Frijoles de la Olla Con Chochoyotes (Beans with Masa Dumplings)

My grandmother came from my mothers side came not so long ago to visit us from Texas, so that's why I been dishing out lots of Mexican dishes & posts lately :) hope whoever is reading them is enjoying lol.

Anyways what are "Chochoyotes" they are dumplings made out pre-dominantly of corn masa (masa harina) & tastey pork fat with salt to taste. They are rolled into balls, an indentation is made on them with your thumb or whatever, and added to soups or stews. They taste like a dense tamale.

These things called "Chochoyotes" are something fairly new to me, my mother, grandmother and other family friends had no clue such a thing existed (even though they're Mexican) the reason is that Mexican Cuisine can vary A LOT and be very regional depending where your from, I learned about these from a woman who shared her way of making these dumplings who's family is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, those dumplings are popular in that area's cuisine, so yup that's how I learned them :) the recipe that was shared involved squash blossoms, sometype of chile colorado all cooked together with these dumplings, so I was like "oh I'm sure it'll be good in a pot of soupy pinto or black beans) and thus came this recipe, plus I saw a newspaper article where someone made black beans with some sort of masa dumplings as well.

Ingredients:
-1 lb. pinto, flor de mayo, peruvian, or black beans (either one of those are suitable I used Pinto this time)
-1/2 a large onion
-2 cloves garlic
-1 serrano chile (optional I use it sometimes gives a peppery taste)
-a small bunch of epazote (optional I know it's hard to come by for some people, but if you live in Southern California you'll find it at any Mexican store)

Ingredients for dumplings:
-1 1/2 cups maseca (masa harina)
-about 1 cup or more of water (you'll add it slowly and see how much you need)
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 cup of lard (best if it's "asiento" which is the bottom part of the pot when rendering lard with all the pork rind powder, but lard can be used)

Ingredients to serve/ garnish: (you don't have to use all of them, just what you like, I always have to have the tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro. the rest I use them if I have it on hand)
-a small bowl of chopped tomatoes
-a small bowl of chopped onions
-a small bowl of chopped green chili peppers (jalapeno or serrano)
-1 small bowl of chopped cilantro
-chopped avocado in a bowl
-cubes a fresh cheese queso fresco
-mexican cream

Directions for dumplings:
(1) Add maseca, and salt to a bowl, stram in water a little at a time, running your hands in circular motion DO NOT PRESS the dough just swoosh it around, when it forms crumbly and a little moist, begin to press together until you get a compact dough.
(2) Add melted lard, and work the dough 4-5 minutes until everything is well married.
(3) Make little balls out of it, not to little like umm a tiny gulf ball & make an endentation with your thumb or index finger.
(4) Arrange in a plate, cover with damp cloth until ready to use.
Directions for beans and the rest of the stuff:
(1) Wash and rinse beans, bring to a boil together with water, onion, and garlic (enough water to submerge them 2 inches or more), cover lower heat and allow to cook about 1 1/2- 2 hours til tender (that's how long my beans took, you can soak em overnight if you'd like, or cook them the same day it works for me)

(2) When beans are tender add salt to taste (I use about 2 teaspoons) remove onion and garlic throw away, and add epazote if using,
the masa dumplings,
bring to a boil and allow to boil over medium covered about 5-7 minutes. Turn off heat and remove from heat. DO NOT. I REPEAT DO NOT allow the masa dumplings to boil to long they will disintegrate into the beans and you'll get a gruel. It'll be terrible (it's happened to me before it isn't the first time I've cooked this I learn from trial and error lol.) oh and remove the epazote/ discard
(3) Serve in a shallow bowl, and add any of the toppings/ garnishes, mix up and enjoy :)
PLEASE NOTE:
(1) For those that may get a panic attack from using some lard in cooking, feel free to use extra-virgin olive oil, or some other type of oil, but it won't be as tastey ;)

(2) And please please please heed my word do not let these dumplings cook too long in your pot of beans they WILL start breaking and be mush.

(3) It wouldn't hurt to boil the beans with some pork ribs or pork neck bones but that'll be another story or post ;)

(4) If your short on time, or intimidated to make the dumpling dough from scratch, but fresh prepared masa from a Mexican super market (the kind used to make tortillas not tamales) and use about 2 cups of that, and add 1/4 cup lard and salt to taste and work that dough a bit and well you know the rest.

