Drunken Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)
Serves 6 · Prep 15 min · Cook 120 min — Beans simmered with beer, smoked bacon, chipotle and tomatoes until tender; soak dried beans overnight first.
- 500g dried pinto beans
- 200g smoked bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapeños, diced
- 2 chipotles in adobo, chopped
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 330ml Mexican lager (or amber ale)
- 750ml water or stock
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp salt
- 240ml (1 cup) fresh coriander, chopped
- Soak the beans in plenty of cold water overnight (or quick-soak: boil 2 min, rest 1 hr). Drain.
- In a heavy pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp and the fat renders (about 8 min). Remove some for garnish if you like.
- Add the onion, garlic and jalapeños to the fat and cook until soft, about 6 min.
- Stir in the chipotle, tomatoes and cumin. Cook 2 min.
- Add the drained beans, beer and water or stock. Boil, then cover and simmer low for 1.5–2 hours until tender, topping up liquid if needed.
- Add the salt only once the beans are tender. Mash a few against the side for a creamier broth, then stir through the coriander.
Dried red kidney beans: soak overnight, drain, then boil hard in fresh water for at least 10 minutes and drain before adding to the broth. This destroys a natural toxin — slow cooking alone isn't enough.
Borlotti are the closest swap for pinto. Tinned: use 3 × 400g tins, drained, simmer just 25–30 min and mash a ladleful to thicken.
Chipotle paste: start with about 1 tbsp in place of the 2 chipotles and build up.
Jarred jalapeños are fine — drain and add with the tomatoes. Leaving them out is fine too.
Flavour improves overnight and they freeze well.
Coriander quantity converted from US cups (1 cup = 240ml).