Cooking with EL CHAVO! : Frijoles Rancheros

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And so the re-purposing of that initial pot of beans continues. This variation is easily the one that gives me the most satisfaction, a legume experience that is pure gustatory pleasure and reminds me of better days.

This recipe might not mean as much to you as it does me, but this is one of the few dishes that I both enjoy making and eating. Plus it brings me back to an earlier era, a comfort food from a time when the family life wasn’t the mess it has now become. I’m not going to bore you with the details, just trust me when I tell you that not all Mexican families adhere to that Advertisment version of the harmonious family. Sometimes, you just have to say “no mas.”

This recipe comes via my grandmother, aka Carmen, aka Carmela, aka Abue. She made these all the time for special occasions, usually for something like the Navidad gatherings, or El Dia del Pavo. But they seemed to be present at any sort of special event, anything that seemed worthy of an extra effort. They do take a bit of extra work, not much, but just a small amount of attention. And it’s crazy to think how nowadays that little bit of effort can make such a difference. And how it can mean so much more.

Click here to see the recipe!

This entry was posted in Chanfles, Fotos, La Comida, Mexico, no-recetas, Shit I love, This Chicano Life. Bookmark the permalink.

15 Responses to Cooking with EL CHAVO! : Frijoles Rancheros

  1. Vidalia says:

    My god, I’ve been bugging you for this recipe for years! For anyone that hasn’t tasted these, here is my testimonial:

    I love meat. I never thought that a vegetarian bean recipe would have me obsessing for years. These are the best beans I’ve ever tasted in my life and at this advanced age, I must say that I’ve eaten a lot of damned beans. I feel like someone just handed me the arc of the covenant or the damned rosetta stone or something.

  2. Cheryl J says:

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now I gotta cook these up tonight. P.S. Thank you.

  3. chimatli says:

    Excellent recipe and I can attest to the delicious goodness of these beans as well!

  4. moon says:

    Day of the Turkey? Is that what us gringos call Thanksgiving ’cause I like that much better.

    I’ll have to make this for my sister and brother out-law when they visit. They travel and crave goodies like this.

  5. LA MapNerd says:

    Oh, Turkey Day!

    (Pavo is “peacock” in Latin, and silly me, I was sitting here Googling “Day of the Peacock.”)

  6. Erika says:

    I’m not vegeterian but I enjoy Reynaldo’s more than most chorizo’s out there.

  7. esme says:

    My hus’s family makes a Sinaloense version called frijoles puercos. Basically the same ecxept they also add Spanish olives and cheese. Thx for the soy chorizo tip tho- I’ve been looking for a good vegetarian alternative. I even tried using only the spices with no meat once, but made them puckerish instead of ranchero.

  8. sesosfritos says:

    nice recipe chavo! a great de-porkified version of a classic. in my pueblo we call this variety “frijoles de fiesta.”

    as for dia del pavo… my family has officially adpoted usage of the word “turqui” en español. we still use “guajolote” and occasionally refer to it as “chumpipe” thanx to the recent salvi influence on the family.

    and thanx for the heads up on soy chorizo brands.

  9. José says:

    Delicious…simply delicious!

  10. felisha says:

    The frijoles sound great. What market stocks Reynaldo’s soy chorizo.

  11. EL CHAVO! says:

    Big Saver has Reynaldos soy chorizo, for around $1.60 a pack. I think El Super on York in HLP also has it.

    Yeah, pavo is another way of saying guajolote aka turkey. Plus its shorter. 😉 Pavo real is peacock, and the mascot for some bakeries.

    If anyone makes this recipe, please let me know how it turned out.

  12. tim says:

    You say to add jalapenos to each batch…do you mean each time you make the small batch or do you mean the entire finished batch?

    Tks
    Tim

  13. Dan says:

    Honestly, I like your way of explaining things . Its like a breath of fresh air ..So honest and to the point…I am a Vegetarian and I am getting hooked to your recipes . Please teach us more of your Grandma Carmela’s recipes ..Happy new year and God bless you !

  14. LizBean says:

    Hmmm….. Where do you get “reynaldos” chorizo?

    I can’t stand real meat and I can’t stand Fake meat. They both gross me out. The majority of my protein comes from beans or tofu…and nuts. Yes, I agree though that the mistakes in fake meats come from the spices they don’t use properly. It’s all in the spices. However, our neighbor from down the block makes the BEST Soy chorizo EVER! From SCRATCH!! She sells a full packed sandwich bag for 2.50

    Mmmm….. We use it to make the best Chili beans with nachos y queso 😀

  15. Elizabeth DONNELLY says:

    SO refreshing to read this website. I really love it and it hits home. Keep up the good work.

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