Chorizo baked beans are a little spicy and a little sweet. With Mexican-inspired additions of chipotle in adobo, pickled jalapenos, and cumin plus some sweetness from brown sugar, these baked beans will be right at home at any picnic or cookout.
2large links or 8 oz Mexican chorizocasings removed
1large sweet oniondiced
1large red bell pepperdiced
1/4-1/2cupdiced pickled jalapenosto taste
4teaspoonskosher saltI use Morton's
2teaspoonscumin
2teaspoonsoreganopreferably Mexican oregano
several grindings of black pepperto taste
2cans RoTel or other tomato/green chile mixyour preferred style. I used fire roasted
2Tablespoonsdiced chipotle in adobo
4oz1/2 cup, tighly packed dark brown sugar
6Tablespoonsred wine vinegardivided use
4cupswateror as needed
Instructions
Pick over your beans and discard any discolored or shriveled beans. Also get rid of any tiny errant pebbles that often make it past the sorting machine. Rinse the beans and soak them overnight in the fridge, covered by at least 2 inches of water.
The next day, drain the beans and set aside.
In a 5-quart Dutch oven heat the oil over medium-high heat, and cook the chorizo, breaking it up as it cooks.
After about 5 minutes, add the onion, red bell pepper, pickled jalapenos, salt, cumin, Mexican oregano, and black pepper.
Turn the heat down to medium, and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the RoTel, chipotles in adobo, brown sugar, and 4 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar.
Add the drained beans and enough water to barely cover them. Stir well.
Increase the heat to high and bring just to a boil.
Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring the beans occasionally to make sure they're cooking evenly.
Remove the lid, add a bit more water, and continue simmering, until the beans are nice and tender. Add water as needed so the beans are always barely covered.
Smash some of the beans against the side of the pan to help thicken the sauce.
Stir in the last 2 Tablespoons of vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Alternatively, after step 9, stir in a bit more water, and place the Dutch oven, uncovered, into the oven at 350F until the beans are tender and the juices are concentrated, about an hour, opening the oven and stirring a couple of times.
Notes
To Make Vegetarian
Substitute soy chorizo or leave it out entirely and add 1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke.
Storage
Store the cooled beans, well-covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat to serve, making sure the temperature reaches 165F.
Smaller-Batch Recipe
1 pound dried Great Northern beans, rinsed and picked over