Recipe of the Month: Frijoles Charros

People often think of Mexico as having a singular distinctive cuisine made of a group of recognizable national dishes. However, the reality is that Mexico is home to a patchwork of regional cuisines, each with its own signature dishes and unique mix of Mesoamerican, European and other influences. For this reason, Mexico is a foodie’s paradise, with the opportunity to try new flavors and styles across the country. 

The food of the Yucatán Peninsula stands out as being particularly different from the rest of the country due to a combination of geographical and historical factors. Its history as the home of the Maya civilization, and also a gateway to Mexico for European traders and invaders, along with its proximity to the Caribbean, has created a melting pot of ingredients, flavors and cooking styles which stands well apart from the rest of the country.

Things have however begun to change with the rapid influx of foreign visitors and Mexicans from other parts of the country, brought about by the explosion in tourism in Cancun and the Zona Maya. This has brought demand for restaurants serving dishes that visitors from around the world recognize as ‘Mexican’ and also for dishes that workers from around the country are accustomed to. 

One dish that is now widely available in the peninsula, but in fact hails from the northern states of Mexico, is Frijoles Charros, or cowboy beans. This rich soup filled with beans and both pork and beef sausage is not only filling and delicious but is also easy to make at home! This month’s recipe is our take on this classic dish, although as is often the case with Mexican food, you will find that the list of ingredients can vary from state to state and even from one town to the next.

Ingredients

½ kg of dried pinto beans

3 Mexican chorizo sausages, sliced

3 beef franks, sliced

5 or 6 slices of bacon cut up into small pieces (many recipes also add diced ham)

1 medium onion - half finely and the other half cut into two pieces

2 large tomatoes

5-10 garlic cloves (depending on how much you love garlic) sliced

1-2 jalapeños chopped (you can omit these if you prefer a mild flavor, or even experiment with other chillies)

A large handful of chopped cilantro

1-2 bay leaves

Paprika

Oregano

Cumin

White pepper

Salt 

METHOD

First wash and then cook the pinto beans along with the two small onion pieces and the bay leaves for about 90 minutes, ensuring they remain covered with plenty of water. Periodically remove the residue that builds up on the surface of the water to ensure the beans have a clean fresh flavor.

About 20 minutes before the beans are ready, start frying the bacon in a pan. No need to add oil, the fat from the bacon should be sufficient. After 5 minutes add the chorizo and beef franks and stir as they cook for a further 5 minutes.

Once the sausage and bacon mix is starting to brown, add the onions, jalapeños and tomatoes and stir well.

Once the beans are ready add the pan of other ingredients to the bean pot, adding more water if needed to maintain a souplike consistency. Add the chopped cilantro, the oregano, paprika and cumin, stir thoroughly and leave the mixture to cook below boiling point for 30 minutes.

Check the flavor and season with salt and white pepper to taste, don't be afraid to add a bit more paprika or cumin if the flavor is not quite right.

Serve your delicious bean soup in bowls, either as a main dish or as an accompaniment to a steak or other similar meal. The beans will keep for a few days in the fridge and are suitable for reheating, they even taste great cold.

If you want to try out some other Mexican, Yucatec or Maya recipes from the Na’atik family, visit our blog where new recipes are uploaded every month, along with articles about culture, history and language.

If you want to sample the unique flavors of the Mexican Caribbean, the best place is in the kitchens of local families. Na’atik MaS (Maya and Spanish) immersion students stay with one of our local families during their time with us, sharing three meals a day with their host family. To find out more about how you can improve your language skills and experience the real Mexico, visit our immersion page or send our team an email at mas@naatikmexico.org today.