Ain't That Peculiar

Charro Beans

In a late night browse through my recipe feed I came across this incredible use for pinto beans.  And coincidentally while I had a pound soaking in water over night.  I'd heard of them only a year or so ago, never had them but I am now ready to experience this.  I think now being in the East with lots of southern influence, I tend to go towards the ham hocks, smoked turkey necks, etc in flavoring a pot of beans.  But on the other side of the country, something equally fun is happening with legumes.

Another impossible accidental occurrence I couldn't have made happen if I tried was that I had all of these ingredients in my fridge.  (Soy) Chorizo, bacon, red onion, fresh tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, onion powder & cilantro.

Boil up your beans like normal, here with just cold water onion and garlic. 

From Jauja Cocina Mexicana:  Excellent You Tube Channel for authentic recipes if you can get passed those bangs.  

Fry up your bacon, add the Chorizo, then garlic and onion, then the peppers, spices and finally the tomatoes. When it's all cooked together add the beans and most of the cooking liquid, boil until it reduces down, adjust the seasoning.  Too good!

Fanny doing a version of Ain't That Peculiar

Also in my feed was this video. An example of how one click can lead to a fun excursion and crash course in any direction.  Fanny, a band I've often wondered about, I knew the Runaways had thanked them early on for help paving the way but didn't know much more.  I was surprised to learn all about June and Jean Millington, the bands history and past members, the cred passed to them from the likes of Bowie, for example.  June's ability to do lead and rhythm is admirable. I don't love the band's vocal styling but I do love individual parts of their recordings and performances enough to be intrigued.  The drummer had flair and Jean reminds me a bit of Rick Danko on bass, who is super talented but his body can contort a bit clumsily when he's heavy into the beat.  Also they sort of lose control of their facial expressions, which I love for reasons unknown.  Ron Blair of the Heartbreakers had that too, maybe it's a bass player thing.   For me, June was best when she got a chance to go off into a lead in order to see her amazing gift for rhythm.  

When I Think About You I Touch Myself

You know how sometimes you cook and what is on the plate is a lot less pretty than you had imagined in your mind?  And then other times you make something with such intent that somehow magically, it comes together even better!?

I've made this Mexican Smothered Pork for real and in my mind even more times. I invented it, meaning I conceived it in my mind. I didn't find it in a recipe even though I'm sure someone has written one out there.  It's always been good but either I dressed it with too much sauce or didn't get the pork chop just right underneath.  This time the consistency was right on, along with the amount.  The pork chop itself was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, meaning to have a bit of a char on the outside for the sauce to really pop and then tender meat on the inside.  Topped with cold iceberg lettuce, tomato and onion, a wee bit of cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

This was accompanied by simple pinto beans made with just fresh chopped 'penos and Chili lime seasoning.

This dish made me silent for a moment and I was just touched by it's flawlessness.

Reflections of, The Way Life Used to Be

This was my sister R's birthday! Even though she was hundreds of miles away, just the thought of it gave me cause for celebration. Last year I was getting ready to go visit her for the first time in Colorado. Today I had a chance to sit and remember all the fun things we did. Finally look at the pictures again too without noticing how fat my cheeks look and seeing how great it was to be with my sister.

I mentioned a while back that she turned me back on to the joys of pinto beans on that trip so tonight I made a very rich tasty pinto bean soup and garnished with yogurt, cilantro and avocados. The best! And for a dipper I made a great skillet corn bread recipe from the Pioneer Woman website. And as a personal genuflection to our childhood when we made mud pies in the backyard decorated with our mom's flower garden petals and berries from the bushes, I added fresh cilantro leaves and chopped 'penos to the cornbread batter and it baked in so pretty on the top!

I Love You More Today than Yesterday

Turkey soft tacos! Just saying tacos make me smile. Tacos of almost any variety spell good eatin'. Dark leftover turkey meat from Thanksgiving dressed up with some cumin, chili powder and fresh jalapenos. Cue angels singing and sunshine blanketing the world.

That's all good. Now to the beans. Beans for me had been a little touchy over the years. I was a tiny timid little kid with a bad stomach from as far back as I can remember. Big mealy beans were way too scary to eat back then and a pinto bean was as big as I was willing to try but only smashed up and disguised. Later my mom made huge pots of pinto beans for refried beans at the restaurant but I'd wait until they were all flavored with bacon and creamed up, completely unrecognizable from their hard state, thank you very much. Small white, like the Great Northern bean - fine. No whole beans for me. Small and soft meant they didn't reek havoc on my tender young gut. Then in California I fell in love with the tiny black bean. Rinsed and put in salads with feta cheese and cucumbers - loved them! I made lots of whole bean soups but always with the small assortments.

But it wasn't until this recent visit with my sister R in Colorado where she brought out the pinto beans that I remembered just how flavorful and rich THAT particular bean could taste. The pinto, the original. The only bean my sister has eaten in all these years. The only bean my mother had cooked with. Why had I gone astray? Before R did her magic and transformed them into refried I snuck a big mouthful wrapped up in a warmed tort with a little cilantro and salt. Meaty yes, but oh so delicious! Perfectly satisfying, just like the taco itself.

So with those soft flour leftover turkey tacos, I served a side of hot unabbreviated whole pinto beans with pickled jalapenos. Don't ever doubt. Pintos are THE ideal bean to use with your next if not all Mexican dishes.