Some recipes are made in thirty minutes. Borracho beans are made all day. They bubble away quietly while the house fills with the smell of bacon, onions, and beer, becoming less of a recipe and more of an event. They’re a small celebration of being present, of slowing down, checking on the pot every now and then, and spending a Sunday with the people and dogs you love. By supper, the entire house smells like home.
Ingredients
For the Beans
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 8 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 roasted poblano pepper, peeled and chopped
- 1 smoked ham hock
- 1 bottle (12 oz) Negra Modelo
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (start here, adjust later)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
For Finishing
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- Reserved crispy bacon
Saturday Night Prep
Place beans in a large bowl.
Cover with several inches of water.
Soak overnight.
Drain before cooking.
Sunday Morning
Roast the Poblano
Place poblano directly over a gas flame or under the broiler.
Blacken the skin.
Place in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes.
Peel.
Remove seeds.
Rough chop.
Set aside.
Cook the Bacon
In a large Dutch oven or crockpot insert on the stove:
Cook bacon slowly.
Render as much fat as possible.
Cook until deeply browned and crisp.
Remove bacon.
Reserve for garnish.
Leave the fat behind.
Build the Flavor Base
Add onion to the bacon fat.
Cook 8 to 10 minutes.
Longer than you think.
You want sweetness.
Add garlic.
Cook 1 minute.
Add tomato paste.
Cook 2 minutes.
This little step adds enormous depth.
Into the Pot
Add:
- soaked beans
- roasted poblano
- ham hock
- beer
- chicken stock
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- oregano
- pepper
- bay leaves
- brown sugar
Stir.
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Crockpot or Stovetop in a Dutch Oven
Simmer for 5 to 8 hours, depending your cooking temputure, checking every hour and a half or so.
Until beans are completely tender.
The Secret Restaurant Trick
When beans are finished:
Remove ham hock.
Pull off the meat.
Discard skin and bone.
Return meat to pot.
Then:
Take about 1½ cups of beans and broth.
Blend until smooth.
Return to the pot.
Stir.
Now the broth becomes silky, rich, and luxurious without losing texture.
Final Adjustment
Taste.
Now add:
- lime juice
- cilantro
- additional salt if needed
Do NOT add all the salt early.
The ham hock, bacon, stock, and reduction all contribute salt.
Taste first.
Serve
Ladle into bowls.
Top with:
- reserved crispy bacon
- extra cilantro
- squeeze of lime
Serve beside hot cornbread.
Or better yet:
Place a chunk of cornbread in the bottom of the bowl and ladle the beans over it. Here I added 3 or 4 one inch by one inch cornbread squares and topped with too many green onions… but it sounded good at the time and oh lordy, it was!