These are hands down my favorite beans. So good, in fact, that my self-proclaimed, bean-detesting husband couldn’t stop eating them. Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.
Here’s what you need:
Salt
1 pound (about 2.5 cups) dried pinto beans, soaked over night in cold water in the fridge, then rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 poblano or pasilla peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup tequila
1 bunch cilantro
2 bay leaves
1 cup Mexican lager
1/4 cup tomato paste
Here’s what you do:
1. As mentioned above, soak your beans in cold water overnight. They will plump up significantly. You may need to add more water once or twice.
2. Cook your onion, poblano/pasilla, garlic and a generous pinch of salt in olive oil over medium-high heat, about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the tequila, turn off the heat, and allow to evaporate, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
4. Turn the heat back to high. Stir in 3.5 cups of water, the bay leaves, a teaspoon of salt, the beans, and all the cilantro. Bring to a boil uncovered.
5. Cover, transfer to the oven, and cook until the beans are softened, about 1 hour.
6. Remove from the oven, and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the beer and tomato paste and bringing to a simmer. Allow to simmer about 30 minutes, until beans are softened, and flavors are melded.
Enjoy!
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