Green Chile Beef and Homemade Refried Beans

As you may know from my previous post, I was successful at completing my Mexican Food Challenge! In honor of yesterday being the last day, rather than go out for dinner, I thought I would try out a new recipe for green chile beef and take another stab at getting the beans to my liking. It worked out really well because both of these recipes were made in the crockpot, so they were simple to throw together. I think the best part was when my friends Karen & Kyle called to see if they could come cool off in my pool after a long day of moving, I was also able to offer them a nice home-cooked meal!

This was my third attempt at making homemade beans....and I think I finally got it right!! The first two batches just had something missing....and that something was bacon grease! Now I know I am sounding a bit like Paula Deen here, but it really just does add a layer of flavor that you can't achieve any other way. Saturday morning I decided to cook up some bacon for breakfast so that I would have the grease available to make beans the next day. Well, I usually cook it in the microwave, but this time I needed the grease saved, so I cooked it on the stove top. Let's just say it got a little bit out of hand and ended up setting of my smoke detector!! I couldn't figure out how to turn the damn thing off, I called my dad who told me to go flip the breakers and turn the power off to the whole house....that didn't work....thanks a lot dad! Eventually, I figured out that it was connected to my alarm system and I just had to "unset" my alarm. With that crisis averted, I was able to cook the rest of the bacon, but this time I turned on the vent! The beans were so creamy and delicious that I didn't end up with any leftovers, but I guess it just means that I need to cook up some more bacon!

I was really excited to try out this recipe for Green Chile Beef that I found on the Internet, especially since it is one of my favorite things to get at Mexican restaurants. Last week I had been craving the Boracho Burrito from Someburros, but since I don't really have one in the area I never made it there, so I was on a mission to recreate it at home. The preparation was simple, and the house smelled delicious when I came home from running some errands. But ultimately, it just fell a bit short of my expectations....there just wasn't enough heat! I am going to tinker with this recipe a bit more and try to had some more heat, but if you are not into fiery food, you might just like this version. If I come up with a spicier version I will update you all!

Green Chile Beef

1 (3 lb.) boneless top sirloin

4 (4 oz. each) cans diced green chilies

1 medium onion, chopped

3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

3 garlic cloves, sliced

3 tsp. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 c. beef broth

Cut beef into large chunks and place in crockpot. Top with chilies, onion, jalapenos, garlic and spices. Pour the beef broth on top. Cover and cook on low for 7 - 8 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with tortillas and toppings of choice.

Homemade Refried Beans
adapted from The Sister's Dish

1 (1 lb.) bag dried pinto beans
3 Tbsp. bacon grease

Water

5 - 10 pickled jalapeno rings (depending on your heat preference)

1/2 Tbsp. seasoned salt

1 Tbsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. chili powder

Rinse beans, picking through and discarding any black or broken beans. Cover with water and soak for at least 1 hour. After the 1 hour, rinse again and place in the crockpot. Add the bacon grease; then cover the beans with water so that it reaches about 3 inches above the beans.

Cover and cook on high for 5 - 6 hours, or until beans are able to mash easily. With about 1/2 hour left in cooking time, add remaining ingredients.

Remove beans with a slotted spoon and add to food processor, add as much bean liquid to get desired consistency. (I also added in some Monterrey Jack cheese at this point for even more creaminess!)

Now go and have yourself a Fiesta!