Chalupa (Mexican Stew)
Peg’s version
This Recipe for CHALUPAS – A Mexican Stew of Beans and Pork is easy to adapt and freezes well. Serves 4-6.
Sorry if this “recipe seems a bit loosey-goosey, but it can really be adapted to any way you want to cook it.
★★★★★
Servings: makes about 3.5 quarts
Adapted to use NewClay Pottery Large Dutch Oven
INGREDIENTS:
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Medium White Onion, chopped
Olive Oil
1 pork roast (3 lbs), fat-trimmed pork – cut in about 1 “ pieces Unless you’re doing the meat and beans separately. See note at end Larger pieces take the long cooking better.
1 pkg (16 oz ) pinto beans, soaked overnight (Can use canned beans, if you have to,but dried are better) Other types of beans are fine, adjust cook time accordingly, or do them separately (see end note) ahead to almost done and add to pork and veggies mix for about 45 minutes. It’s at this stage you adjust the liquid. It works beautifully as a stew, or, with less liquid, as a filling for tortillas or a meat and veggie dish over rice or ????
And The Seasonings
2 tbsp chili powder
1 – 1 ½ tsp ground cumin (I used 1 tsp )
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
pepper to taste. (I used 1 tsp )
5 carrots, peeled & sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 can (14½ oz ) tomatoes, cut up, liquid included
Extras If You Want
I added:
Chopped fresh cilantro, To Taste)
1 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar, (it’s a flavor enhancer)
2 ½ tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp herbs de Provence
You could also add:
3 small zucchini, sliced (with about 15 min. to go)
DIRECTIONS:
This “recipe” can be played with to suit your ingredients and cooking style. The key is to get the Pork Roast and beans to the point where they still have a bit of time to simmer together.
Soak the beans overnight. (Or not). Drain & rinse
Put first 2 ingredients into a large Dutch oven/kettle with a couple Tbsp Olive Oil.
Saute in Olive Oil Until onions start to go transparent.
Add. Add more Olive oil if needed.
Add pork cubed from bite-sized up to small chunks.
Saute until you get lots of brown edges.
Add Beans (dry, uncooked) to the sautéed pork. Cover with water 1-1/2 “. Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. Reduce to a simmer & cook covered, over low heat, 2-1/2 to 4 hours, until meat & beans are cooked but not mushy. The beans will determine the time.;
Add herbs, spices, carrots, celery, and tomatoes with their liquid and cover. Cook until vegetables
are tender (35 to 45 Minutes). In last 15 minutes of cooking, add zucchini (if desired).
It’s a big pot of food, but it freezes beautifully.
COOK’S NOTES
Peg’s note: If in a hurry can use canned beans. About 3½ cans would be equivalent.
This first instruction (above) is where I did the roast and beans separately with the beans a hour or so from done.
When the meat was done 3-4 hours, I pulled it out, cooled it a bit and shredded it. Then put beans, spices and veggies in and simmered the whole thing until the beans were fully cooked.
I used Yellow Indian Woman Beans and because I was working in the studio overcooked it from where I wanted to be by 45 minutes or so.. Yellow Indian Woman beans took the extra cooking without mushng up.
|
