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La Barbecue Charro Beans
Charro Beans are a popular side dish here in Texas and today I’m sharing a copycat charro bean recipe from a popular Austin, Texas restaurant.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package dried pinto beans
- ½ tablespoon canola or corn oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilis
- ½ pound salted pork slab (found near the bacon)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer, such as Shiner Bock or Modelo Negra (or substitute with broth)*
- 2 cups beef or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
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Place beans in a colander and rinse with cool water. Pick out any broken or discolored beans.
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Place rinsed beans in a large pot or Dutch oven; add water to cover beans by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.
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Return pot to burner and heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until translucent. Add jalapeno peppers and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
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To the cooked vegetables, add the soaked and rinsed beans, diced tomatoes, salted pork, chili powder, ground cumin, black pepper, beer, broth and water.
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Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and let beans simmer for 60 to 90 minutes or until beans are tender. Add additional water during the cooking process, if needed.
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Right before serving, stir in fresh cilantro.
Recipe Notes
*Charro beans don’t call for beer and adding beer makes them technically borracho beans. I’ve made this recipe a couple of times and either using the beer or making traditional charro beans with only broth or water, works well with this recipe.
Recipe adapted from Texas BBQ: Platefuls of Legendary Lone Star Flavor