Frijol Con Puerco (Mexican Pork and Beans)
Ofelia’s Mexican Pork and Beans (frijol con puerco) is a slow-simmered dish packed with shredded pork, black beans, and all the best fixings!
Table of Contents
Yucatan frijol con puerco
My sister is living her best life while she visits Pensacola for the summer. When she offers to cook dinner I know 2 things: 1. It’s going to be Mexican , and 2. It’s going to be delicious.
Emily got this recipe straight from the Yucatan, her future mother in law loving passed it down to her. She excitedly sat down to translate the recipe to make it the next day.
This recipe was so delicious and simple, I knew I had to give it to ya’ll! It does take some time to simmer, but like all great Mexican recipes, low and slow wins the race!
The pork is simmered in the black beans until it’s ready to shred, then it’s served with an easy to make salsa and a vegetable mixture. It’s healthy and made of easy to find ingredients, which are my favorite kind of recipes!
You may not be able to hop on a plane on any ordinary day and hit up Cancun, but this recipe will surely make you feel like you are living the dream!
Mexican pork and beans ingredients
- Pork ribs- The half rack of ribs adds a delicious layer of flavor thanks to the bone marrow and tender meat!
- Pork loin- Using a pork loin is the most budget-friendly cut of meat and still produces the most delicious, shreddy bits of pork.
- Black beans- Traditionally, dried black beans are used for this recipe, but we are using canned to make this faster and easier!
- Seasoning- Cumin, oregano, and salt add the perfect Mexican flare!
- Onion & garlic
For the salsa
- Roma tomatoes- The roma tomatoes are broiled to create a more robust flavor in the salsa.
- Habanero peppers- I know, I know, you probably think that’s a whole lotta spicy!! But these habanero peppers add flavor and just a pinch of heat, my three kids even ate it!
- Lime- Fresh squeeze
- Cilantro- Use fresh cilantro to get the best flavor out of this salsa.
Optional additions
- White rice
- Corn tortillas
- Mexican garnish- A delicious combination of a small diced onion, radishes, cilantro, and avocado.
Chef’s tips
- If you’re making this for a large crowd, use a whole rack of ribs. You can also purchase a larger cut of pork, like a boneless shoulder.
- You can use dried or canned beans. In Mexico, dried beans are used in this recipe, but they do have to be soaked overnight, which is time-consuming.
- Don’t forget the garnishes! Combine chopped onion, radishes, cilantro, and an avocado. You can also serve this dish with some corn tortillas!
How to make frijol con puerco
Simmer the beans and pork
In a large stock pot, combine the undrained (beans and liquid) canned black beans, ribs, and sliced pork loin and three cups of water. Add the cumin, salt, oregano, a habanera, onion, garlic, and a lime. Simmer over medium low heat for 1 hour.
Make the salsa
The salsa is a necessary (and traditional) component of this dish, and trust me, you don’t want to miss out! First, you are going to broil the tomatoes and habaneros in the oven until the skin is blackened just a bit. Combine the tomatoes, habanero peppers, lime juice, salt, and cilantro in a blender and blend until it’s smooth.
Make the garnish
Dice a half onion, 7 radishes, cilantro, and an avocado, then a squeeze of lime juice. Toss this all in a bowl and serve on the side of your dish for a delicious and healthy addition.
Serve it up
Before you are ready to serve this dish, you have the option of quickly pan frying the shredded pork to create crispy bits that will be added back to the pot of beans. You can of course skip this step if you are crunched for time, but it’s highly recommended! Either way, just before you serve, scoop out the medallions of pork loin and ribs out of the pot and shred them. Place the meat back in the pot and stir it together.
Serve this dish over white rice, or with corn tortillas. Don’t forget to top it with your delicious, freshly made salsa and Mexican garnish! Mangia!
What to serve with frijol con puerco
- Enjoy these frozen strawberry watermelon margaritas that combines fresh, sweet watermelon, strawberries, lime juice, and tequila! This easy blender made drink will impress the crowd!
- Frozen hibiscus lemonade is made with fresh squeezed lemons, hibiscus tea, and lots of ice! This icy and delicious drink takes lemonade up a notch and tastes just like summer!
- Take a trip to Mexico with this delicious pineapple peach agua fresca. This lightly sweetened and fruity drink is so refreshing and non alcoholic!
- Refined Sugar Free Basil Watermelon Lemonade is sweetened with agave syrup and has a perfect balance of sweet and sour. This lemonade is meant to be enjoyed ice cold with great friends on your front porch!
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Frijol con Puerco
Equipment
- stock pot
- Blender
- Cutting Board
- Sharp knife
- cast iron
Ingredients
- 6 pork ribs (half rack)
- 1 2 lb pork tenderloin sliced into 1 inch medallions
- 3 15 oz canned black beans NOT drained
- 3 cups water
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregnao
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 habanero pepper halved
- 1/2 white onion chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic chopped
For the salsa
- 4 roma tomatoes
- 2 habanero pepper
- 1 lime squeezed
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/2 tsp salt
Mexican garnish
- 1 onion diced
- 7 radishes diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro diced
- 2 avocados diced
Optional ingredients
- white rice
- corn tortillas
Instructions
- Simmer the pork and beans. Combine the undrained black beans (the beans and the liquid), water, half rack of ribs, pork, cumin, oregano, salt, habanero pepper, onion, and garlic in a stockpot. Place the pot over medium heat until it lightly boils. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hour.
- Make the salsa. While the beans and pork are simmering, make the salsa. Place the whole roma tomatoes and habanero peppers in a cast iron (or any oven-proof pan) and place the oven on broil. Cook the roma tomatoes and habanero peppers for 5-10 minuutes,until the skin begins to blister and turn black. Place the roma tomatoes, habanero peppers, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Place the salsa in a bowl and allow it to cool.
- Make the Mexican garnish. Diced the onion, radishes, cilantro, avacado, and lime juice, then combine in a bowl. Stir to combine, then place to the side.
- Serve it up! Add the rice and Mexican garnish to your plate, then a few spoonfuls of the pork and beans. Add some avocado slices to the side or more cilantro, if desired. Mangia!
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates, for exact values consult a nutritionist.
