Parrandero means “party animal” or “reveler” and, in Mexico City, chilaquiles parranderos is the designated morning-after dish that calms a stomach in the throes of a hangover. It is a more substantial version of chilaquiles, with added meat such as chorizo or shredded chicken. Nice concept and all, but most chilaquiles dishes I have had would exacerbate the problem, not fix it.

I met chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo at Nicos restaurant in Mexico City for a lesson in enchiladas, and when we sat down to eat, he also presented a platter of chilaquiles. Since this has never been a personal favorite, I took a small helping at first but then followed up with two large scoops. It was meaty with chorizo, the tortilla pieces were crisp, and the whole dish resonated with deep, charred flavor. I was a convert.

The first issue we had to deal with was the tortilla chips. Supermarket chips, though convenient, turn soggy fast. Starting with 6-inch corn tortillas, we cut them into wedges and then tested deep-fried versus baked. The fried versions were substantially better although, if frying is beyond the pale in your kitchen, the baked are pretty good.

The next issue was how to create a salsa with deeper flavor than the usual thin, tomatoey one. Gerardo’s recipe begins with the classic charring of white onion, plum tomatoes, garlic and dried chilies (guajillos for their fruity flavor), which are then blended with water with the addition of one chipotle chili in adobo sauce.

Fresh Mexican chorizo is browned in a skillet, removed, and then the blended sauce is added to the skillet and reduced, adding the chips along with some water. The mixture is transferred to a serving dish, sprinkled with chorizo, chopped onion and queso fresco, then finished off with avocado, sour cream and cilantro, and served with lime wedges.

At Nicos, Chef Lugo also added cooked shredded chicken along with the chorizo, a good idea if you want something a bit more substantial. Either way, chilaquiles parranderos is at least one cut above the usual offering of soggy chips soaked in tomato sauce. Whether or not it cures a hangover is up to you.

Christopher Kimball

Christopher Kimball is founder of Milk Street, which produces Milk Street Magazine, Milk Street Television on PBS, and the weekly public radio show Milk Street Radio. He founded Cook’s Magazine in 1980 and was host and executive producer of America’s Test Kitchen until 2016. Kimball is the author of several books, including "The Yellow Farmhouse" and "Fannie’s Last Supper."