Skip to main content

Charro Beans


Beans are a staple in my T&T collection with favorites being black eyed peas and pinto as they require few ingredients.  When it comes to pinto beans, I refer plain-o-jane-o pinto beans as they are good the first day, even better the second day, and on the third day they can be made into refried beans or bean dip.  The family prefers charro beans for their flavor.  Charro beans however cannot be used for refried beans nor bean dip which means they can only be served as beans.  While I do enjoy a good bowl of charro beans I find their usefulness limiting.  This new recipe for Charro Beans was perfect as it was easily modifiable to a half bag of beans meaning there would be very leftover little beans.

Modifications Made:
All ingredients were reduced by half. 

Both the chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and the bay leaf were left out as a Mexican flare bean was desired.  Chipotle and bay leaf is not a South Texas Mexican food ingredient so one tablespoon of chili powder was added in exchange.  In prep, the beans were not soaked. Onions were sauteed in bacon grease until translucent.  All ingredients were added and cooked until desired tenderness.

Scaled for Likability: Good
The problem with charro beans is that it is like brisket.  Taste and cooking method is left to the chefs preference.  These charro beans needed less stock as they were soupy, more heat, and fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes.  Soupy beans are good if being served with cornbread in a bowl.  To offset the mild heat from a jalapeno, a whole Serrano pepper should have been added to offer more heat without excess pepper pieces. During cooking the canned tomatoes completely fell apart during cooking resulting in a weird texture to the broth.  Fresh tomatoes fall apart during cooking too but they don't result in a mealy texture to the broth.  If served at a party, I would eat the beans and say they are good.  Cause they are good.  They are just not what I had in mind for my charro bean collection.  To each their own. 
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Better Than Campbell's Old Fashion Vegetable Soup

Went to the store with the hopes of gathering fresh produce for soup. With more than 45 people in line for two packages of any meat product and the produce section containing only avocado, orange, and most randomly, strawberries, I settled upon canned soup.  Well not canned soup since that section was still void of food, too.  Instead soup made from canned goods as the canned vegetable section had been mostly restocked. Soups like this 15 Minute Vegetable Soup  are ideal in dire food situations such as current times. Modifications Made: Plain petite diced tomatoes for flavored tomatoes, frozen carrots instead of canned, green beans and corn undrained, peas omitted (gross, nasty little pods), one can tomato sauce, two low sodium chicken and two pollo de tomate bouillon cubes, six cups water.  Once onions were softened, carrots, juice of green beans and corn, sauce, bouillon cubes, water were added and allowed to simmer until carrots almost tender.  Green beans and corn tossed in, heat t
Read more

Way Too Rich, Extra Heavy Cheesecake

Pictures are deceptive. What this picture of this recipe does not show is how old and faded the print out paper is, how many stains are smudged across various spots, and the numerous notes written in the top right corner with the first one dating back to college days in 2001.  Yikes, twenty years ago makes this paper print out old, no wait, that makes me old.  Eek.   Sadly, my current living quarters do not allow for cooking of this cheesecake.  In fact the last time this recipe has been made have been close to six or seven years.  That is just too long.  Too long.  Luckily, we are spending Spring Break at family with a real oven.  A family who will help eat this oh so rich, very decadent, supremely yummy cheesecake. Modifications Made: There are four keys to a successful cheesecake. ONE: all ingredients must be room temperature.  If your house is ice chest cold, then warm the ingredients on the stovetop. TWO: do not over mix.  Excessive mixing creates air pockets resulting in split mi
Read more

The Great Freeze 2021 Vegetable Broth

Good grief, this cold snap.  Every year I wish and wish for cold weather so this table can eat soups without melting.  Well this year winter came and came with a vengeance.  Two days below freezing with no water, no power, no internet/cell service.  It's the dark ages.  If you need more info just search for Texas Grid Failure 2021 .  Yes, this tragic affair has its own wiki page.  Good grief. Did you know that if temperatures drop below freezing for too long, refrigerators will not keep your cold stuff from freezing?  Well, they don't.  And with 17℉ temps, this tables fridge contents froze.  What to do with a fridge full of frozen fresh veggies? Veggie stock. No recipe was used, it was just all the veggies in the fridge (white and yellow onions, garlic, jalapeno, green onions, three roma tomatoes, celery, two russet potatoes, seven carrots, and a red and green bell pepper) salt and pepper, and enough water to just touch the top layer of veggies.  I did not want the veggies floa
Read more