Borracho Beans

submitted by: Smartz

After our chat last night about cilantro and our previous chats about beans and ham hocks, I just naturally began to think you might like to try a bean recipe that is majorly popular here in South Texas.

They are called Borracho (Drunken) Beans.

They get the "drunken" from the use of beer in them although you don't have to use the beer. I am sending you the most common recipe with some of my little changes.

These are a staple at South Texas BBQ's and most Tex Mex places.

I like them as a supper dish served with either corn bread or a nice sourdough to sop up the juices. Hope you try it because not only is it a good way to try cilantro, it's an excellent bean recipe.

Hope you try it and let me know what you think.

Oh, you can also freeze after cooking and personally I think they taste better when you make a big batch of them rather than just a small batch.

You can also pulse them a few times in the food processor or mash with a potato masher to make really good refried beans.

Roll them up in flour tortillas with some shredded cheese and you have bean burritos.

Well, enough of that. Here's the recipe.

 

 
Borracho Beans
 
Usually instead of the fresh tomatoes (since the fresh tomatoes around here are not worth eating) and peppers I use a large can of chopped/diced tomatoes, 2 cans of Rotel and a couple fresh Jalapenos.

You gotta use some fresh peppers to make it taste right. I guess you could use new Mexican peppers such as Hatch if you wanted less heat or even green peppers although I have never tried it with green bell peppers.



Serves 16 regular people but 6-8 of my level of eaters

4 cups uncooked beans (preferably pinto beans although great northerns will work) ** I don't soak my beans overnight, instead I use the boil and simmer method. (Cover beans with water and bring to boil. Boil beans for 1 hour, reduce to simmer, add all other ingredients and cook for 2-4 hours until beans are tender. Try to keep stirring to a minimum in order to prevent breaking up the beans. That is another reason for simmering instead of boiling)
4 quarts water
1 pound bacon or salt pork, chopped or 2-4 smoked ham hocks. If using hocks, after cooking remove meat and skin from the bones, chop and return to beans.
2 serrano chilies (if you like beans hot) or 2 jalapenos (for milder beans), chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped ( Don't use the last couple inches of the cilantro stems as they are usually fairly tough 
1 tomato, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled ** Don't skimp here. Fresh garlic only, no dried
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

1 can beer (you don't have to add the can of beer, but they wouldn't be "drunken" then.

Also, some people don't add the beer until the last few minutes of cooking to retain more of the beer flavor.)

In a large stockpot, combine all ingredients, bring to a boil for one hour, then simmer for 2-4 hours more, until beans are tender.