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Beans, Salsa and Tortillas

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

For the Beans

  • lb. pinto beans
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 scallions
  • salt to taste

For the Salsa

  • 2 cans Ortega chilis diced
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 red onion chopped
  • 1 lemon
  • black coarse pepper
  • olive oil
  • balsamic vinegar
  • 2 stalks celery finely chopped
  • fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 package tortillas corn or flour

Instructions

  • For the Beans
  • Rinse the beans two or three times, running the beans through your fingers into the colander, looking to remove rocks, pebbles. Pour rinsed beans into a large pot and fill the pot one inch from the top with water. Soak the beans overnight.
  • Next day, add garlic, scallions and cook at your lowest possible setting for about 8 hours adding water as needed.
  • When the beans are tender, fat and pink...the water will be cooked out of them. They will taste flat.
  • Add salt until the flavor comes out. Start with at least one half tsp. Add salt to your own taste...could be as much as 2 tsp.
  • Turn beans off. When ready to eat, reheat the beans until piping hot (if you add more water, always cook the water out before serving).

For the Salsa

  • Add chilis, tomatoes, celery & onions into a bowl.
  • Add lots of coarse ground pepper, half teaspoon salt, one whole lemon squeezed of its juice, vinegar, one splash of balsamic . No, make that two splashes.
  • Slowly pour olive oil, until you see a few bubbles floating on top.
    (A rule of thumb is one part oil to two part vinegar).
  • Taste. Add some salt. If it is flat tasting, add a little more vinegar or lemon, pepper or salt.
  • This creates a mild salsa. The longer, the salsa sits in the refrigerator, the hotter the flavor. However, if you want a kick tonight, add one half of a single jalapeno pepper.
    For salsa maniacs, add entire can of jalapenos. Guaranteed to be on fire and make your forehead sweat.
  • You are ready to serve SOUL FOOD FROM THE GODS. Place beers, limes, spoons, forks, plates, napkins on the table. Set the pot of beans on a hotplate with a big slotted ladle. Bring stack of heated wrapped tortillas.
  • Grab the salsa bowl. Place tortilla on plate, ladle in beans, salsa and roll up tortilla. If you are a gringo, add sour cream and avocado. Umm....first bite, you'll have died and gone to heaven.

Notes

Leftovers are the beginnings of fajitas extraordinaire...for tomorrow nite with Spanish rice.