Recipe Source: Bayless, Rick. Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen. Scribner, New York, 1996 pp. 239 – 240
This is another recipe dating to Memorial Day weekend. I originally intended to serve it on Monday – one of my guests was pregnant and I wanted to give her the taste of tequila without the potential harmful effects. Then I found out that we were getting another family as well, a family with some pretty stringent dietary restrictions. One of the guests detests beans and will not eat them. Well, I knew that we were having another couple over on Sunday night, a couple that included one vegetarian. Beans are always good for vegetarians, right?
Well, I made a few more changes to the recipe. The pork was already going to be omitted, as was the bacon. I couldn't get beef bacon at that point and I can't eat the normal stuff. One of my guests is likewise pork-averse, so they had to go. I couldn't get a white onion, so I used a red onion and a yellow onion. Why yes, that is increasing the onion, glad you noticed. Onion is super good for you. I added some garlic, because everyone needs more garlic in their lives. Since one of my guests is allergic to cilantro, I substituted the only other fresh herb I had on hand.
The resulting dish was actually pretty tasty. I wouldn't have envisioned tequila and sage matching all that well together but they didn't do too badly. The tequila was definitely not overpowering.
Drunken Beans (serves 4; approx. cost per serving not available)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 jalapenos, sliced
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ tablespoons tequila (1 shot), plus more for the cook if you like
1 bunch chopped fresh sage
Equipment:
- Dutch oven
- Heat the oil in the Dutch oven.
- Add the onions, garlic and jalapenos. Sauté until the onions are deeply colored, seasoning with salt.
- Add the beans with about a cup of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the beans are tender and the flavors are well mixed.
- Add the tequila and sage just before serving.
- Serve.
