Frijoles Borrachos

Isabel Orozco-Moore’s frijoles borrachos simmer pinto beans in dark lager with bacon, onion, jalapeño, tomatoes and spices. This selected version starts with dried beans and returns the cooked beans to the same rinsed and dried pot for the final fifteen-minute simmer.

The dried beans are picked over in a large bowl to remove shrivelled or split beans and any small rocks. Water covers them by at least three inches for an eight-hour or overnight soak. They are drained and rinsed under cool water, then transferred to the selected large pot with ten cups of water. After coming to the boil, they simmer under a cover for two to two and a half hours, until tender but still a little firm.

The cooked beans are drained into a large bowl and set aside, and the pot is rinsed and dried. The supplied diced bacon cooks in that same pot over medium-high heat with occasional stirring until browned and crisp. It is transferred to a paper-towel-lined plate; its rendered fat stays in the pot.

The supplied diced onion and jalapeño cook in the retained fat for five minutes while the browned bits are scraped up. The supplied minced garlic, chili powder, selected ancho chili powder, dried oregano, kosher salt and ground cumin follow for thirty seconds. The same cooked pinto beans return with canned diced tomatoes, dark lager and dark brown sugar, and the mixture comes to a low simmer.

After fifteen minutes, the pot leaves the heat and the supplied chopped cilantro and crisp bacon are stirred in. If the mixture needs more liquid, the recipe allows a splash of water. The beans are served immediately. Prepared flour tortillas are the selected optional side from Orozco-Moore’s serving suggestions.