Charro beans are the saucy, whole pinto beans that you see cowboys (charros) off eating off a tin plate by a campfire in old Western movies.
Pinto beans cooked this way taste a whole lot better than doctored-up beans from a can and dried pinto beans are very economical. You can get a 16-ounce bag for less than the price of a cup of coffee.
I use both onion flakes and fresh onion in this recipe because it adds complexity to the flavor. An entire head of garlic may seem like a lot, but the flavor mellows substantially as it cooks.
Sometimes I’ll eat these beans all by themselves as a whole meal with a bit of Cotija cheese on top. This vegan Sonoran-style ranchero pinto beans recipe is an excerpt from my Taste of Tucson cookbook.
What Are Charro Beans?
Charro beans take their name from the charros – skilled horsemen and cowboys of Mexican ranch culture, recognizable by their ornate traditional dress. The dish is a staple of northern Mexican cuisine, particularly in the state of Sonora where cattle ranching has been central to the regional culture and economy for centuries.
My Sonoran version has a light herb-forward broth. Mexican oregano and red wine vinegar produce a bright, savory broth that tastes complex without requiring multiple types of meat.
The No-Stir Rule
Stirring agitates the beans and causes them to break apart, which produces a cloudy, starchy broth. The beans cook more evenly and hold their shape better when left undisturbed.
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 1 16-ounce bag dried pinto beans (2 cups)
- 2 quarts water
- 2 teaspoons sea salt or more to taste, preferably Sonoran
- ½ cup diced fresh tomatoes
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and examine them carefully. Remove anything that doesn’t look like a pinto bean such as small rocks or other debris. Pour the beans and about 2 quarts of water into a large Dutch oven or stock pot, making sure to leave 2 inches of water at the top of the beans. Stir in the chopped garlic and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered until the beans are soft, 1 ½ to 2 hours. If the water evaporates too much during cooking, gently add more water so that the beans are always completely submerged.
- DO NOT STIR THE BEANS! Apparently, stirring the bean pot at any point during the 2-hour cooking time is the sign of an unconfident chef, and you don’t want the beans to feel insecure about their fate.
- Once the beans are soft, mince the remaining 3 garlic cloves and add them to the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, red onion, vinegar, dried onion flakes, oregano, and tomato paste. Simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes to reduce the liquid a bit. You want the beans to be slightly saucy, not soupy. Taste to check the seasoning to see if you need to add more salt, pepper, oregano, or onion flakes, then cover with a heavy lid, remove from heat, and let sit for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to merge before serving.
