side dishes

Name: Frijoles charros
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6-8 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 cup pinto beans (frijoles bayos can be substituted); 5 cups water; 2 teaspoons powdered chicken bouillon (such as Knorr Suiza); 5 strips of thick center-cut bacon; 4 ounces Mexican chorizo, cooked (I use pork, but you can also use beef); 4 Roma tomatoes (known in Mexico as jitomate Saladet); 4-5 serrano chiles; ½ of a large white onion, sliced; 1 clove of garlic (optional); 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) Mexican beer; 1-2 small sprigs of cilantro; salt to taste; Finely diced white onion; Finely diced serrano chile; Crushed chicharrón (called pork cracklings in English)

Instant Pot pinto beans

1 · Mar 29, 2020 · Leave a Comment

This easy, no-soak recipe for Mexican-style Instant Pot pinto beans will have your beans on the table in less than an hour, tasting just as good as the slow-cooked version you grew up with.

You’re probably used to cooking frijoles de la olla for hours on the stove-top, or even using a slow-cooker for making Crock-Pot frijoles de la olla (one of the all-time most popular recipes on this blog). With just a handful of simple ingredients and the no-soak method, these Mexican-style Instant Pot pinto beans will be on the table in no time.

While the slow-cooked beans are great, most of us don’t always have the time to wait to feed our families. Enter the glorious invention known as the Instant Pot.

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How to doctor canned refried beans

47 · Oct 5, 2017 · 1 Comment

Canned refried beans are a cabinet staple in most Mexican homes, but you can expand your flavor options by doctoring your beans in a few easy steps.

If you’re like me, you probably keep a can or two of refried beans in the cabinet at all times. In fact, I usually keep a can of refried pinto beans and a can of refried black beans in there because one can never be too sure when an occasion requiring beans could arise in a Mexican-American household. Am I right?

And while you may be perfectly OK with always eating the same beans out of a can, you have no idea what you’re missing out on if you’d just play with your food a little bit!

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Turkey stuffing, Mexican-style

7 · Nov 19, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, I’m always looking for a way to infuse Mexican ingredients into our family’s holiday traditions. I came up with this turkey stuffing recipe that’s a riff on my mom’s traditional turkey stuffing, but with a little kick from jalapeño chiles and soy chorizo (aka soyrizo).

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Queso fundido

13 · Dec 22, 2011 · 8 Comments

During the winter, I love to eat warm, hearty treats. There’s something about the winter weather that makes you want to eat things that’ll stick to your ribs, right?

This past weekend, I made a very simple queso fundido that really hit the spot. Given that I just shared a recipe for homemade chorizo earlier this week, I thought it would be nice to give you another way to use that during the holidays for a quick and easy party treat.

Whether you’re hosting at home or need to bring a dish to a posada or any other type of party, this is a super simple recipe that’s sure to wow guests. To take it to go, just prepare in the crock or a casserole dish and wait until you arrive at the party to pop it under the broiler for a few minutes. Don’t forget to bring some tortillas!

We like to make tacos out of this recipe, but you can absolutely also serve it dip-style with chips if you like.

Queso fundido

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: About 10 tacos

Queso fundido is a classic Mexican appetizer that can be eaten with warm tortillas or tortilla chips. You choose the mix-ins!

Ingredients

4 to 5 ounces cooked chorizo
14 ounces shredded Chihuahua or Quesadilla cheese
Non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

Cook your chorizo first and set aside to drain the grease over paper towels.
In a microwave-proof dish, grate the Chihuahua or Quesadilla cheese and microwave at intervals of 30 seconds until mostly melted. Stir if necessary to heat evenly.
Spray a little non-stick cooking spray in a small oven-proof crock (an individual-size soup crock will hold half this recipe and is what I typically use and make a second serving). Pour the melted cheese into the crock. Add half the chorizo and fold in gently.
Set your oven broiler on low and place the crock at least 6-8 inches from the flame. Heat for about 5-6 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and gets brown spots. Be sure to use a pot holder or oven mitt to remove the crock or oven-proof dish from underneath the broiler.
Place the crock or dish on a trivet and serve with warm tortillas to make tacos or hearty tortilla chips if you want to serve it more as a dip.

