Rachelle’s Story — Red Chile Beans for the Week the Rhythm Came Back

Mid-January. The household has resumed its rhythm. The schedule is consistent. Lisa is on shifts. The twins are at school. Sofia is at school. I am at the office. Diego calls Sunday nights. The pattern is the pattern.

I made red chile beans Saturday. The kitchen smelled like home. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

Saturday is when I have the time to do it right — a long, slow pot that fills the house and says everything is back in order. Red chile beans are what my mother made when she needed to steady the house, and that’s what I needed: something that simmered while the laundry ran and the sun moved across the kitchen floor. If you’ve got people to feed and a table to hold them at, this is the pot to start with.

Rachelle’s Red Chile Beans

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 2 hr 30 min | Total Time: 2 hr 45 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried pinto beans, rinsed and sorted
• 8 cups water, plus more as needed
• 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped, plus 1/4 onion left whole
• 6 garlic cloves, divided (4 whole, 2 minced)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 2 tbsp lard or neutral oil
• 1 roma tomato, roughly chopped
• Warm tortillas, for serving

Instructions

1. Soak the beans. Place rinsed beans in a large pot and cover with cold water by 3 inches. Soak overnight or at least 6 hours. Drain and rinse.
2. Start the pot. Return beans to the pot with 8 cups fresh water, the whole 1/4 onion, and 4 whole garlic cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any foam that rises. Reduce heat to a steady simmer, cover partially, and cook 1 hour 30 minutes, or until beans are just beginning to soften.
3. Rehydrate the chiles. While beans cook, toast dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30–45 seconds per side until fragrant and pliable. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak 20 minutes until fully softened. Reserve 1/2 cup soaking liquid.
4. Blend the chile sauce. Drain chiles and add to a blender with the chopped onion, minced garlic, roma tomato, cumin, oregano, and reserved soaking liquid. Blend until completely smooth, 1–2 minutes.
5. Fry the sauce. Heat lard or oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully pour in the chile sauce (it will splatter). Fry, stirring frequently, for 5–7 minutes until the sauce deepens in color and thickens slightly.
6. Combine and finish. Stir the fried chile sauce into the bean pot. Add salt and stir to combine. Continue simmering, partially covered, for 45–60 minutes more until beans are completely tender and the broth is rich and thickened. Add water 1/4 cup at a time if the pot looks dry. Taste and adjust salt.
7. Rest and serve. Let the pot rest off heat for 10 minutes before ladling into bowls. Serve with warm tortillas.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 33g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 380mg