Description
I take the idea of borracho beans (drunken beans) from Mexico and cross them with traditional Texas beans. Texas beans are not sweet and thick like baked beans, they are savory, firm beans, with a bit of spice. What results is, I believe, one of the greatest BBQ side dishes ever. And you could just serve it as a main dish with some crusty bread and Shiner Bock!
I personally use Rancho Gordo beans, which are much different from the several years old dried beans you get in the grocery store. If you can get Rancho Gordo beans, you won’t regret it. If not, then prepare the beans according to the normal method. Soak for 12 hours and then boil for 30 minutes. Then follow the rest of the recipe. If you use Rancho Gordo beans, there is no need for the soak and boil preparation at all. Just put the beans in and cook.
Ingredients
16 oz dried beans (2X 15 oz canned beans if you insist)
12 oz Shiner Bock or other good lager
4-8 oz meat — ham, brisket, pork shoulder, chuck roast, whatever.
24 oz chicken stock (or stock made using that hamhock or ham bone)
4 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 can whole, diced, or crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
2 jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, diced
Directions
In a bit of olive oil, cook bacon until the fat is rendered. Reserve the bacon
Add onions and cook in bacon fat until translucent, about 10 minutes
Add the cumin, pepper, garlic, bay leaves and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes
Add the beer and deglaze the pot
Add the tomatoes, meat, beans, stir together
Add enough stock to cover the beans and meat by at least one inch
Bring to a boil for 5 minutes
Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook about 3 1/2 hours .... but this isn’t precise.
Check every so often and if the beans are getting too thick, add some stock
About 3 hour mark, start checking the beans for done. Done is when they have a clean bite, but are firm not mushy.
Once done, add the jalapeño.
Let stand off the heat for at least 20 minutes and then serve
Notes
Meat - no need to go buy meat specifically for the beans. Use some leftover meat from another cook. Ham, pork shoulder, brisket, chuck roast, etc. If you do need some meat, get something cheap like hamhocks or maybe a ham steak. If you get hamhocks (yum) make a stock first :-)
Beer - my personal favorite for this is Shiner Bock. But any decent lager will do. Don’t use something like Coors or Budweiser or a Pilsener of any sort, they are too hoppy and you won’t like how it changes the flavors. A lager of some sort will help add richness and flavor.
Simmer - for beans this means get the temperature on your stove to the point where you are getting just 2-3 bubbles per second in the pot. No more than that. You may have to balance the burner temp with the lid partly off the pot. This actually works well because it lets the steam escape and slowly get the pot of beans to thicken.
Scaling - If you want to serve enough for 3-4 adults, use 8 oz dried beans. Still use a 12 oz bottle of bear, same amount of meat, etc. Cut the onion in half. You may need UP TO 24 oz of stock. Basically, once the meat, beer, etc are in the pot, then add enough stock (beef, chicken, home made, etc) until you raise the level of the beans by 1 - 1.5 inches. No more than that.
Updated to be Paprika friendly.
All the ingredients for a pot of Eric’s Drunken Beans .... in the ziplock bag is 12 oz of homemade stock using a ham bone
I used leftover pork shoulder, about 6 oz worth, this time.
Sautéing onions, garlic, and spices in bacon fat
Added ham stock, tomatoes and beer to the pot. Now to finish covering with some chicken stock and bring to a boil .... 5 minute boil and then simmer for hour several hours.
They are done ..... notice the beans aren’t split .... simmer gently. Add jalapeños right at the end.
Served as a side dish with ribs
I take the idea of borracho beans (drunken beans) from Mexico and cross them with traditional Texas beans. Texas beans are not sweet and thick like baked beans, they are savory, firm beans, with a bit of spice. What results is, I believe, one of the greatest BBQ side dishes ever. And you could just serve it as a main dish with some crusty bread and Shiner Bock!
I personally use Rancho Gordo beans, which are much different from the several years old dried beans you get in the grocery store. If you can get Rancho Gordo beans, you won’t regret it. If not, then prepare the beans according to the normal method. Soak for 12 hours and then boil for 30 minutes. Then follow the rest of the recipe. If you use Rancho Gordo beans, there is no need for the soak and boil preparation at all. Just put the beans in and cook.
Ingredients
16 oz dried beans (2X 15 oz canned beans if you insist)
12 oz Shiner Bock or other good lager
4-8 oz meat — ham, brisket, pork shoulder, chuck roast, whatever.
24 oz chicken stock (or stock made using that hamhock or ham bone)
4 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 can whole, diced, or crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
2 jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, diced
Directions
In a bit of olive oil, cook bacon until the fat is rendered. Reserve the bacon
Add onions and cook in bacon fat until translucent, about 10 minutes
Add the cumin, pepper, garlic, bay leaves and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes
Add the beer and deglaze the pot
Add the tomatoes, meat, beans, stir together
Add enough stock to cover the beans and meat by at least one inch
Bring to a boil for 5 minutes
Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook about 3 1/2 hours .... but this isn’t precise.
Check every so often and if the beans are getting too thick, add some stock
About 3 hour mark, start checking the beans for done. Done is when they have a clean bite, but are firm not mushy.
Once done, add the jalapeño.
Let stand off the heat for at least 20 minutes and then serve
Notes
Meat - no need to go buy meat specifically for the beans. Use some leftover meat from another cook. Ham, pork shoulder, brisket, chuck roast, etc. If you do need some meat, get something cheap like hamhocks or maybe a ham steak. If you get hamhocks (yum) make a stock first :-)
Beer - my personal favorite for this is Shiner Bock. But any decent lager will do. Don’t use something like Coors or Budweiser or a Pilsener of any sort, they are too hoppy and you won’t like how it changes the flavors. A lager of some sort will help add richness and flavor.
Simmer - for beans this means get the temperature on your stove to the point where you are getting just 2-3 bubbles per second in the pot. No more than that. You may have to balance the burner temp with the lid partly off the pot. This actually works well because it lets the steam escape and slowly get the pot of beans to thicken.
Scaling - If you want to serve enough for 3-4 adults, use 8 oz dried beans. Still use a 12 oz bottle of bear, same amount of meat, etc. Cut the onion in half. You may need UP TO 24 oz of stock. Basically, once the meat, beer, etc are in the pot, then add enough stock (beef, chicken, home made, etc) until you raise the level of the beans by 1 - 1.5 inches. No more than that.
Updated to be Paprika friendly.
All the ingredients for a pot of Eric’s Drunken Beans .... in the ziplock bag is 12 oz of homemade stock using a ham bone
I used leftover pork shoulder, about 6 oz worth, this time.
Sautéing onions, garlic, and spices in bacon fat
Added ham stock, tomatoes and beer to the pot. Now to finish covering with some chicken stock and bring to a boil .... 5 minute boil and then simmer for hour several hours.
They are done ..... notice the beans aren’t split .... simmer gently. Add jalapeños right at the end.
Served as a side dish with ribs
I'll be givin em a try, soon! 
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