This pinto bean dish originates in Monterrey, Mexico, which is famous for charcoal Mesquite-grilled meats such as arrancherra (beef skirt steak), cabrito (goat meat), and al pastor (pork marinated and grilled upright like Greek gyro meat). This bean dish complements each of these meats or can stand on its own as a main course served with warm tortillas, butter, and sea salt. Then, top the beans with fresh diced avocado, queso fresco, freshly pickled onions, and of course, enjoy with an ice-cold beer such as Shiner Bock or Dos Equis Amber.
Some suggest salting the water when soaking the beans, which hardens them and helps keep their skins intact the next day when cooking. Others will tell you to add baking soda to soften the beans, making them rich and creamy. However, if you add too much baking soda, it will ruin the taste of your beans and reduce their nutritional value.
I get my pintos from Adobe Milling in Dove Creek, CO, but any good quality pinto bean will do (Camellia, High Plains, Palouse Brand, or Dixie Lilly). However, dried beans will eventually go stale (about 2 years), which could be a problem if they don’t get tender after soaking and cooking.
First, rinse and clean the dried beans, then discard any stones, wood, or foreign objects. Once you have filled a pot with the beans, add water to cover by 1 – 1 ½ inches, pick out any floaters, and discard. Cover with a lid and let rest overnight in a cold, dark place. I believe in cooking beans low and slow, without any acid (tomato, garlic, or onions), until the beans are soft and tender. To thicken the beans, just ladle off a cup or two and puree in a blender and return to the beans. The starch from the pureed beans will naturally thicken the dish.
Note: Charring the vegetables in the pictures is optional, but it does add flavor to the dish. I made the recipe, skipping this step to simplify.
Comfort food from Texas
Wash and pick through the beans and discard any that float. Pour enough cold water over the beans to cover them by 1 – 1 ½ inches. Place a lid on the beans and let them sit overnight in the refrigerator.
The same beans after 24 hrs, doubled in size.
In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes and chiles with oil.
Place on an oven-safe tray and broil under high heat.
Next, turn the chiles to blacken both sides before attempting to scrape off the skins.
The tomato skins should be easily removed with a set of tongs.
Cut the tops off the jalapeno and gently scrape off the skins from the chiles. (You can remove the seeds for a less fiery finish)
Preheat the bacon drippings (see recipe) over medium-high, in a heavy-bottomed pot. Chop one medium white onion and add to the renderings once it just begins to smoke.
Sauté onions until just translucent.
Add two chiles with seeds (whole). DO NOT ADD THE TOMATOES. Instead, chop and keep those ready to add with the other ingredients.
Add the beans to the onions and peppers and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Cover with a heavy lid and bring to a boil.
Once the beans are boiling, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low to simmer. Cook like this for 1 1/2 hours. At that time, some of the water will have evaporated. Add 1/3 cup of beer and enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch again. Stir to loosen the beans. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cover again with a heavy lid—Cook for another 1 1/2 hours. (Caution: Every stove is different, so you will want to keep an eye on the level of liquid. Higher heat can make the beans boil themselves dry. If the broth of the beans goes below the surface of the top layer of beans, add enough water to cover them again.)
While your beans are going through the second long cooking process, get the rest of your ingredients ready. Chop the seared tomatoes, chop 1/2 cup Hatch green chilies, and reserve three tbsp of fresh chopped cilantro.
(Optional) Chop 1/2 cup of smoked beef brisket or smoked pulled pork. If you don’t have these, chop the bacon you used to make 1/2 cup of bacon renderings.
When (and only when) you sample the beans and find them to be very tender, go ahead and add the tomato and the rest of the ingredients. This all depends on the quality of your pintos. Dried pintos cook at different rates according to how they were stored, how old they. Once you have added the acid from the tomatoes, the beans will stop softening. The skins of the beans will react to the acid, firming up slightly. If they are cooked soft, this isn’t an issue.
This is one of the most satisfying comfort foods I know. Granted, cowboys might not have had fresh cilantro back in the day, but they would have had most everything else.
Frijoles Charros or Cowboy Beans
Equipment
- large pot with lid
- mixing bowls
- broiler safe pan
- chef knife
- cutting board
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Soak Beans
- 2½ cups Pinto's, dried
Main ingredients
- 3 slices Bacon, thick cut
- 1 whole Onion, diced
- 2 cloves, large Garlic, minced
- ½ cup Shiner Bock, (Dos Equis Amber beer or your favorite medium-dark beer)
- 2 whole Jalapeño, use a knife and cut small slits in the side Serrano’s are a great substitute, but be aware they are spicier than jalapeno. Use one large serrano instead.
- ½ cup Tomato, puree
- 1 tsp oregano preferrably Mexican
- 2 tbsp Southwest seasoning (see recipe in this blog)
- 1 quart Chicken stock(Homemade, Better than Boullion or your favorite) (Adjust the amount to cover the beans completely by 1½ to 2 inches)
Garnish (Optional)
- ½ cup Cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 4 oz can Hatch, chile green roasted and peeled
- ½ cup Brisket, smoked or pulled pork
Instructions
Clean the Pintos
- Before cooking beans, rinse and clean dried beans, and discard any stones, wood, or foreign objects.
Soak Overnight
- Once you have filled a pot with the beans, cover with 2-3 inches of cold water, pick out any bean floaters, and discard. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The beans will absorb water overnight and double in size.
Start the Cook
- Cook the bacon and reserve. (You can chop the bacon and add it back in at the end)
- Using a heavy-bottomed pot, preheat the bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Next, add diced white onion to the renderings once hot. Stir the onions and bacon fat to incorporate. Sauté onions until just translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the ½ cup of beer, then add the onions and garlic. Cook until most of the beer has evaporated.
- Make slits in the side of the jalapeno, but keep them intact. Add them to the cooked onion/garlic mixture.
- Finally, add the beans to the onion/chili/garlic mixture, then cover with 1-2 inches of chicken stock. Cover with a heavy lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and place a lid on the pot.
- Cook the beans like this for 3 hours covered. During this time, some of the water may have evaporated. Add enough water to cover the beans again by 1½ inches to correct this. Stir to loosen the beans occasionally. (Caution: Every stove is different, so you will want to keep an eye on the level of liquid. Higher heat can make the beans boil themselves dry. If the broth of the beans goes below the surface of the top layer of beans, add enough water to cover them again.)
- When you sample the beans and find them very tender, go ahead and add the tomato and the remaining seasonings (Mexican oregano/Southwest seasoning).
- To thicken the beans, ladle off a cup or two into a blender and puree. Return this to the beans to thicken naturally.
Garnish
- Chop ½ cup of smoked brisket or smoked pulled pork. If you don't have these, you can chop the bacon
- Hatch green chilies; reserve 3 tbsp of fresh, chopped cilantro.
- Garnish with fresh diced avocado, queso fresco, pickled onions, fresh cilantro, and a dash of your favorite hot sauce.
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