Simple But Damned Fine Beans

[Chris Amirault]

Simple But Damned Fine Beans

Heat a skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat and add a good dollop of olive oil or lard, about 2-3 T or more. (You can cheat and use another kind of cooking oil, but the fat is part of what makes them damned fine.)

Toss in one large red onion, diced. Sauté the onion, stirring now and then, until about half of it has browned nicely.

Throw a T or 2 of ground cumin over the onions, and stir for a minute or so. (If you have some ancho or chipotle chili powder, you can throw in a T or 2 of that as well.)

Throw two cans of pinto beans, drained, into the pan. Sauté those little babies for a few minutes, stirring all the while.

Turn down the heat to medium, and add 1 c of good chicken stock. You can get away with boullion here, but the body of good stock makes a difference even in this simple dish. Stir that in and let the beans break down in the stock for about ten to fifteen minutes. Feel free to mash a few of them with a wooden spoon, fork, or masher, if you'd like, and add stock if you think they're getting too thick. Salt and pepper to taste, and you're done!

Serve these damned fine beans with warmed tortillas, over rice, under cheese, or any other way that you'd serve those lousy refried beans in a can.

Keywords: Side, Beans, Easy, Mexican

( RG1461 )