Drunken Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)
They're beans alright. Pouts. Sigh. But there are bits of pancetta (or bacon) too. Really? Now that's more like it. Beans cooked in dark beer with bits of toasted pancetta (pancetta is easier to get here) is a delicious way to eat beans. I have to say that I really love the Mexican frijoles borrachos because the dark beer and bacon make it so full of flavors. A more genuine dish would have epazote but it's nowhere to be found here in Italy even the dried ones. So my own version of this drunken bean dish is simplified with canned beans (of which I usually use borlotti or cannellini instead of pinto), bacon (pancetta) and dark beer.
When I do get to plan ahead, I use dried beans because there is an overnight soaking involved plus about a couple of hours of boiling for them to be deemed tender. Otherwise, I use the canned ones because they are already tender and requires just a few minutes of finalizing the cooking. I had concerns of the nutrient content between the dried and the canned ones. I found out the canned ones are just slightly lower in nutrients, generally protein, but higher in sodium. Since there are no drastic differences, I don't think twice in using the canned ones when I am in a hurry.
You can find my Drunken Beans recipe at She Knows where I regularly create recipes. Check it out. If you are interested in my other recipes there, go to my Profile Page. Thanks and have an awesome week!
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