Baked Peruano Beans with Mexican Chorizo

This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units).It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews.Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.

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Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chile pepper, seeded and minced
3 cups dry Peruano beans, rinsed
6 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons fine ground sea salt
3/4 lb. Mexican chorizo, cooked
1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a 5 quart soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the beans. Stir in the water. Cover and bake for about 2 hours. Check the pot regularly during the final half hour to ensure liquid still remains in the pot. Add more if necessary.

After 2 hours, the beans should be soft, but some liquid will likely remain in the pot. Remove the lid, add the chile pepper, and bake 10 more minutes to evaporate some of excess liquid.

Remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the salt. Next, stir in the cooked chorizo. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with cilantro and Cotija cheese and enjoy.

Slightly adapted from a recipe from fakefoodfree.com