Drunken Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)

I made these using an Aaron Sanchez recipe. In his recipe the beans are smashed with a potato masher, but I prefer to leave the beans whole.

These beans are delicious on their own with corn tortillas, or work great as a side to just about any Mexican dish. Dave likes them topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and a fried egg. You can even use them to make a bean dip.

Canned beans work great in many recipes, but I think here you really need to use dried beans.

Drunken Beans
1 pound dried pinto beans
2 whole tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 white onion, diced
1 pickled jalapeno, thinly sliced (I left out)
2 cloves garlic
2 fresh bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
12 ounces dark beer
2 quarts water (I used veggie broth)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Wash the beans thoroughly in cold water, discarding any stones or rotten beans.

Place the beans in a wide, short saucepot (rondeau), and cover with water by 2 inches. Cook for 30 minutes, and then, add the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and beer.

Cook until the beans are tender, about another 30 minutes.

With a potato masher, crush the beans, to thicken the bean liquid. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.