Part of the success with a great BBQ is having some quick sides which you can prepare ahead of time and put on the table when the meat is grilled. Trust me on this - you do NOT want to be puttering with aside dish while the delicious main course is sitting going cold . . . or even worse, distracted by cooking a side dish and allowing the meat to burn!
I found this recipe for these zesty beans on the Simply Recipes site. I figured that they would be the sort of thing that could be made ahead of time. I also knew that because Elise recommended them that they would be brilliant.
Sure enough, they were!!
Pinto Beans with Bacon and Jalapeños
1 Tbsp olive oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil
2 to 3 whole jalapeño chile peppers
2 to 3 thick-cut slices of bacon
2 cups of chopped onion
2 medium clove of garlic, minced
4 cups of cooked pinto beans (2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained)
Salt
1/2 cup, loosely packed, chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oil in a medium skillet on high heat. Put the jalapeños in the pan and stir to coat with the oil. Let cook, turning occasionally, on all sides, until all sides are nicely browned (about 10-15 minutes, depending on how hot your burner is). Remove from pan. Cut away and discard the stem, core, seeds, and veins. Coarsely chop the remaining jalapeño flesh.
While the jalapeños are cooking, cook the bacon slices on medium low heat in a large skillet, until crispy. Remove bacon from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off (do not discard down the drain!) all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.
Add the chopped onion to the pan with the bacon fat. Increase the heat to medium high and cook until translucent and lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more. While the onion is cooking, chop the cooked bacon.
Add the cooked beans, chopped bacon, and the chopped jalapeños to the pan and stir to mix. Sprinkle with salt.
Serve with chopped cilantro.
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