Frito Pie

FRITO PIE

This simple red chile with ground beef is a versatile dish. You can use it as a base for recipes specifying red chile. It is especially good ladled over Fritos, for Frito Pie.

For Chile:

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

3/4 cup New Mexico ground red chile powder

4 cups chicken stock or water

4 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon oregano

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

For Pie: 8 cups of Frito chips

4 cups cooked pinto beans (recipe below)

Place ground chile in a large bowl. Slowly add the broth or water. Soak for 20 minutes.

Brown the ground beef and chopped onion in a large heavy dutch oven. Drain and set aside.

In same pot, add the oil and sauté the garlic over medium heat until lightly browned. Add reserved cooked ground beef, liquid, chile and its liquid, and the remaining ingredients. Stir and simmer for about 45 minutes until thickened.

Makes 8 generous servings. Freezes well.

For Frito Pie, place a handful of Frito chips in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup cooked pinto beans. Ladle about 1/2 cup red chile sauce over beans. Garnish as desired (see ideas below.) Add a few more Fritos to the top of the “pie.”

Garnish Ideas:

Diced avocado

Diced tomatoes

Shredded Lettuce

Sliced jalapeños

Chopped scallions or onions

Sour cream

Shredded cheddar or jack cheese

Chopped cilantro

PINTO BEANS with BACON

1 pound pinto beans, sorted and rinsed

Water

Pinch baking soda

1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2 slices thick smoked bacon, chopped

1 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 onion)

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let them soak for 2 hours.

Drain beans. Return to pot. Cover with another 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add a pinch of baking soda. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until tender.

Drain beans.

In same pot, cook the bacon for a few minutes until it gives up some of its fat. Add the onions, and sauté until onion is translucent and bacon is crispy. Drain bacon and onion. Set aside.

Add broth to pot and deglaze pan. As soon as the brown bits are incorporated into the broth, return the beans, the bacon and the onions to the pot. Add salt to taste. Simmer together for about 5 minutes.

Serves 8.