CHILE NON CARNE.
Thick, stewy black beans that thrum with chilli heat: fast, easy, filling and fun.
There’s chile con carne (with meat), and chile non carne (without meat). That last one is completely incorrect, of course - it should be chile sin carne - but where’s the fun in that?
They’re all born from the fusion of Texan and Mexican cooking created between Texans and the Tejanos, Texans of Mexican descent; hence the term Tex-Mex. It’s had bad press over the years (for not being authentic), but these days, Tex-Mex is validated as a legit American regional cuisine.
Good news for those of us who love a pack of Doritos and jar of hot salsa as much as we do a soft corn tortilla and mole poblano.
Last week’s taste test of the Tex-Mex offerings of Guzman & Gomez for the Australian Financial Review (on the occasion of their $3 billion float) had an unexpected side effect. It really brought home to me the comforting power of rice and beans.
Of all the things I tried - the fajitas, the margaritas, the tacos, the corn chips, the quesadillas – it was the rice and beans stuffed into the soft, fat burrito that had me at ‘shoulda bought shares’.
It actually held more rice and beans than meat; and ain’t that the truth - when you have beans, you don’t really need meat to fill, nourish and bring joy. So here we go, with a meat-free Texy-Mexy bean recipe.
My thoughts:
# Use a couple of different types of canned beans for variety – my recipe calls for black beans (frijoles negros) and red kidney beans. If you can’t find anything exotic, mix red kidney and borlotti. EDIT: I’ve been told (thanks, Lynne!) pinto beans are infinitely superior to pair with black beans for a great chile - look for Old El Paso’s ‘Mexe’ beans.
# Start by cooking down onions and red capsicum for a foundation of vegetal sweetness.
# Save some of the bean water; it helps to thicken the beans and add depth.
# Get yourself some chipotle in adobo for its thrum of warm chilli heat, and you’ll be spooning it into every soup and stew all winter long. This stuff is magic. You can buy it with the chillies coated in sauce, in which case finely chop the chilli and use the sauce as well, but I find it easier to buy it just as a sauce. Look for La Costena in the big supermarkets, and pick up their pickled jalapenos as well. La Morena, also good.
EAT YOUR BEANS ANY-OLD-HOW:
Serve in a bowl with corn chips, and drink margaritas.
Or serve with coriander and rice for a weeknight dinner.
Or serve on a pan-crisped tortilla with coriander rice and crisp-skinned salmon.
Or do it quesadilla style: crisp one side of a flour tortilla in a dry pan, as you load half the top with rice, beans, crumbled feta and hot Mexican salsa. Fold over the remaining top and serve with limes for squeezing.
Or go full Tex-Mex with toppings of sour cream and grated cheese - but gee, I don’t know that you need to.
Or do what Terry does and have left-over beans on toast the next day with a fried egg and some sliced avocado, sliced red onion and lime.
Or do what Terry does if there are even more left-overs, and that’s stuff it all in a jaffle or a toasty and have it with a beer.
CHILE NON CARNE
400 g canned black beans (frijoles negros)
400 g canned red kidney beans, rinsed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 celery stalk (not essential, but nice)
1 red capsicum, chopped, seeds and core discarded
3 garlic cloves, grated
400g canned tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chipotle in adobo (finely chopped, with sauce, or bought as sauce)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
250 ml vegetable stock or bean liquid
coriander sprigs and lime wedges for serving
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions, celery and red capsicum for 10 minutes until softened but not browned.
Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle in adobo, cumin, oregano and sea salt, stirring.
Add the stock and heat to a simmer.
Tip the canned beans into a strainer over a bowl, reserving the liquid.
Add the beans to the pan with the stock and 250 ml of the bean liquid, and bring to the boil, stirring.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened, adjusting with extra stock or water if needed.
Taste for salt and chilli, and serve with coriander and lime wedges. Serves 3-4.
# If your tomatoes are a bit acidic, add a teaspoon of sugar to counterbalance.
# If it’s too runny, squish a few beans into the sauce and stir – it will thicken naturally.
# If you don’t have chipotle in adobe, or adobe sauce, make your own rough version with half a dozen roasted garlics blended with 2 tbsp ancho chile powder, half teaspoons of cinnamon, black pepper and cumin, 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano, salt, and smoky paprika and 1 tablespoonful each of vinegar and of olive oil. Or really cheat, with a mix of chilli powder, smoky paprika, garlic or onion powder, and taste and adjust as you add to the beans.
CORIANDER RICE
200 g basmati rice
300 ml water
Salt
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Rinse the rice well and place in a pan. Add salt and water and bring to the boil. Turn down heat immediately, cover tightly, and leave on a very low simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat (no lifting the lid), and leave for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork. To serve, transfer the amount of cooked rice you want to a bowl, toss with coriander and serve. A big squeeze of lime juice works well.
Thanks for dropping by! And as always, thanks for your comments, thoughts and ideas. Special thanks to Terry who survived eating Serbian ajvar for an entire week only to move onto Texican chile non carne for another week.
I would also like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waters upon which I work, live, cook and play; the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. I fully support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to be enshrined in Australia’s Constitution. It’s only fair, folks.
Well done Jill! Plenty of suggestions, my preference being the soft tacos or mid size wraps, and to use up the pack I brush on some oil, season, slice and roast until crisp, something to nibble in before dinner.
Great for feeding your gut bacteria this one and making us healthy (plus a cheap filling tasty meal). Thank you Jill.