Rancho Gordo Drunken Beans

And here we are again with yet another new recipe for my favorite beans.  I just can't pass up new offerings, and I have yet to be disappointed with a new try.

I usually make beans vegetarian, but this called for bacon and I happened to have spicy spanish chorizo so I decided to break with tradition and give it a whirl.  Plus I added chopped some green pepper for fun.  I made them nice and brothy, served them with mexican brined chicken, slaw and corn tortillas plus a lovely Shiner Bok!

I precooked some beautiful Santa Maria Piqunito Beans - tiny with pinto flavor and richness but in a large recipe with amazing aromatics it is nice the the beans don't take center stage; instead they work in harmony with everything.

Drunken Beans (inspired by Rancho Gordo)

2 cups beans, cooked
1/2 bottle beer (I used a local brown beer)
1 rasher bacon (I used some spanish chorizo)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole serrano peppers, minced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
limes

Warm cooked beans. Add beer. These beans should be somewhat soupy. Add more beer if too thick; or turn up the flame, cook off excess liquid if too thin.

Cook single rasher of bacon in an ungreased frying pan. Remove bacon and excess fat, leaving about a tablespoon. Sauté onion, green peppers, garlic and chiles. When soft, add mushrooms. Cook until soft. Chop bacon and add to mixture.

Add mushroom/bacon mix to the pot of beans. Mix thoroughly and cook for another 10 minutes. Test for seasoning. Serves 4-6.

Serve with a lime wedge.