What's Cooking in Kelli's Kitchen

What’s Cooking in Kelli’s Kitchen

Bean-mergency

This last week, Kelli’s Kitchen hit the road (or the airport) with Battle Ground, Washington as the final destination. It’s been a delightful and productive (if brief) visit with my Pops. I have a few hours left to enjoy the cooler weather and water that comes from the sky before returning to our high-desert home. While I was packing for this journey, I asked my dad if he and his wife Karen ate beans–my plan was to bring a couple of bags of Rancho Gordo heirloom beans as a hostess gift. This plan checked multiple boxes: I could start my visit with a give AND evangelize about the good word of Rancho Gordo. Dad’s response to my inquiry was tepid at best: “If you want to bring some special beans for chili… it would be okay.”

Ha ha, okay dad. Regardless of the ambivalence about my “special beans,” I added three pounds into my suitcase. I wanted to be well-prepared in case of a bean-mergency. My primary objective was to secure buy-in from my dad (and more importantly, Karen) to the perspective that 1. Beans are Good and 2. Rancho Gordo Beans are The Best. In order to achieve this outcome, I initiated a Soft Sell strategy. I started with giving the bean gift (Good Mother Stallards, Lila Beans, and Ayocote Morados), followed by subtle injections of information about what makes these beans different than beans at the grocery store (you don’t have to soak them, they are fresh, look at how pretty they are), I wore a RG Bean Club shirt (“It’s Not a Cult”), before gladly accepting the invitation to make a bean-based dinner.

After determining the preferred beanie-flavor profile in the Battle Ground Valentine household was south of the border-influenced, I decided that a simple Charro Bean dinner was the way to go. I adapted my standard recipe by subbing Beef Brisket Bacon (it’s a pork-free household) and adding some fun additions like charred corn and pico made from the end of the season tomatoes out of dad’s garden. Everyone got to build their own bowl, with or without cilantro (dad can’t stand it) – customization is key. Both Pops and Karen circled back for seconds and declared that “These are the Best Beans we’ve ever had.”  

Mission Accomplished.

Battle Ground Frijoles Charros Borrachos

By Kelli Kelly

INGREDIENTS:

To cook the beans”

1 lb. Rancho Gordo Good Mother Stallard Beans (you can substitute any other option that includes “pot beans” as a dish recommendation

1 yellow onion, cut into quarters

3 bay leaves

1 head of garlic, left whole

Salt

To make the charro beans:

12 oz. beef bacon, chopped

1 yellow onion, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

4 cloves garlic, grated

3 tomatoes, diced (from the garden if you can)

2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced

1 tbsp. wild mountain cumin from Burlap and Barrel (or substitute some basic cumin)

1 can Modelo Especial beer 

Cooked beans & about 2 cups of the pot liqueur

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

Crumbled cotija or queso fresco

Pico de gallo (with or without cilantro, lol)

Charred corn

Also - really whatever your heart desires!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the beans: rinse and sort your beans then place them in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven along with the quartered onion, head of garlic, and bay leaves. Fill the pot with water and place on the stove. Bring the pot to boil (and let boil for 5 minutes to show the beans who is boss), then reduce to a simmer and cook until the beans are about ¾ of the way soft. Season aggressively with salt. Continue cooking until the beans are soft and creamy. **always sample 5 beans to determine if they are done**  Pour the beans and liquid into a bowl and set aside.
2. In the same pot, render down the beef bacon over medium heat. Cook until caramelized and starting to crisp up. Beef bacon is pre-cooked so you might want to add a little EVOO if needed. After about 7 minutes, add in the onion, jalapeno, and garlic and sauté for an additional 5-10 minutes until the onion is translucent and starting to caramelize.
3. Add in the diced tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, and cumin. Continue cooking until the tomatoes have released their juice and the entire mixture begins to darken slightly. Pour in the beer, bring to a boil, and reduce by half, stirring constantly. Add in the cooked beans and some of the pot liqueur and bring back to a simmer. Reserve some additional bean juice to thin out the sauce, if needed. Simmer for 20-30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
4. Serve over a scoop of rice topped with the add-ins of your choice. I used a base of basmati and wild rice and topped our beans with charred corn, pico de gallo, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and some hot sauce!
5. ENJOY!