Beer Bean and Cotija-Stuffed Poblanos
- ½ pound dried pinto or Rio Zape beans, rinsed and picked over
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces dark Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder, or 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Sea salt
- 6 poblano chiles
- 1 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 cup shredded Jack cheese
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
Serve these with some Spanish rice and a simple green salad to make them a meal, but they also work great as a side dish as part of a larger Mexican-themed spread.
- Place the beans in a large glass bowl and cover them generously with water. Allow them to soak for at least 6 hours, or up to overnight.
- Drain the beans of their soaking liquid. In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, and garlic and sauté until the onion is just softened. Add the soaked beans and 2½ cups water, give them a stir, and bring the beans to a simmer. Simmer until the beans are cooked through, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add the beer, chipotle, and cinnamon and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the beans are tender, about another 20 minutes, depending on the freshness of the beans. If necessary, add a bit of water as the beans cook to keep the pot from drying out. Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon of salt, to taste, and cook another 10 minutes. Set the beans aside.
- Cut a slit down the side of each poblano. Remove and discard the membranes and seeds from inside the chile and set the chile on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining poblanos. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, leaving one section over indirect heat. In a bowl, mix the cotija and Jack cheeses with the lime juice. Stuff each pepper with a few spoonfuls of the beans and a handful of the cheese mixture. Brush the outside of each poblano with the olive oil and grill the peppers over direct heat, rotating them every few minutes to evenly char the outsides, 6 to 8 minutes total. Move them to indirect heat for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the insides are melty and the peppers have softened a bit. Serve the peppers immediately with the slit side up and garnished with the cilantro.