Southwest Beef & Beans

[LarryW]

Southwest Beef & Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound dried pinto beans
About 6 cups water
1 bottle beer, or about 1/2 cup of Port, and/or 1 can beef broth
½ pound salt pork, cut up (room temp)
2 pounds chuck steak (room temp)
1 red chili pepper, cut up
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 ½ TBS chili powder
1 TSP cumin seeds
½ TSP Marjoram
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 TBS Cholula hot sauce
Kosher Salt & Pepper


Directions:

Soak beans in a pot overnight. Next day, brown salt pork in skillet, drain off fat in paper towels. In the bean pot, add pork with the beans, and bring to a boil and cook about 15-20 minutes. Cut up chuck steak in about 1” cubes and brown in skillet. Make sure there's a nice crisp on the beef cubes. In crock pot, combine beans and pork (with the water), beef, and remaining ingredients. Mix it up. Cover with liquid (beer, port wine, and/or beef broth). Cover and cook 1 hour on HIGH, then lower heat to LOW and cook an additional 9 hours until beans and everything is tender. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Add Cholula. Thicken with corn meal if necessary. Serve in bowls or over white rice and garnish with Cilantro. A nice slice of homemade cornbread with butter goes good with this, too. Salt & pepper to taste.

Prep time: about 45 minutes
Cook time: 10 hours
Yield: about 10 one and a half cup servings

Freezes well and easy to re-heat.

Enjoy!