Here's another beans recipe from Serious Eats which they have variously named "Mexican Cowboy Beans", "Frijoles Charros", and "Mexican Pinto Beans with Bacon and Chiles". This recipe can be somewhere between a soup and a stew, possibly requiring serving in a bowl instead of spooned onto a picnic plate like most baked beans recipes. They give instructions on how to adjust the consistency to your preference. The ingredients include fire-roasted tomatoes and they give instructions on how to roast your own, but the recipe simply uses canned diced fire roasted tomatoes which are actually rather easy to find.
There were several comments on this recipe advising against adding the tomatoes when called for because acidic ingredients like tomatoes prevent the beans from softening. Several people said they ended up with hard beans, or the beans took forever to soften. One post recommended adding a small amount of baking soda which counteracts the acidity, and another says 1/8 tsp baking soda per pound of beans, but other posts simply say to cook the beans and the tomato mixture separately and combine them at the end. However, the author of the article (J. Kenji himself) says although acid can make beans harder to tenderize, small pinto beans get plenty tender. And plenty of other posts say they didn't have a problem. The instructions call for cooking the beans until "just tender" before adding the tomatoes anyway, and then cooking until totally creamy, so I'm not clear why people could claim the beans were still hard due to the tomatoes.
J. Kenji also says this will work great in a pressure cooker, but to use 4 cups of liquid for 1 pound of beans (since the liquid never evaporates in a pressure cooker).
Click here to view the original Serious Eats article.
MEXICAN COWBOY BEANS (Serious Eats)
Ingredients
1 pound (450g) dried pinto beans
Kosher salt
6 cups (1.4L) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs epazote (optional; see notes)
12 ounces (340g) diced bacon (see notes)
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced (about 8 ounces; 225g)
2 serrano chiles or 1 jalapeño, minced (remove seeds and ribs if you prefer less heat)
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon; 12g)
2 (14-ounce; 400g) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes (see notes)
Large handful chopped fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems
Instructions
1. Place beans in a large bowl and fill with enough cold water to cover by at least four inches. Add 2 tablespoons (18g) kosher salt and stir to dissolve. Let soak 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse.
2. In a large Dutch oven, add beans, stock, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons (6g) kosher salt, and epazote (if using). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until beans are just tender, about 45 minutes. (Note: J. Kenji says a pressure cooker will work fine, but use 4 cups of liquid per 1 pound of beans).
3. Meanwhile, heat bacon in a 12-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until fat is rendered and bacon is just starting to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add onion and chiles and cook, stirring, until softened and just starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes (see note) and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is thick and the mixture begins to sizzle, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove lid from Dutch oven, add bacon-tomato mixture, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until beans are completely creamy and liquid has thickened into a rich, creamy broth, about 20 minutes. (Note from Joe - see my intro above for comments from cooks about when to add the tomatoes.) Season to taste with salt. Discard bay leaves, stir in cilantro, and serve. Beans can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
NOTES
In place of the canned fire-roasted tomatoes, you can use 1 1/2 pounds fresh Roma tomatoes. Char the tomatoes directly over a gas flame, on a grill, or with a torch to remove the skins. Split into quarters and cut out and discard the cores. Dice and use as directed in the recipe.
Epazote is a Mexican herb that can be found in Mexican specialty shops. If fresh epazote is unavailable, use a large pinch of dried in its place, or omit.
This recipe is great over a campfire. If cooking over a live fire, you can use salt pork in place of the bacon for a more naturally smoky flavor.