When our family eats out, which is probably more often than it should be, there's a good chance we're ending up at a Mexican restaurant. A few months ago, a friend of mine who spent years working as a chef recommended a new spot. We gave it a try and weren't disappointed. The food was excellent and the menu had a lot more variety than our usual place.
What caught my attention was the beans. For as long as I can remember, every Mexican restaurant has asked the same question: "Black beans or refried beans?" Since I've never been much of a refried bean guy, I usually default to black beans without giving it much thought. This place had a third option: Charro beans.
All I could think was, "Where have these been all my life?"
They're loaded with flavor from bacon, chorizo, ham hock, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and spices, all simmered together with pinto beans in a rich broth. They're hearty enough to be a meal on their own and a whole lot more interesting than the beans I've been ordering for the last twenty years.
Fast forward to last weekend. We were headed to a World Cup watch party and needed to bring a side dish. I found an authentic Charro bean recipe and made two giant pots. They disappeared.
The recipe isn't particularly difficult, although it does call for a few ingredients you may not keep on hand, most notably a ham hock. Don't let that scare you away. Most grocery stores carry them in the meat section and they're easy to find. These make a fantastic side dish, but this version has enough meat in it that you could easily serve it as the main event. Just warm a stack of flour tortillas, spoon in the beans, and dinner is handled.
Authentic Frijoles Charros (Charro Beans)
Serves: 8–10
Ingredients – For the Beans
Ingredients – For the Flavor Base
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8 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced
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8 ounces Mexican chorizo, casing removed
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1 medium white onion, diced
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2 Roma tomatoes, diced
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2 jalapeños, diced
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3 cloves garlic, minced
Finish
For Serving
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Diced white onion
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Chopped cilantro
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Lime wedges
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Warm flour tortillas
Instructions
1. Cook the Beans
Rinse and sort the beans. Place the beans, water, onion halves, smashed garlic, bay leaf, and ham hock into a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2–3 hours until tender. Remove the onion, bay leaf, and ham hock. Return any ham hock meat to the pot. Do not drain the beans.
2. Build the Flavor Base
Cook the bacon until beginning to crisp. Add the chorizo and brown. Add the onion and jalapeños and cook 4–5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook another 2–3 minutes.
3. Combine
Transfer the entire bacon and chorizo mixture, including the rendered fat, into the bean pot. Simmer gently for 45–60 minutes. If the beans become too thick, add a little hot water. Charro beans should remain brothy.
4. Finish
Stir in the cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Let rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.
A Few Notes
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Charro beans should have plenty of broth. Don't cook them down too far.
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Mexican chorizo works much better than Spanish cured chorizo.
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They're even better the next day.
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