Beans A La Charra Recipes

CHARRO BEANS - AUTHENTIC MEXICAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Add the rinsed beans to a large pot with plenty of water, salt, and a small piece of onion.
• Let boil for about 1.5 hours, checking often to make sure that there is still enough water.
• Add the rinsed beans to a slow cooker with plenty of water, salt, and a small piece of onion.
• Turn the slow cooker on to high and heat for 3 hours.
• Add the bacon to a large pot and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add the chorizo and continue cooking until cooked through.
• After about 5 minutes, add the ham, the beef franks, and the seasonings (including the garlic).
• Next, add the tomatoes, the cilantro, the onion, the jalapeno, and the chipotle pepper and cook for 5 additional minutes.
• Finally, add the cooked pinto beans and the water that they were cooked in and let boil for about 15 minutes so that all of the flavors can combine.
• If you want to thicken your charro beans, you can combine 2 tablespoons of corn starch with 1/4 cup of cold water and mix well before adding it to the pot.
• Serve hot as a side dish or on its own.

FRIJOLES A LA CHARRA

Steps:

• Place pinto beans in a slow cooker, and completely cover with water. Mix in garlic and salt. Cover, and cook 1 hour on High.
• Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat until evenly brown, but still tender. Drain about half the fat. Place onion in the skillet, and cook until tender. Mix in tomatoes and jalapenos, and cook until heated through. Transfer to the slow cooker, stirring into the beans.
• Cover slow cooker, and continue cooking 4 hours on Low. Mix in the beer and cilantro about 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

BEANS A LA CHARRA

Steps:

• Sort through the beans and rinse them in cold water. In a large stockpot set over high heat, boil the beans in the 12 cups water for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the beans soak for 1 hour. Roast the poblano chile with a kitchen torch, over a gas burner, or under an oven broiler until evenly charred. Rinse it in cold water to remove the charred skin, then stem, seed, and chop it into small dice; set aside.
• Place the ancho chiles in a medium bowl and cover with hot water. Use a plate or small bowl to weigh down the chiles, keeping them submerged. Soak them until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving 1/4 cup of the soaking water. Puree the softened chiles and the reserved chile soaking water in the jar of a blender or the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Use a wooden spoon to push the pureed chiles through a strainer and into a bowl; set aside.
• In a large skillet, brown the bacon over medium heat until crisp; drain on paper towels. In the same skillet, sauté the onions, jalapeños, garlic, and poblano in the bacon fat over medium heat. Add the onion mixture to the beans and their soaking water in the stockpot.
• Add the tomatoes, pureed ancho chiles, salt, and beer. Bring the beans to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Crumble the cooked bacon and stir into the beans. Serve warm in small bowls, sprinkled with cilantro.
• do it early
• The beans can be made up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated.

BEANS ALA CHARRA

Steps:

• In pot, soak beans over night in the water to cover the beans.
• The next day, cook the bacon until crisp, over medium heat until done, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño; cook for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the chili powder and the cumin and cook for 1 minute.
• Add 1 cup of the water from the beans to this to loosen the crispy crumbs and put all in the beans. Bring beans to a boil; turn to med low and cook until tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are soft.
• When beans are cooked, add the salt and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Keep warm until ready to serve.

CHUCKWAGON BEANS (FRIJOLES A LA CHARRA)

Steps:

• Rinse beans thoroughly with cold water.
• Combine beans, water, and ham hock in dutch oven. Heat to boiling, and reduce heat to low (simmer) and cover. Simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Beans should be tender, but not soft.
• After the 1 1/2 hours of cooking beans, heat oil in skillet, and cook onions until they are soft. Add tomato paste, garlic, and jalapeño peppers to onion, stirring well for approximately 30 seconds.
• Add onion mixture and salt to beans, stir well, cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Beans should be soft.
• Remove ham hock from beans. Remove meat from bone. Chop meat and return to beans.
• Add cilantro to beans and serve with chips.

DON PABLO'S FRIJOLES A LA CHARRA

Steps:

• Saute bacon, jalapeno and onion until well browned.
• Add the beans, tomato and spices.
• Bring to a boil and add cilantro.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.