Tinga de Frijoles

A tinga is Mexican dish, traditionally made with pulled or shredded chicken, chipotle peppers and sliced onions. This version embraces the lovely world of beans and vegetarian cooking, and uses dried beans instead. A bit of chopping and then a lot of hands-off simmering time yields a super flavorful, amazingly tasty pot of beans that will delight even the most carnivorous of your eaters.

Ok, also, I love love love Rancho Gordo beans, and believe that you could use any of their large beans for this dish, and it would be amazing. (No, they did not pay for that; I just love their beans and think/hope you might as well!). You could, of course, use other dried beans, but since they are the star of the dish, please do use good beans.

Also, you do not need to brine the beans overnight. It is a super easy way to add a LOT of great flavor though, so ... why not try it?

Tinga de Frijoles

Yield: 5 - 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound dried beans (use your favorite, but you want them to be large and meaty) picked over and rinsed

Salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, or other neutral oil such as canola

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 canned chipotles in adobo, finely chopped

One 28-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large bowl, cover beans with 2 quarts of water. Add 3 tablespoons salt, and stir until dissolved. Set aside to soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook, drain the beans.

Heat the oil in an 8-quart pot or enamel-coated Dutch oven over medium. Add cumin and toast until fragrant, 1 minute. Add onion and garlic, stirring often, and cook until onions soften, 5 minutes. Add beans, chipotle, tomatoes, broth, and 1½ cups water; bring to a boil and adjust the heat to low for a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid, and cook, stirring occasionally (scraping the sides to prevent scorching), until the sauce turns a deep red and the beans have completely cooked through, 3½ to 4 hours. Test beans for doneness by slicing one in half; it should be tender and creamy. Stir sugar, vinegar, and taste for seasonings. Add salt, pepper, and maybe ¼ cup of water or up to ½ cup for a saucy but creamy consistency.

Serve with chopped cilantro, corn tortillas or with crema. Or on its own in a bowl. Enjoy!