After a very mild season thus far in Broken Arrow, winter seems to be making a temporary appearance. Counter a cold, blustery evening with a big bowl of spicy borracho beans – just don’t forget the cornbread.
Borracho beans, literally translated as drunken beans, are often an alternative to refried beans at Mexican restaurants. They are simply pinto beans that have been jazzed up with some serrano chiles, tomatoes, bacon, onion and beer, of course.
These humble, but magnificent beans start the same as when making beans and cornbread. The beans are cooked in water with a ham hock for seasoning. The only major difference is that along with the water, the beans cook in some beer. Choose a beer that you would normally drink, but try to make it one of the darker varieties for a deep, rich and flavorful broth.
The beans get their heat mainly from two ingredients: serrano chiles and Rotel. Serrano chiles are hotter and smaller than jalapenos. Usually, smaller peppers are hotter than larger varieties. However, remember that the heat comes from the capsaicin in the seeds and the membranes. Removing them will somewhat lessen the heat. As for the Rotel, use mild, if desired.
Find serrano peppers and many other chiles at Reasor’s. Once the Broken Arrow farmers’ market opens in April, it will be another great source of peppers of all shapes and sizes.
Borracho Beans
- 1 pound pinto beans
- 5 cups water
- 1 (12 oz.) can beer
- 1 ham hock
- 4 bacon slices, finely chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 serrano peppers, seeded and minced
- 2 cloves, garlic, minced
- 1 (10 oz.) can Rotel
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Directions
Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse well.
In a large slow cooker, combine beans, 5 cups of water, beer and ham hock. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.
When the beans have just an hour or two left , fry the bacon until crisp. Add the onion and serrano peppers. Cook until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking for a minute until fragrant.
Add the bacon mixture to the beans in the slow cooker. Stir in the Rotel and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another hour or two until the beans are tender. Remove and discard the ham hock. Stir in the cilantro.
Makes 4-6 servings
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