... y oye tengan quidado porque despues de comerse un platazo de esto se van a tirar unos bombasos asi que mejor ir a la casa de tu peor enemigo despues de comer esto ja ja j/k.

Frijoles Negros Con Epazote

Black beans are popular in some parts of Mexico in most parts though Pinto beans rule. I had heard that Black beans in some parts of Mexico are prepared with a herb called "Epazote"
which is used in Mexican cooking (not sure for what other applications because it is absent from my mother's Mexican cooking) I'll be honest I don't know much about the herb, I just wikipedia'd it (yeah I know that's not a word) and linked it so you guys can read it if your interested.

Well anyways, I went to the grocery store and saw a big bunch of fresh Epazote and I don't know what got into me but I said, "Hey I've heard black beans with epazote are delicious never have made it but I guess I'll try it and see how it goes" and I did.

I will be honest with all my readers, I do dislike Mexican "Frijoles de la Olla" type dishes (bean soups prepared the traditional way which I feel is a little bland and watered down, that is the reason I tend to always when I make them I simple drain them and fry them then mash to a delicious savory paste. (can you blame me I was raised on thick and rich Cuban and Spaniard bean/ legume based stews). For my blog I prepared them watered down to keep it traditional and how most Mexicans would like it, but for my house I almost always make bean soups/ stews thick, or water if I wish to refry them or use them to make "Enfrijoladas"
But I still wanna show my reader's what I know so here goes I will show you how to prepare "Frijoles Negros Con Epazote" and I know many people like stuff prepared like this :)

Ingredients:
-2 cups black beans
-1/2 big onion or 1 medium one cut in half
-2-3 cloves garlic whole
-1/2 a big bunch of Epazote cleaned and tied so you can easily remove it
-water
-salt Directions:
(1)Get beans, run your hands through them to get rid of anything that may be hiding in them, rinse well and place in a pot.

(2)Add water enough to cover about 1-2 inches and throw in garlic, onion, and epazote bring to boil and simmer for about 2 hours more or less depends on your beans

(3)When done cooking throw away and remove garlic, onion, and epazote, add salt to taste and let boil another 3-5 minutes.
You can enjoy as a soup, eat with rice or tortilla, good side dish to most Mexican meals (meats, etc.) but I DIDN'T WANNA EAT IT PREPARED LIKE THAT SO I REFRIED IT:

Ingredients:
-Prepared cooked "Frijoles Negros Con Epazote"
-1/2 onion minced
-4 teaspoons more or less "lard" or "bacon grease"

Directions:
(1)I like my black beans really smooth so I put them in a blender and dilute with some of the black bean broth. Set aside. (You can do this in batches)

(2)Now heat a pan on medium high heat, add lard or bacon grease, when it melts and it's hot add onions and brown them until translucent and cooked down a bit on medium high

(3)Now add your black beans that you blended and stir until they come to a boil, let it reduce on medium heat stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick until it reaches the consistency you desire.



(4)Serve as a side with whatever, I went stereotypical and melted cheese over them and ate them with some corn tortillas and a spicy sauce. (yes people I love beans and cheese with tortillas heck I love beans! If you haven't noticed I have tons of bean recipes in my blog haha)

Frijoles Pintos Fritos (Refried Pinto Beans)

This is a very simple simple Mexican dish. It is not refried despite the name, I don't know why in English they call it "refried beans" but whatever it's only fried once and it's not even fried it's just boiled beans that have been mashed to a paste with not a lot of oil.

The recipe I am showing to you is the most BASIC, AUTHENTIC, MEXICAN way of preparing them, there is more elaborated delicious way's to make it but this is the typical way it is seasoned for accompanying almost any Mexican dish in place of "Frijoles de la Olla" (lightly seasoned boiled pintos)

Ingredients:
-1 basic "Frijoles de la Olla Recipe" (leftover or cooked the same day don't do anything fancy to it don't need to click on recipe I'm a show it here again along with the rest)
-1/2 onion minced
-4 tablespoons lard or bacon grease or "brown lard" (the leftover lard from frying meats and pork rinds)
-salt to taste

Directions:
(1)After making "Frijoles de la Olla" (honestly it is so simple I thought twice about posting it, just put like 3 - 3 1/2 cups pinto beans rinsed in a pot, plenty of water, 1/2 onion, 2-3 cloves garlic and bring to boil and cover on medium low when cooked salt it) cook til tender.

