Frijoles Puercos

By Malu Valenzuela

From Malu's mother, Veneranda's famous recipe. "Pig Beans"—so called because they have so many ingredients.  Well worth the effort if you can find all the ingredients, and you can't get more authentically Mexican!  This recipe is not too spicy and can be varied by increasing or decreasing the amount of chiles and chorizo.

2 lbs dry "mayocabo" beans, or pinto beans
1/2 lb chorizo sausage
1 jar (8 oz) green stuffed olives (without pits)
1/2 lb white cheese ("queso fresco"—a white, somewhat watery cheese that crumbles easily but doesn't melt.)
3 "chiles anchos," a black chili pepper that comes dried in a package (one of the ingredients in "mole" sauce) It's about 5" long and 2-3" wide.

1. Cook beans according to package directions.  (A pressure cooker is faster and doesn't require soaking first.)  Don't add salt to the beans.
2. Wash the chiles and soak them in hot water until saturated.
3. While chiles are soaking, in a large pot, break up chorizo sausage and cook in a little oil.  Be sure sausage is well cooked.
4. Rinse chiles well and remove stems and seeds. (This way they won't be too spicy.)
5. Place chiles, olives, and chorizo in a blender and mix well, adding a little liquid from the beans if necessary.
6. Return mixture to pot. 
7. Drain most (not all) of the liquid from the cooked beans and mash them. (A hand blender works well.)
8. Add mashed beans to the mixture in the pot, stir, and cook over medium high heat.  Gradually add crumbled white cheese, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil.  Boil 10 minutes, stirring frequently.