Borracho Beans
Serves 16
4 cups uncooked beans (preferably pinto beans)
4 quarts water
1 pound bacon or salt pork, chopped
2 serrano chilies, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
1 can beer
In a large stockpot, combine all ingredients and boil for 2 to 3 hours,
until the beans are tender.
Tip: Because beans take so long to cook, they are traditionally made in
large batches. Leftover beans, once they are well cooled, can be frozen in
smaller portions. They are great as a side dish, or as the base for
tostadas, chalupas, or enfrijoladas. I always have cooked beans on hand, and
couldn't imagine a meal without them.
History- Around Mexico City, many taco stands serve salsa borracho, or
"drunken sauce." These sauces are fortified with pulque, a fermented
beverage made from the agave plant. As "drunken" dishes crawled north
towards the border, and away from the source of pulque, beer became the
ingredient of necessity.
I have found that borracho beans do not keep as well as other beans, which I
attribute to the yeast in the beer. All the more reason to save this bean
recipe for when you invite a hungry crowd to dinner.
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