Eggs
- Set in the simmering sauce to form the main body of the dish.
- Jack cheese
- Melts into the sauce, adding richness and creaminess.
- Onion
- Softens and turns golden, adding sweetness and depth to the sauce.
The step that matters
Simmer the sauce until thick. A thick sauce gives the eggs a stable bed to set in. If the sauce is still watery, the eggs can spread and the dish turns soupy.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, clove, garlic, oregano, cumin, pepper, sugar):
- Capsicumfits better
- Eggplantfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, clove, garlic, oregano, cumin, pepper, sugar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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