Frijoles Borrachos (Drunken Beans)
Try this Frijoles Borrachos (Drunken Beans) recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Frijoles Borrachos (Drunken Beans) recipe, or contribute your own.
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 lb dried pinto beans (soaked 8 hours or overnight)
- 6 slices bacon (chopped)
- 3 jalapeno peppers (seeded and finely chopped)
- 1 cup dark mexican beer
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- Carbohydrate 0.792464587865094 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0593271882822657 g
- Fiber 0.250018185568196 g
- Protein 0.147724734688126 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0146401161825908 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -8 serving (183g)
- Sodium 1.97125440225749 mg
- Sugar 0.542446402296898 g
- Trans Fat 0.0108755341916117 g
- Calories 4 calories
Step-by-step
- Drain and rinse beans. Press Sauté; cook bacon in Instant Pot® until crisp. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Add onion to pot; cook and stir 3 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Add jalapeños, garlic and oregano; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in beer, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Stir in beans, tomatoes, water and salt; mix well.
- Secure lid and move pressure release valve to Sealing position. Press Manual or Pressure Cook; cook at high pressure 22 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, use natural release for 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure.
- Press Sauté; cook 3 minutes, mashing beans slightly until broth is thickened and creamy. Stir in cilantro.
Home cooks frequently fail to render the bacon completely crisp before introducing the aromatics, leaving rubbery fat throughout the finished pot. Render the chopped bacon thoroughly until it yields rendered rendering fat, leaving exactly two tablespoons in the vessel to build a proper foundation for the onions and garlic. Scraping the bottom of the pot after pouring in the dark Mexican beer is essential; those caramelized fond particles dissolve into the liquid and build deep umami compounds through Maillard reactions. Utilizing a pressure cooker reduces the standard multi-hour bean boiling process down to twenty-two minutes at high pressure.
Soaking the dried pinto beans for eight hours or overnight hydrates the cellular structure evenly, preventing split skins during the rapid pressure cooking cycle. Deglazing with beer introduces alcohol and acidity, which tenderizes the bean starches while balancing the heavy fats from the bacon. Jalapeños contribute capsaicin, a fat-soluble compound that disperses evenly throughout the broth when simmered alongside the cured pork. Fresh cilantro acts as a volatile top note, adding herbal brightness that cuts through the rich, malt-forward profile of the cooked legumes.
Prepared beans store exceptionally well in an airtight container inside the refrigerator for up to five days. The starches continue to absorb liquid as the mixture sits, meaning the sauce will thicken noticeably upon cooling. Freeze portions in heavy-duty freezer bags for up to three months without losing structural integrity. When freezing, leave an inch of headspace at the top of the container because liquids expand as frozen water crystals form.
Reheating requires gentle heat on the stovetop over medium-low flame to prevent scorching the dense bean starches at the bottom of the pan. Add two tablespoons of water or chicken stock per cup of chilled beans to restore the original creamy consistency of the broth. Simmer the mixture for five minutes until heated entirely through before stirring in fresh cilantro to restore vibrant color and flavor. Avoid using high heat during the reheating phase, as aggressive boiling will break down the tender bean interiors into an unappealing mush.