(2)Heat lard in frying pan, add minced onion and fry until well browned (about 10 minutes more or less) I left for awhile so they burned a little but not really still good.

(3)Scoop out beans with a spoon that drains them and add to the pan let stir a bit and start mashing with a potato masher carefully, it may seem to dry so add a little bit of the bean broth to make into desired constistency, keep mashing and bring to boil until it get's a thick but not to thick consistency.
(4) Serve with any Mexican dish as a side with corn tortillas and a hot sauce, it can even be eaten alone with just corn tortillas and hot sauce it is very filling because of all the fiber from the pinto beans.

PLEASE NOTE:
(1)This dish is eaten in 3 different consistencies usually, like firstly we will fry them until really smooth and super thick calling them "Frijoles Chinitos" when it is this thick and cooked it is used to spread on bread along with other ingredients to make Tortas (type of sandwich made with Bolillos a type of french roll) the second way is like a loose gravy consistency this is used to lightly spread and moisten a tostada topped with other stuff like in my recipe for "Tostadas de Pollo". The third way is the way I prepared it which is for eating with anything as a side.

(2)Again this recipe is very basic you can make more elaborate versions for example fry it with bacon grease from rendered bacon along with with the bacon crumbled, you can fry it with Mexican chorizo and make "Frijoles Con Chorizo o Longaniza", you can scramble eggs fry in the pan and add the beans to mash in for "Frijoles Revueltos Con Huevo" (very popular to give to baby's), you can sautee the onions and add a dried "Chile Negro" or "Guajillo" add beans and reconstitute and infuse the chili flavor by adding some of the broth letting it boil and mashing beans in. There is a lot of way's but again the one I showed is very basic and true. I almost forgot but some also re-fry it then let cheese melt over the top to make a cheesy topping, or also when serving add a dallop of cream or crumbled fresh Mexican cheese over the top also using a dry stinky cheese that smells like feet is popular to called "Queso Cotija" a type of "Queso Añejo"

(3)WIth the leftover broth you can also make "Enfrijoladas" or drink it (I know sounds gross but it's tasty and high in iron might make you fart though haha)

Frijoles de la Olla (Mexican Basic Pinto Beans)

Among Mexicans simply called "Frijoles" or "Frijoles Pintos" and they already think of this dish. I am gonna show you the most basic form of preparing them, the way you will find them at any Mexican household if you where to visit.

My mom likes these, we usually don't eat them as often (because we usaully prefer the Cuban black bean stew) but when eating Mexican food this is the best to choose, especially for refried beans.

Ingredients:

-3 1/2 cups Pinto Beans

-1/2 onion whole

-2 cloves garlic whole just peeled or unpeeled up to you

-About 13-14 cups water (THese arent meant to be thick)

-salt ot taste

Directions:

-Rinse and clean beans, get rid of any ugly ones.

-Now add water, with 1/2 onion and garlic.

-Bring to a boil, cover on low and simmer about 1 hour to 2 hour (depends on your beans mine are done in 1 hour)

-Now that they are done add salt to taste (about 2 teaspoons I added) stir and you done. EASY I KNOW!

NOW you didn't think I'd eat em just like that (though they are still good) but I want a more flavorful kick. So this is what I do in addition to the standard way of makin em.

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons lard or bacon grease (DO NOT DARE USE ANYTHING ELSE!)

-1 large Jalapeño pepper minced or 2 small ones or even better 1 or 2 chile serrano minced

Directions:

(1)Now that your beans are done, heat lard or bacon grease in a pan on medium.

(2)When oil is hot enough add minced chilies, sautee about 5-7 minutes until seeds are goldish DO NOT BURN EM.(3)Now add this to cooked pinto beans and boil together 5-10 minutes.

OMG THEY TASTE WONDERFUL LIKE THIS, you can also sautee other types chilies particualrily the dried Mexican chilies like "Guajillo", "Negro", or "de Arbol" just remove seeds and hard stems from the large dry types and sautee in oil and add in beans to rehydrate. Or when starting to cook beans add a whole "Chile Guajillo" for a different taste,

ALSO PLEASE NOTE:

To refry beans just heat lard or bacon grease, sautee 1/2 minced onion until translucent, scoop in some Pinto beans without that much of it's liquid (just mostly beans) bring to a boil and start mashing and stiring until thickend.

