Mexican Cowboy Beans (Frijoles Charros)
SERVES 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound dried black beans
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lard or neutral oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
4 ounces Mexican-style chorizo, casing removed
4 ounces thick-cut bacon, chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 chipotle chili in adobo, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
1 pound tomatoes, cored and chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Crushed fried chicharrones (fried pork rinds), to serve (optional)
Warm tortillas, to serve
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, stir together 2 quarts water, the beans and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and soak at room temperature for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain the beans and transfer to a Dutch oven. Add 7 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high; as it heats, use a wide, flat spoon to skim off and discard the scum that rises to the surface. Once boiling, reduce to medium-low, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 45 to 60 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat the lard until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the chorizo and bacon; cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the chorizo into small pieces, until the meats are no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, chipotle and oregano; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside off heat.
3. When the beans are just tender, stir in the chorizo-tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the liquid is slightly thickened and the beans are soft and creamy, about 30 minutes; the stew should be quite brothy, so add water as needed if it is dry. Off heat, stir in the cilantro, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with crushed chicharrones (if using) and tortillas alongside.
Notes: Don’t forget to add 1 tablespoon of salt when soaking the beans. The salt helps soften the beans’ skins so water more easily penetrates, producing more tender beans, faster.
Mexican frijoles charros, or cowboy beans, is a brothy stew of beans and a variety of meats, plus aromatics, tomatoes and sometimes chilies. The dish is said to originate with the charros, or cowboys, who worked on the ranches of northern Mexico and threw together ingredients they had on hand to cook a hearty meal. Pinto beans are commonly used, but during a visit to Mexico City, chef Luis Alberto Llanos Legorreta made us a version with black beans, along with no fewer than four different types of pork products. Our recipe is modeled on his, but we include only chorizo sausage and bacon in our stew, and garnish at the end with crushed chicharrones (fried pork rinds) for texture; if you don’t like them, feel free to skip them. Serve with warm tortillas.
Start to finish: 1½ hours, plus soaking the beans
Recipes provided by Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television; used with permission.
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