Made some pretty good tex-mex chili the other day.
Used 2 lbs of dry pinto beans, almost 3 lb of 73/27% ground beef.
Made the beans the day before. Browned the beef the day before with salt, pepper, garlic, onion.
Reheated the ground beef in pot while sweating 1.5 onions and two large jalapenos (diced, seeds removed this time since beans were so hot).
added to the beans.
Stirred in two cans of diced tomatoes.
Salt & pepper to taste (garlic and onion powder too?)
The key factor in the savory-ness of the chili was the beans, which were made largely following this recipe. It also helped that I had lots of home-made frozen chicken stock to make the beans with. I barely undercooked them the night before, so the beans were perfectly done by the time the chili had cooked and cooled to serving temperature, around 1 hour. I was tempted t0 add mexican-ey ingredients, like Rotel and salsa, but I didn’t need to. The beans were spiced enough.
http://www.food.com/recipe/pinto-beans-for-burritos-425077
Pinto Beans for Burritos
3 Reviews
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 3 hrs 5 mins
- Servings: 8
About This Recipe
“This is my attempt to re-create the beans at my favorite burrito place, Tortillas, in Atlanta GA. Unfortunately, they closed, so now I have to try to make my own burritos, because no other establishment makes a burrito that measures up. Also, I now live in NYC, which is a burrito desert. Do not pre-soak your beans. If you do this, they will already have absorbed a bunch of water and will not be able to absorb all the flavors from the spices and broth. Do not worry about the salt added at the beginning, it is an old wives’ tale that beans will be tough if you add salt at the beginning. You want to add all the spices and seasonings at the start so the beans will absorb them.”
Ingredients
- 1 lb pinto beans
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 1 quart water
Directions
- Sort the beans to make sure there are no small rocks, screws, etc. in them. And yes, I have personally found these things in dried beans before. Sort or hope you have good dental coverage.
- Put the beans, all the spices, and the olive oil in a large pot. Mix well.
- Add the chicken broth and water, and stir to mix well.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook beans, uncovered, for 3 to 4 hours until done to your liking (It usually only takes me 3 hours, and sometimes less than 3 if I have it at a fast simmer. After 2 hours, take out a bean every 30 minutes or so and eat it to check if it is done enough for you).