Bacon and Uncontrolled Chain Reaction® transform canned beans into genuine charro beans in under 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the Beans:
- 2 16 oz cans pinto beans or black beans
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons Casa M Spice Co® Uncontrolled Chain Reaction®
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
Method
-
01
Render the bacon
3 minHeat your skillet over medium-high and get that bacon crispy at the edges but still got some chew—you're building your flavor foundation here, not incinerating it.
-
02
Toast the onions
1 minStir those onions constantly for about a minute so they soften slightly and pick up color from the bacon fat without burning—this mellows them out and lets them marry with the spice.
-
03
Build the sauce
1 minAdd tomatoes, cilantro, Uncontrolled Chain Reaction®, and chicken stock all at once—the stock cuts through and carries those flavors while the spice blend ties everything together.
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04
Simmer until thickened
10 minBring it to a boil, then drop the heat to low and let it bubble gently for about 10 minutes until the liquid reduces and coats the beans—that's when you know the flavors have melded and everything's balanced.
From Mike's Notebook
Don't drain the canned beans—that starchy liquid thickens the sauce and makes it stick to the spoon.
Render the bacon low and slow so the fat seasons everything; rushed bacon won't give you that depth.
Add the Uncontrolled Chain Reaction® after the onion softens, not before, so the spices bloom in bacon fat.