Notes

Note: the cooking spray is completely optional; I like to use it because it helps a lot with cleanup and getting all the cheese out of the dish before it makes it to my sink.

https://theothersideofthetortilla.com/2011/12/queso-fundido/

What do you like in your queso fundido?

Camotes al chipotle: A Mexican twist on a Thanksgiving classic

2 · Nov 21, 2011 · 19 Comments

If you’ve spent even one Thanksgiving at an average American dinner table, you’ve likely encountered sweet potatoes or yams with some kind of brown sugar or maple syrup and a marshmallow topping. I’m not knocking the tradition—in fact, I grew up eating it and usually get a craving around this time of year—but there are lots of other interesting things you can do with sweet potatoes, in my honest opinion.

Now that everyone in my family knows about my culinary skills, I’ve felt the need to give my menu a few new touches to keep things interesting. Though Thanksgiving is not a Mexican holiday, I decided this year to give a few traditional dishes a Mexican twist to surprise my family.

Here’s a recipe I developed to dress up the traditional sweet potatoes we usually serve on our Thanksgiving table. And, with the calorie-rich menus typically served around the holidays, this recipe is a bit healthier than traditional mashed potatoes that may be made with tons of butter and heavy cream. The marsala is a non-traditional ingredient to Mexican cooking but adds an interesting depth and sweet, nutty flavor to this dish. The chipotle should add a smoky flavor, but not be too spicy. If you’re afraid your troops will stage a revolt at the dinner table for doing something too different, you can always cut out the chipotle and add twice the adobo sauce to weaken the chile flavor so they don’t notice too much that you’ve given them the old switcheroo on the sweet potatoes.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipQwVjhE7qM[/youtube]…

Cebollitas

74 · Jun 20, 2011 · 22 Comments

At any parrillada, you can count on one side dish being the same, no matter what kind of meats are chosen for the main dish: cebollitas.

I love grilling. The smell of the charcoal, the crackling sound of the fire roasting the food and the anticipation of what’s about to land on my plate. And whenever we grill in Mexico, my suegro (father-in-law) is the king of the barbecue.

This dish is so simple and easy (and almost totally impossible to mess up even if you’re not a grilling pro), it’s the single dish that most reminds me of a Sunday parrillada in Mexico.

RELATED RECIPE: Calabacitas con elote

You can add as much or as little lime juice and salsa Maggi, a Worcestershire-style seasoning sauce, or soy sauce as you like – it all depends on your taste buds. The Maggi sold in the U.S. doesn’t taste the same as salsa Maggi sold in Mexico, so I sometimes substitute soy sauce.

Not only is this dish often served at barbecues and family gatherings, you can also often find them at little street food stands around Mexico. I especially love to pair this side dish with tacos de rib eye and my Mexican chimichurri-marinated flank steak….

Calabacitas rellenas

2 · Jun 6, 2011 · 2 Comments

One of the things I love most about the summer is grilling. It’s an opportunity to do all kinds of different things with meats and vegetables that I don’t get a chance to do during the rest of the year.

During the spring and summer, my local Mexican markets have a wider variety of produce which means endless combinations for creative dinners at my house. I’ve recently been craving calabacita, a zucchini-like squash that has lighter green speckled skin, and is also one of José’s favorites. As I was strolling through the aisles, I was trying to decide what to stuff them with and as soon as I saw chilaca chiles, I knew that was what I wanted.

They’re long and skinny with dark green skin, but you may recognize them better when they’re dried – known as chile pasilla. When fresh, they’re mild with a very subtle sweet flavor and you can char and peel them just the same way you do with a poblano.

This dish is a variation of one that José grew up eating and when I served it for dinner over the weekend, the first thing he said after taking a bite was, “sabe a mi casa.” To me, that’s the ultimate compliment.

TIPS: If you don’t have a grill or want to make this dish during other times of the year, you can also use a grill pan to cook the calabacitas. You can roast and sweat chilaca chiles in the same way you would with poblano chiles.

If you’ve never roasted chiles before, check out my tutorial on how to roast poblano chiles.

