Mexico | Meats | Beans | Pork | Braising

Cerdo con Frijoles

(Mexican pork & beans)

Yield: 4-6 servings


INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Pork butt or shoulder cut in 1" cubes 2 lbs
Oil 1/4 cup
 
Onion chopped 1 each
Serrano or jalapeño chiles minced 1-4 each
Coriander, ground 2 Tbsp
Cumin, ground 1 Tbsp
 
Black beans cooked and rinsed 4 cups
Stock or water 1 1/2 cups
Epazote (opt.) 1 sprig
Salt & pepper to taste
     
Radishes (opt.) sliced in rounds 4-8 each

METHOD

Basic Steps:  Brown → Sauté → Simmer → Garnish
  1. Heat the oil (lard would be better) over a medium-high flame in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Add the pork in batches and brown. Remove each batch to a plate then brown the next batch.
  2. Add a little more oil to the pot and sauté the onions, chiles, coriander and cumin till the onions are translucent.
  3. Add back the pork and the rest of the ingredients except the radishes. Bring to a simmer over low heat, cover, and simmer slowly for 1 to 2 hours. Add water or stock as necessary to keep moist.
  4. Season to taste and serve, garnished with the sliced radishes.

VARIATIONS

  • Radishes are a typical garnish, but you may also garnish with chopped scallions, cilantro, or crumbled queso fresco.
  • Try marinating the pork in adobo marinade first for added flavor.

NOTES

  • Cerdo means hog or boar, and boar was originally used in this typically Mayan dish from southern Mexico. Epazote is an herb that is almost always used to flavor black beans in the Yucatán. You can substitute bay leaf.