Charro Beans

Step 1

Give the tomatoes a good rinse and roast them in the oven at 400F for approximately 20 minutes or until you need them.

Step 2

Chop up the bacon into small pieces.  Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned (approx. 5-8 minutes depending on the size of the bacon pieces).

Step 3

Chop up a 1/2 onion and add it the bacon.  I usually reduce heat to mediumish after the bacon is cooked.  Let the onion cook for 3-5 minutes or until tender.

Step 4

Add 2 minced cloves of garlic and cook briefly, 30-60 seconds.

Step 5

Add the roasted tomatoes to the pan (roughly chopping them up in the pan is fine).  Also add:  2 cans pinto beans (drained and rinsed), 3 minced chipotles in adobo, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and 2 cups of stock (or water).   Combine well and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced down a bit.

Step 6

Salt to taste.  I added another generous pinch to this batch (so that is approx. 1 teaspoon total) but keep in mind that if you are using store-bought stock that's high in sodium then you won't need to add as much salt.   You can also add more heat at this point if you want a more fiery batch.

Step 7

Serve immediately.  Note that these beans are best served in some of the broth.

Step 8

Alternatively, you can use part of the batch to make a bean puree.  Simply add them to a blender or food processor and combine into a puree.

Step 9

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.