This dish can also be made vegetarian-friendly if you substitute soyrizo for the chorizo….

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Papas gratinadas

9 · Feb 7, 2011 · 18 Comments

To me, wintertime means lots of comfort foods. And pardon the pun, but during the blizzard we had here last week, I was cooking up a storm while I was cooped up inside for three whole days. One of my favorite comfort foods is papas gratinadas, a Mexican version of potatoes au gratin.

I love it so much, in fact, that while I’m writing this, I’m thinking about going to the store for more potatoes so I can make another batch. The last two times I’ve made this dish, it disappeared in less than 24 hours. And my friend Silvia over at Mamá Latina Tips has been asking me to post this recipe for several weeks since I told her I made it because her mom used to make papas gratinadas for her and it’s one of her favorites, too.

These are a great side dish (or, um…an afternoon snack) when you need hearty, warm food to keep you full and fueled to fight the cold outside. Here’s a quick video tutorial on how to make this recipe.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bseuBjSf_Q[/youtube]

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Crock-Pot frijoles de la olla

84 · Jan 31, 2011 · 6 Comments

Frijoles de la olla are a staple in Central Mexican cuisine. Traditionally, they’re cooked in a clay pot, but this version is adapted for cooking in a slow-cooker or Crock-Pot.

There are three types of beans you typically see in frijoles de la olla recipes: frijoles bayos, flor de mayo or pinto beans. Frijoles de la olla made with those type of beans are most common in Central Mexico. All three varieties have a pinkish hue, with pinto beans being the lightest in color among them. These are also the same kind of beans I use for making frijoles charros.

While individual recipes for frijoles de la olla may vary, they will also often include common ingredients such as onion, garlic, manteca de cerdo (pork lard), salt and hierbas de olor (herbs such as epazote or cilantro that are cooked in with the beans for flavor). Other variations may include different spices such as cumin or bay leaves.

In Eastern Mexican states such as Veracruz and others bordering the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the South and Southeast states of the country such as Oaxaca, black beans are preferred over bayo, flor de mayo or pinto varieties. Accompaniments may also vary by region to include a fresh squeeze of lime juice, diced onion, chile serrano, chopped cilantro or crumbled fresh cheese.

Cooking tips for frijoles de la olla

To prep this dish the night before, add everything to the crock-pot except the liquids, pork neck bones and salt. The next day, add the liquid and pork neck bones and turn on high.

If you’re planning to let this cook all day while you’re not home, use a slow-cooker that has a timer that will turn the heat off or to a very low “keep warm” setting after the cooking time. You can then add the salt, reheat them for 30-60 minutes in the slow-cooker and enjoy!

If you don’t have a guajillo chile at home but you have other dried chiles, any other dried red chile you like and have on hand is an acceptable substitute. Just be sure to portion based on the heat factor! Or you can leave the chile out altogether if you prefer.

For those who like their beans with a thicker stew-like consistency instead of broth, some cooks mash or blend a portion of the beans and then re-add to the pot as the broth cooks down.

To make this dish vegetarian-friendly, leave out the pork neck bones and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

This recipe will give you plenty of leftovers, and it’s great as a snack, a side dish, or even a main dish with some garnishes and mix-ins.

Crock-Pot frijoles de la olla

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 10 servings 1x
Method: Slow-cooker
Cuisine: Mexican

Description

Frijoles de la olla are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Traditionally, they’re cooked in a clay pot over a fire or on the stove, but this version is adapted for cooking in a slow-cooker or Crock-Pot.

Scale

Ingredients

2 cups frijoles pintos (pinto beans)
2 cups chicken broth (substitute with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
4 cups boiling water
1/2 of a white onion, sliced 1/4 inch-thick
1 chile guajillo
1/2 of a small head of garlic (about 4–6 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
a few pork neck bones (leave these out for a vegetarian version)
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (to be added in last 45 minutes of cooking)

