Frijoles Borrachos

Description:

Frijoles Borrachos, meaning “drunken beans” in Spanish, gets its name from the fact that the beans are cooked with beer. This dish originated in Northern Mexico, which is home to the country’s brewing capital in Monterrey. It is believed that this dish was created with ingredients that ranchers had on hand during cattle drives, which included plenty of beans and beer. This dish is popular in South Texas today and is a great pairing with Mexican Rice or Barbacoa.

Ingredients:

• 1 can pinto beans, drained

• 2 strips of bacon, cut into chunks

• 1/4 medium onion, diced

• 1 jalapeño, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup diced, canned tomatoes

• 1 cup Mexican beer

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Add the bacon to a pot an turn heat to medium high. Cook the bacon until it is crispy and the fat is rendered out. Remove from pot. Add the onion, jalapeño and garlic to the pot and cook over medium heat, until softened, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the beer, scraping the bottom of the pot with a spoon to deglaze the fond. Then, add the tomatoes, beans, cumin, oregano, chili powder and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. If the beans get too thick, feel free to add some water. Season to taste with salt & pepper. The end result should be a soupy but not too thin consistency.

Notes:

• You can also use fresh or fire-roasted tomatoes for this recipe.