Later this week, the beans will be mashed up with browned chorizo sausage, topped with some cheese for homemade bean and cheese tacos for breakfasts or lunches. My kids love bean and cheese tacos, and while they prefer the ones from Mama Margie’s restaurant, they do enjoy these homemade ones. But they have to start with creamy beans…
I’m trying a new recipe for pinto beans today, but I’m sure it won’t disappoint. It comes from my friend Julie’s mother-in-law. Her recipe calls for bacon grease or shortening to flavor the beans, but I’m using a ham bone. I save the bone from our Thanksgiving ham, freeze it, and it is perfect for flavoring beans. Just add the whole bone in the beginning and take it out and discard it at the end.
Do you want to know about the tortilla too? I made homemade tortillas to go with the beans. I've only tried homemade tortillas just a couple of times, and I wasn't very pleased with the results last time. I think that was about four years ago. I wanted a tortilla to go with my beans, and I'm not feeling great today, so I decided to give it a try again rather than take a trip to the grocery store... I found a recipe on http://www.texasrollingpins.com/, and I was pleased with the results. Pretty good for a white girl. No abuelita to show me how to do it. :)
It's a pretty basic recipe, mixed by hand. Here's the recipe: (Oh, and a comal is a griddle, just so you know.) Make these. You'll love them. :)
Homemade Flour Tortillas (recipe from http://www.texasrollingpins.com/)
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4-6 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or lard
about 1 1/4 cups warm water
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add vegetable shortening or lard. Or use a combination of half lard, half shortening. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned way and use your hands.
Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do not need very hot water. Knead the dough for a few minutes.
Now you will pull off pieces of dough to form about 12 small dough balls. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes, longer if you like.
This is a good time to heat up the comal. You will want to set it at medium to high heat. If it is too hot the tortillas will cook too fast.
Now you can roll out the dough with your tortilla rolling pin or palote. It is a good idea to dust each ball with a little flour just before you roll them out. Lay the palote in the center of the dough ball and roll up, center and roll down. It is good to lift the dough and turn it. Again, rolling pin in the center and roll. Roll them out fairly thin.
Lay your tortilla on the hot comal. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other side. When they are done it should have lots of nice brown speckles. Place them in a towel. If you would like you can use a tortilla warmer to keep them warm longer.
They are ready to be served!
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