Refried beans is like a savory bean mash or paste. You can also add minced chilies, or dry chili peppers when refrying if you didnt do it when you boiled them.

You may check my post for making them:

http://nathanscomida.blogspot.com/2008/12/frijoles-pintos-fritos-refried-pinto.html

Frijoles Fritos Con Chile Negro o Chile Guajillo (Refried Beans with Black Chile or Guajillo Chili)

There are many way's to do refried beans. You can simply heat oil and directly add cooked beans, you can sautee onion before adding the beans, or you can sautee whatever type of dry chilies you like.
Depending on the choice of fat you use the flavor can be slightly altered. Lard will give it a slight velvety porky hint. Brown lard will make it taste like fried pork rinds. Corn oil will give it a greasy pasty feel. Olive Oil will make it complex and deep.
Here I fry them with "Chile Negro" you can use your favorite dry chilies but "Chile Negro" has a really good smoked flavor.
Also in defense of LARD guess what LARD has less saturated fat than butter. Butter has 7 grams Lard has 5 grams. Also lard has more monounsaturated fat than butter.
Also there are many old people in Mexico that grew of lard and they are healthy.
May I add LARD is WAY BETTER and healthier than CRISCO and all those HYDROGENATED and PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED Margarines becasue those harbor trans-fat. Hmm what else DO NOT BUY a HYDROGENATED LARD that is really bad for you. Look for a lard that doesnt have the word "hydrogenated" on it. Hmm what else in defense of lard, lard has the same amount of calories as any other cooking oil and is very stable at high heat. Look at me Im FREAKEN THIN AND NOT FAT and I occasionally eat animal fats, and Im healthy. END OF STORY Natural good quality fats aren't bad for you go do some research.

Ingredients:
-4 cups cooked pinto beans (pinto beans that have been boiled 2 hours with garlic cloves and half an onion and when just about done boiling)
-2 large dried "Chile Negro" peppers or Guajillo
-2 tablespoons lard or bacon grease or brown lard aka "Manteca Morena" (the brown lard is so flavorful it is brown because lots of pork rinds and meats have been fried over and over in it and then it is sold when they are done using it and it taste AWESOME)
(you may use regular cooking oil if your paranoid but it won't taste the same the lard gives it a velvety texture and a slight porky flavor)

Directions:
-Heat your choice of fat in a pan on medium low then add dried chilies and sautee until oil is infused and fragrant.
-Add beans and bring to a boil on medium low still
-Mash beans with the bottom of a cup or a masher until desired consistency.
-Stir to reduce to your liking and until chili's are soft and moist.
-Turn of heat you done.

Enfrijoladas (Another Breakfast Tortilla Based Dish)

This is basically cold refridgerated corn-tortillas simmered quickly in a bean broth (from leftover coooked pinto-beans in a generous amount of liquid), filled with fresh Mexican Cheese or refried beans, rolled up a little bit of broth ladled over and topped with a mixture of fresh cheese, minced onion and oregano.
Very fast, simple. No pictures I was in a hurry on Saturday which is when I made this for breakfast. Not my favorite dish but a good filling breakfast.
Not even sure if worth posting since it's such a simple home-style dish that a lot of people not familiar with this type of food would make but anyways here goes.

Ingredients:
-Tortillas (depends how many ppl your serving and how much you eat)
-Left over pinto beans in its broth (boiled 2 hrs. with ½ onion 3 clove garlic and generous amount of liquid salted towards end)
-For filling some refried beans or simply the beans in the broth OR some Fresh Crumbled Mexican Cheese
Topping (Mix the following 3 ingredients)
-½-1 lbs. fresh Mexican Cheese or less crumbled finely
-½ onion minced
-1-2 tsp, dried crumbled oregano

Directions:
(1)In a pan heat leftover pinto beans along with a generous amount of the bean broth bring to a boil then lower to medium
(2)Place the tortilla in their for about 30 seconds until flexable.
(3)Put on a plate fill with refried beans or crumbled fresh Mexican cheese or whole pinto beans from the broth.
(4)Roll it up
(5)Top with the topping.