Braised Pinto Beans with Piperade & Chorizo
I went to the market the other day and saw a crazy sale on large bags of green, yellow, orange, and red bell peppers. I couldn’t stop myself and bought several bags of assorted colors for $3, without really knowing what I was going to do with them.
How could I resist.
My mind went immediately to piperade, a Basque dish that in its most basic form is a cooked mixture of bell peppers, tomato, onion, and garlic.
Then, I thought about frijoles charros, Mexican pinto beans cooked with chile, onion, and often bacon and chorizo. If you have roots in northern Mexico/the U.S. southwest, then you probably have an unshakeable bond with this dish.
Combining the two dishes was magical. Easily one of the most soul-warming, rustic breakfasts I’ve made for myself. And since I’m the kind of person who buys beans in bulk, constantly makes stocks from leftovers, and freezes several pounds of homemade chorizo every couple months, I had all the major components for something delicious.
And to think, it all started because I just wanted to take advantage of an irresistable deal.
Provecho!
In a medium saute pan (or dutch oven) on medium heat, add chorizo and bacon. Cook until most of the fat has rendered and chorizo and bacon are just about fully cooked.
Add piperade and cook until fragrant and most liquid is cooked off.
Add stock and beans to pan, and bring to boil over high heat. Cover pan with a tight-fitting lid and turn heat down to low to maintain a simmer for about 1.5 - 2 hours, or until beans are tender all the way through.
When beans are fully cooked and neither crunchy or mushy, make four small wells in the bean mixture and break an egg in each well. Sprinkle each egg with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover pan with a tight-fitting lid for 3 - 4 minutes, until egg whites are set but yolks are still soft.
Remove pan from heat, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve immediately.