Borracho Bean Soup

It was freezing today, so I put a pot of beans on the stove and cooked them all day.  It was very good.  If it gets too spicy for you, add some sugar to the mix and it will cut the spice down.  Serve with Spanish rice. You can use a boxed brand...just double the recipe.  This goes great with cornbread.

Ingredients:

1 lb pinto beans (triple rinsed and soaked overnight)
2 cans Rotel
6 cloves garlic
3 T. Mexican Oregano
6 T. ground cumin
3 T. chili pepper
1 lb. bacon (cooked until crispy)
1 Knorr's bouillon cube onion
1 Knorr's bouillon cube garlic
2 Knorr's bouillon cube cilantro
3 quarts water
1 large onion, diced
3 cups fresh chopped cilantro
1 12 oz. bottle Mexican beer
Optional: can diced jalapenos 


Directions:

1. Make sure you really wash the beans as they will have rocks and sand in them.  I use my hands to place the clean beans into the pot. Add the water, beer, bouillon cubes, and garlic.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on 3 for 2 hours.

2. Add the spices, onion, cilantro, and Rotel to the pot.  Cook the bacon until crispy.  Add it to the beans.  Cover and simmer for another 2 hours.

3.  Cook the Spanish rice according to the recipe.  (To make the beans stretch, use two boxes.)  Once the rice is done, and to the pot of beans.  Serve with cornbread.