charro beans

I am proud to be a Texan. Texas is an amazing culinary Mecca. However, in my tiny hometown, we have few restaurants to choose from. There are fast food restaurants and there are cheap Mexican restaurants. The rest of the world calls this Tex-mex cuisine. We Texans call it Mexican food. We find the ugliest hole in the wall, go inside, order in broken Texan-Spanish, and you will get the best cheap fake Mexican food in the world. And I’m telling you what, now that I’m married to a strapping Marine officer who has taken me away from home, this kind of food has never sounded so good. I miss the dried-out rice with the sprinkle of cheese on top. I miss topping tortillas with the squeezable fake butter. And I especially miss the charro beans. These beans come in a little bowl on the side of your enchiladas. There are yummy pieces of who-knows-what floating around in these beans. I’m sure that the beans have been waiting in the kitchen for days on end but I’m telling you, it is fantastic. I finally got fed up with the cravings and tried to recreate it. After a few tries, I finally got it right! Nice and spicy with bacon and tomatoes and creamy pinto beans….yum! Go try it and you’ll get a little taste of the GD edition of the Texan version of Mexican food :)

Charro Beans

Serves 6.

This freezes really well too!

6 strips bacon, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 12 ounce can beer, your favorite

4 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

Salt and pepper

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until halfway cooked.

Add garlic and onions and continue cooking with bacon until the bacon crisps.

Add the tomatoes and the pepper and cook for a few more minutes.

Add a can of beer to bacon mixture and deglaze the pan.

Add beans and simmer for about 20 minutes or until desired thickness.

Add chopped cilantro and jalapenos; add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!