Vegan Borracho Beans (Drunken Beans)

The best way we know of cooking pinto beans

I'm always looking for different ways of cooking pinto beans, because I like them so much. Vegan borracho (drunken) beans seemed like just the thing - I loved the idea of drunken beans!

The result of my experiments was layers of delicious flavors in a simple & adaptable pinto bean recipe. The alcohol cooks away, but the beer taste lingers.

Total prep & cook time: 75 min

6 Servings

Nutrition Data Per Serving: Calories 173 Fat 3g, Sodium 22mg, Carbs 28g, fiber 8g, Sugars 5g, Protein 8g, Vit. C 29% DV, Vit A 6% DV, Calcium 6% DV, Iron 14% DV, low cholesterol & sodium, good source fiber, Vit C, Folate and Manganese, Estimated Glycemic Load: 10

Cooking Pinto Beans:

• Rinse 1 cup dried pinto beans and soak in cold water for 6 to 12 hours
• Quick Soak: Bring the beans to a boil, remove from heat, cover and soak for 2 hours
• Drain and rinse the beans
• Stove Top: Add cold water to cover, bring to a boil, skim the foam, cover and simmer until soft, approximately 1 hour
• Slow Cooker: After bringing the beans to a boil and skimming the foam, drain the beans, and place in the slowcooker. Add cold water to cover, replace the lid and cook on low for 8 hours
• To use in this recipe, drain beans in a colander or seive over a large container, and reserve the cooking liquid

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 - 3 cups cooked pinto beans
• Note: If using canned beans, use the liquid too
• 1 cup Mexican beer (or any strong or dark beer)
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup bean cooking liquid or water
• 1 unsalted vegan bouillon cube
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp light molasses
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp seeded & minced jalapeno pepper
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 pinch - 1/2 tsp chipotle pepper (remember, it's potent!)
• 1 tsp gr. coriander
• 1 tsp gr. cumin
• 1 tsp oregano leaf
• Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the beans, beer, tomatoes, bean liquid, bouillon cube, liquid smoke, balsamic vinegar, light molasses and bay leaf
2. Heat on medium
3. Heat the oil on med-low in a fry pan
4. Add the onion and stir fry until it's soft and transparent
5. Add the garlic, jalapeno and bell pepper - stir fry 5 minutes
6. Add the dry spices and heat for 2 minutes
7. Add the contents of the fry pan to the beans, rinsing with a little water to get all the good stuff on the bottom of the pan
8. Cover and cook the beans for 1 hour, stirring occasionally
9. The beans will absorb liquid as they cook - add water as needed for desired consistency
10. Add the dry spices and heat for 2 minutes
11. Taste and add salt & pepper if needed
12. Serve with: Chopped minced fresh cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream

Cooking Tips:

Fresh raw plum tomatoes would have been ideal, but February tomatoes in the midwest aren't worth buying. I used organic crushed tomatoes instead, which was faster & easier - no peeling, seeding, or chopping.

I cooked my own pinto beans because it's easy and I like to make extra to freeze for future meals. 1 cup of dried beans turned into about 2 1/2 cups of cooked beans, about the same as 2 cans of beans.

If you’d like hotter beans, just up the amount of chipotle pepper. If you're short on time, use dried onion & garlic granules, and canned jalapenos - not the same as fresh, but close enough.

Traditional non-veg boraccho beans include bacon. For this vegan version, liquid smoke, balsamic vinegar, and molasses did the trick - no bacon necessary! I stuck with easy to find ingredients stocked by our local grocery, which didn't include epazote sprigs, borracho bean flavoring, or jalapeno bacon salt.

My husband loved this drunken bean recipe - and he is not a beer, bean, tomato or spicy food kind of guy.

We ate our drunken beans over brown rice with a green salad - perfect! It's also great in a bowl by itself with tortillas or crackers, or in a burrito or wrap, or the old beans on toast trick. The possibilities are endless.

6 Modest Servings: Since children don’t always like hot hot food, try serving hot sauce at the table for the grownups, instead of amping up the heat in the beans. A squirt of lime juice & chopped cilantro were tasty garnishes. Sour cream would work too - vegan versions are widely available.

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