Instructions

First, rinse your beans under cool water to remove any dirt or debris and get rid of any broken beans. There’s no need to soak the beans overnight!
Layer the onion slices along the bottom of the crock-pot. Place the beans directly over the top of the onions. Tear off the stem of the chile and tuck it into the beans and nestle the pork neck bones in the beans, too. Add the chicken broth. Remove the papery skin from the garlic cloves and place in the crock-pot whole. Add the ground cumin.
You’ll notice the chicken broth isn’t enough to cover the beans and keep all the ingredients moist while cooking. Add 4 cups of boiling water over the top, making sure all the ingredients are under the broth and water and then put the cover on the slow-cooker.
Turn the heat on to high for 5-6 hours (individual slow-cookers can vary slightly in temperature). If the beans start to get dry during cooking, add 1-2 extra cups of boiling water. I only had to add about one cup in the last hour. You can substitute boiling chicken broth in place of the extra boiling water if you like. Add the salt in the last 45 minutes of cooking and stir it in gently to incorporate.
Serve warm.

Notes

The beans should be soft to bite and have a nice broth when they’re finished, but shouldn’t be watery.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

How to make frijoles charros

117 · Nov 8, 2010 · 18 Comments

Frijoles charros is one of my all-time favorite Mexican dishes.

For weeks, José had been bugging me to make his Tía Carola’s frijoles charros. Outside of El Charco de Las Ranas, his favorite taquería in Mexico City, Tía Carola’s frijoles charros are the only ones he has ever raved about.

Until the day I decided to make them.

When I asked for the recipe, it felt like I was playing “teléfono descompuesto” with at least three people – where something surely gets lost every time someone relays the message on to another person. José called his sister, who called his aunt; then his sister called him back and he translated the ingredients to me. Note that he only relayed the ingredient list and not the portions. And he only got a vague set of instructions. Apparently, Tía Carola is not exactly keen on lots of details and also hadn’t made this dish in at least 10 years. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous about making this vaunted recipe with such a vague idea of what I was supposed to do.

I returned from the store with a big bag of pinto beans. José argued with me that I had bought the wrong beans because they were supposed to be frijoles bayos. I knew that, but couldn’t find them at the store so I settled confidently on a hand-sifted bag of carefully chosen pinto beans. I settled the argument with a quick google search that ended in my favor, which had me secretly feeling proud on the inside that I knew frijoles pintos and frijoles bayos were not the same, but often interchangeable because of their similarities in taste, color and texture ‑ especially in this recipe.

I knew when José argued with me about the beans that he was going to be a tough customer to please. I lit one of my San Judas Tadeo candles (the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations) and hoped for a culinary Hail Mary with my limited instructions and the guesswork lying ahead. I was short on time with no room for mistakes since I was making the frijoles charros for lunch on a weekday and all I had as a backup were some emergency TV dinners in the freezer. Who could have ever imagined there could be so much pressure behind a pot of beans?

As I served the frijoles charros, my stomach was in knots. Would they live up to Tía Carola’s recipe? I waited for the verdict as he savored the first spoonful.

Resounding success! “Muy bien!” José said as he nodded and ate another spoonful – as if he had perhaps doubted that I could get the recipe down on the first shot with such vague instructions. I couldn’t blame him. After all, I hadn’t been quite sure I’d be able to pull it off either, to be honest. But three servings and a high-five later, I was convinced I had gotten it perfectly right. I’ve now been making this dish for years and it’s become a staple in my kitchen, especially during the fall and winter months.

You need an olla express (a pressure cooker) for this recipe. Like I’ve said many times before to those who’ve asked me, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a fancy pressure cooker with lots of bells and whistles. I have a pressure cooker that I bought at a national household goods chain for $20 (less a 20% off coupon) that I’ve had for several years and it works perfectly fine. It’s the easiest, quickest way to make just about any kind of beans from scratch. It’s a shortcut even your abuelita would approve of – trust me.

One of the key ingredients in the flavoring of this recipe is Mexican beer, and to help you out in advance, here are a few brands I recommend: Victoria, Indio, Sol, Modelo, Bohemia, and Pacifico. In a pinch, you could also try Tecate or Corona. No matter where you live in the world, you should be able to get at least one of them!

This recipe is perfect as an appetizer, as a meal itself or as a side. It’s especially perfect in the fall and winter because it’s hearty and will keep you warm and full. And José will tell you: it’s even better the second day. That is, if you have any leftovers.