Horsemen’s Beans
Horsemen’s Beans
Frijoles CharrosTraditional frijoles charros are cooked with tomatoes, onion, and serrano chiles. In this version, bacon is added to enrich and flavor the beans. Charros refers to the skilled horsemen from Jalisco and other nearby states, who wear elaborate outfits and huge sombreros beautifully decorated with silver. Their horses are similarly bedecked. There is a popular Charros festival in the city of Colima every February that continues for fifteen days with rodeos, bullfights, music, food, and dance. Frijoles charros are served in fondas and restaurants throughout the region. The beans are also called "cowboy beans" in other northern regions, such as Monterrey and in the state of Nuevo Leon.
Ingrediënten
Makes 8 servings
- 1 pound pink beans
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ pound sliced bacon cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves chopped
- 1 serrano chile finely chopped, including seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
- 3 medium tomatoes peeled and chopped, or 1 (15-ounce) can ready-cut tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructies
- Pick over dried beans carefully and remove any pebbles or debris.
- Place in a large strainer or colander and rinse thoroughly under cold tap water.
- Put the beans in a large pot.
- Cover with about 2 inches of water.
- Bring to a boil and add the bay leaf.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook the beans, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1½ to 2 hours.
- (Add more water if liquid thickens before the beans are tender.
- Do not let the beans boil dry.
- )
- In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp.
- Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, and in the same pan, cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
- When the beans are tender, add the bacon and the skillet ingredients to the beans along with the serrano and tomatoes.
- Continue cooking the beans, uncovered, until the broth thickens, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Season the beans with salt and pepper.
