Frijoles Charros / Rancheros {Cowboy Beans} #SundaySupper



This week's #SundaySupper theme is one I hold near and dear to my heart, because today we're celebrating Mexican Independence Day!

Most years, I like to go all out for el Día de la Independencia, with a big feast of traditional Mexican dishes like Tamales, Pozole, or Mole de Espinazo.  But this year, I was in the mood for something simpler.  Something homey and comforting.  Maybe something soupy like Pappy (my abuelito) used to make.  But I also wanted something that would use the gorgeous little red beans I found at my favorite produce store earlier in the week.  That's when I remembered Pappy's Frijoles Rancheros, which my grandmother always argued were actually called Frijoles Charros.  I really didn't care what they called them, I just wanted to dive into the hearty bean soup with pieces of pork meat.  Sometimes that pork meat was bacon, but most of the time, Pappy made his Frijoles Charros with smoked patitas de puerco (pigs feet).  Either way, it was always delicious.

For me, Frijoles Charros is the perfect dish to serve this year for Mexican Independence Day, because it's made with one of the most important staple ingredients of Mexican cuisine: beans.  And it gets much of it's flavor from a tricolor Salsa Mexicana, with the same colors of the Mexican flag.  And because it reminds me of the stories Pappy used to tell me about his childhood en el rancho (on the ranch) in the mountains of Chihuahua.  It's an awesome Mexican recipe any way you look at it.

Feliz Día de la Independencia!  Viva México!  Viva México!!! Viva México!!! 


Frijoles Charros o Frijoles Rancheros
(Cowboy Beans) (Recipe adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless)

Ingredients:
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 3 large roma tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 fresh serrano chilies, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 4 cups Cooked Beans with bean broth
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Directions:
In a large 2 to 3-quart saucepan or stockpot, saute the bacon over medium heat, stirring regularly, until  completely cooked and crispy.  Add the onion, garlic, and serrano chilies.  Saute for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the tomatoes and let cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the beans with their broth and 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro.  Taste and season with salt, if necessary.  Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.  Serve in bowls and garnish with more chopped cilantro.  Enjoy!!!


For more Fiesta food & drinks, be sure to check out all of the #SundaySupper recipes!

Sopas (Soups), Ensaladas (Salads), and Entremeses (Starters)
La Comida (the food)
Postres (desserts)
Bebidas (beverages)

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day (this coming Sunday, September 16) during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm (Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper  live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite recipes for a Mexican Fiesta! All you have to do is follow the#SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat!  We’d also love to feature your Mexican Fiesta recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!


Photobucket



Written by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,
loading..
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)