Frijoles Charros (Cowboy Beans)

When I was younger, I often complained of the lack of variety in my mother’s cooking. The lady had six kids, making things interesting wasn’t a priority.

                I’m only in charge of feeding myself and sometimes my dinner is toast and a slice of cheese.

                How did she do it??

                I’ve started to cook large quantities of beans to keep in my freezer and I’ve had to figure out ways to keep it interesting. Sometimes it’s just adding jalapenos and eating bean tacos. Other times I put in effort.

                On this occasion, I attempted to make Frijoles Charros, or Charro Beans, sometimes called Cowboy beans. It’s basically bean stew with bacon, hot dog, tomato, and other veggies. It’s an easy way to dress up beans and give it a little extra something so that it doesn’t become monotonous.

                You can serve Frijoles Charros over rice, with tortillas, with chips, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Frijoles Charros

Ingredients

4 cups of cooked pinto beans

2 cups of water

Oil

1 cup of chopped onion (about half of one)

3-4 beef hot dogs

2 fresh jalapenos, chopped

4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

4 roma tomatoes, chopped

3 Tbsp of beef bouillon

2 tsp of dry oregano

 1 tsp of ground cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 bunch of chopped cilantro

Toppings like cheese, avocado, tortillas, etc

Directions

1.       On medium/high heat drizzle some oil into a large stockpot.

2.       Sautee onions until translucent.

3.       Add hot dogs and jalapenos. Cook 2-4 minutes

4.       Once the hot dogs start to brown, add cooked bacon.

5.       Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes.

6.       Add chopped tomatoes.

7.       Add seasonings and cook 3-4 minutes.

8.       Add pinto beans and water. Stir and bring to a boil.

9.       Add chopped cilantro and check for seasoning.

10.   Bring to a boil again and serve with preferred toppings such as cheese and avocado.

Enjoy!