Frijoles Charros

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb pintos, sorted and soaked (see below)
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 3 roma tomatoes (best) -or- 1/2 can fire roasted tomatoes(ok)
  • 1/2 link beef kielbasa (preferably jalapeno beef) sausage
  • 1/4 pack salt pork (fat AND meat, see below)
  • 2 jalapenos, deseeded
  • 2 cups chicken stock/broth/bouillon
  • 5 cups water
  • Dutch oven

Directions:

  1. Soak the beans overnight with a tablespoon of salt. The salt will help the beans cook more evenly and help retain their shape.
  2. Cross score the tomatoes at the top, then roast over the stove flame until blistered and expanded. Let cool then remove the skins and dice
  3. Slice sausage into coins or half coins, set aside
  4. Slice along the soft part of the soft pork, removing the tough skin
  5. Slice the fatty part of the salt pork into a tight grid, then slice horizontally to get small bits of the soft fat
  6. Slice up the meat of the salt pork very thin
  7. Cook the salt pork and sausage on medium heat until fat is rendered and meat is sorta crispy, add jalapeno and onion and cook until soft, add the garlic then cook until fragrant \~30s
  8. Pour in the chicken stock with the diced tomatoes and deglaze the pot
  9. Add beans and the rest of the water
  10. Salt and pepper to taste cooking until beans are soft 3-4 hours