Beans and beer: The perfect marriage for my Cinco de Mayo festivities.

Searching through a number of recipes both online and in cookbooks, I was looking for some inspiration to create a traditional Mexican bean dish with some of my own modifications. I went back to a trusted book from Rancho Gordo and found just what I was looking for… Mexican Drunken Beans.

The result is just the right combination of sweet and spicy. We had them along side some delicious shredded pork tamales and agreed that even if Cinco de Mayo isn’t the most traditional of Mexican holidays, it is the perfect excuse to make some incredible Hispanic food (not that an excuse is ever really needed…)

"One for me... one for my beans."

I have been cooking with beer a lot more lately. It helped produce some delicious Beer Cheese Dip and it imparted excellent flavor in some slow cooked pulled pork, but I have never really used it as a bean dish ingredient. Due to obvious reasons, I had to stick with a Mexican style beer and chose a light lager because its’ sweetness would compliment the spicy and smokey flavors from the other ingredients. By the time we served the dish, the beer flavor was subtly delicious and tastes even better when accompanied by one of the leftover refreshments…

What you need:

1- Package Hurst’s® HamBeens® Pinto Beans

1- Cup Diced Onion

1- Poblano Pepper, Diced

2- Serrano Peppers, Minced

1- Cup Sliced Mushroom (Crimini or Portobello)

1- Can Stewed Tomato

1- Can Diced Tomato

2- Limes (one to slice, one for the juice)

3- Cloves Smashed Garlic

1/2 lbs. Bulk Chorizo Sausage

6- 12oz. Bottles of Beer (You can by all means substitute your favorite “south of the border” cerveza)

For serving:

Warm tortillas

Fresh Cilantro

Cotija Cheese (or another of your choice)

1. The first step is to sort through the beans. Rinse in cold water and check for any debris or dirt and discard. Place the rinsed beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with 2 bottles of the beer and 5 cups of water. Let soak overnight or for at least 4 hours.

2. After soaking, drain the excess liquid and pour beans into a large soup pot. Add remaining 4 bottles of beer and 2 cups of H2O. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for 1.5-2 hours. Cooking time will vary depending on how long you soaked the beans.

3. While the beans are cooking, prepare the onion, mushrooms, and peppers. Dice the onion and peppers into 1/4″ pieces (mince the Serrano) and slice the mushrooms into bite sized discs.

4. Over med-high heat, cook the chorizo for 8-10 minutes until it browns and begins to get crispy edges. Pour the sausage into the pot of beans and return the pan to the stove.

5. Using some of the drippings from the sausage, saute the vegetables until they begin to soften, then add them to the bean pot.

6. Stir in the cans of tomato and then add Hurst’s Ham Flavor packet. Continue to simmer until ready to serve.

7. Serve the beans hot with warm tortillas, lime wedges and cheese. Drunk Beans are also delicious the following days over some long grain Cilantro Lime Rice. Freezes great too!

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Pinto beans are used in a wide variety of dishes in traditional Southwestern cuisine. Hurst’s® El Cantarito Pinto Beans come in a 2lbs. package and work great when trying to feed a large group (or just a few BIG eaters) without breaking the bank. (Feeds 12 for under a $1.00 per serving!)

The spiced flavors of the Southwest really give this recipe a kick. These pintos make a great side dish, but can be put over a bed of rice and make a very hearty and nutritious entree.

What You Need:

• 1- Package Hurst’s El Cantarito Pintos

• 1- Cup Diced Onion
• 1- Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1- Can Stewed Tomatoes
• 1- Small Can Diced Jalapenos (use 1/2 a can for less spice)
• 1lbs. Ground Pork
• 4- Cloves Minced Garlic
• 12- Cups Water

1. Place pintos in a colander or sieve and rinse well with cold water. Check for any stones or unwanted debris.

2. Dice onion into 1/4″ pieces and mince garlic cloves.

3. Over med-high heat, saute onion and garlic with 1 tbs. olive oil or butter.

4. When onions become translucent, add cans of tomato and jalapeno. Stir to combine and continue to simmer.

5. In a separate pan, brown the ground pork, breaking up large chunks with the end of a spoon.

6. Add the beans, pork, and Hurst’s Hispanic seasoning mix and stir to combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

7. After 2 hours, the liquid will be reduced and beans should be almost completely tender. Continue to simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes or until desired consistency is reached, stirring occasionally.

8. Serve hot over a bed of rice with some shredded cheese and your favorite hot sauce… ENJOY!

(Also tastes great rolled in a flour tortilla!)

*See more recession proof recipes at The Alchemist Chef.

We get a lot of inquiries about how to use our beans other than in soup recipes. One of my personal favorites, especially during the warm summer months, is this cold black bean and corn salad. With just a few simple ingredients, it can be the perfect appetizer or side item at your next Mexican fiesta.

What you need:

• 1- package Hurst Black Beans (save the seasoning packet for another time)

• 1- Cup chopped red onion
• 1- Can diced green chilies
• 1- Can corn (drained)
• 1- Tablespoon (or more) of hot sauce
• 1- Clove minced garlic (not pictured)
• 1- Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice from 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse and sort through the black beans, checking for any debris that may be present. Soak the beans in a large bowl of water overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and place into a large soup pot with 2 quarts (8 cups) of fresh water.

2. Bring the beans to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally. If too much liquid evaporates before they are fully cooked, just add more water as necessary.

3. While the beans are cooking, prepare the other ingredients. Chop 1 cup of red onion (usually 1/2 of a large onion), mince the garlic, cut the lime in half, and give the cilantro a rough chop. To save time later, you can open both the can of corn (drain) and also the can of diced green chilies.

4. Once the beans are fully cooked (tender but not mushy), place them in a colander or sieve and rinse with cold water.

5. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (can be left overnight).

6. Serve with tortilla chips and a cold Mexican beer… ENJOY!

*Note: Many of the recipes online call for canned beans… while that might work well for time constraints, the final product just has a better flavor and texture when using dried beans.