Borracho ("drunken") Beans

Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 lbs pinto beans (or rosado, flor de mayo, pinquito, etc., if you can find them)
• 3 pieces bacon, diced (use smoky variety)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds (or to taste)
• 1 (15 ounce) can plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer (victoria, tecate, dos equis, avoid dark beer or ales as they add too much flavor)
• 1 morita chili (optional, substitute dried chipotle)

Recipe

• 1 soak pinto beans overnight.
• 2 in a non-reactive stewpot (i use an enameled one, but stainless ok too, or a dutch kettle) cook bacon.
• 3 when cooked (but not crisp) add onion, garlic, and the finely chopped stems from cilantro; and saute all this until soft.
• 4 toast cumin, grind and add. add tomatoes, including juice, the beans, beer, morita (or chipotle) and enough water to cover. bring to boil, then simmer over low heat for 2-3 hrs (or at this point cover & put the whole mess in a slow oven or a crock pot), adding water as needed, until beans are tender.
• 5 in the last 15 min or so of cooking add the chopped cilantro tops and adjust salt to taste at the same time.
• 6 like all beans, they taste even better after a day or two & the leftovers freeze well.