Frijoles Charros

Ingredients

• 1⅔ lbpinto beanscooked or canned, drained and rinsed; alternatively cook about 340 g dried beans
• 7 ozbacondiced, rendered
• 4tomatoesroasted or freshly diced
• 1onionsmall, finely chopped
• 3 clovesgarlicminced
• 3chipotles in adobominced; adjust to desired heat
• 3⅛ cupsstockor bean cooking liquid or water
• ½ tspOreganodried
• 1 tspsaltplus more to taste, depending on the stock's saltiness
• black pepperfreshly ground, to taste
• cilantrochopped, for serving
• 4 ozcooked hamcubed, sautéed with the bacon (optional)
• 1jalapeñofresh, diced, sautéed with the onion (optional)
• ½ tspcuminground (optional)

Method

1. Roast the tomatoesHeat the oven to 390 °F. Wash the plum tomatoes and roast them in the oven or under the grill until the skins are blackened in spots. If you're short on time, just dice the tomatoes fresh.
2. Render the baconDice the bacon and render it in a pot over medium-high heat until it's lightly crisp. If you like, brown cubed cooked ham along with the bacon.
3. Soften the onionTurn the heat down, add the finely chopped onion to the bacon and cook until soft. If you like, add a diced fresh jalapeño now too.
4. Toast the garlicStir in the minced garlic and cook briefly, just until fragrant but not browned.
5. Crush tomatoes with chipotlesAdd the tomatoes and the minced chipotles in adobo, then crush the tomatoes right in the pot with a wooden spoon or potato masher.
6. Add beans and stockAdd the drained pinto beans, the stock (or bean cooking liquid, or water), the Mexican oregano, salt and freshly ground black pepper; add a little ground cumin too if you like.
7. Simmer the beansLet everything simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, until the liquid has reduced a bit.
8. Taste and adjust seasoningTaste and add more salt as needed; if you want more heat, stir in another chipotle or a spoonful of the adobo sauce.
9. Serve in bowlsLadle the beans into bowls with some of their broth and scatter chopped cilantro over the top.

Tips and variations

If you have the time, cook dried pinto beans yourself: simmer them with onion, garlic, bay leaf, oregano and salt for 1.5 to 2 hours until tender, remove the bay leaf, then use the cooking liquid instead of stock. Black beans work just as well as pinto beans. If the pot feels too rich, simply pour off the bacon fat after rendering, and for a creamier texture blend part of the beans into a purée. Our serving tip: pair them with crispy cheese tortillas filled with Jack cheese, pickled jalapeños and a few beans, finished with some queso fresco and a squeeze of lime.