cactus & kudzu

So here’s a little something you might not know about me: I may or may not have been addicted to Food Network Star this summer. Ok, obviously if you even talked to me at all this summer, you know that I was quite addicted. I actually sort of knew someone on the show. A long, long time ago, I worked at the Parkway Grill in Pasadena with Jyll Everman. I was a hostess; she was a server. The End.

Anyways, I was rooting for her, of course, through the whole season, and I was very sad when she got eliminated towards the end. Now, I’ll tell you why I’ve brought up my not-so-secret obsession over this reality food show. Susie Jimenez was one of the final two this season, and while she did not win, she introduced an amazing recipe into my life: frijoles con chorizo!

Susie’s concept was ‘Spice it Up,’ and she offered her take on Mexican food. Everything she created on the show had a beautiful story behind it—something I really appreciated.

These beans were part of her sope recipe. But I’m not adventurous enough to make a sope. Actually, I can’t recall a time in my life where I’ve had a sope. However, I noticed they’ve got some at Pinches Tacos, so maybe I’ll have to try one sometime soon. This is my version of the beans—served in an easy, soft taco manner! I love these beans. The chorizo adds just a fabulous spice without it being too overpowering or too… chorizo-y. I think I’ve often stayed away from it just because it tends too add almost too much of that smokey flavor. But the ratio of chorizo to frijoles to queso here is just delightful.

Chorizo, Bean, and Cheese Soft Tacos (Adapted from Susie Jimenez’s Chorizo Refried Beans recipe)
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 (4-ounce) casing chorizo
¼ cup diced yellow onion, plus more for garnish
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded, plus more for garnish
½ teaspoon vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
Soft taco-size flour tortillas
Garnish: onion, cheese, taco sauce, sour cream

Remove chorizo from casing. In a medium-sized saucepan, crumble and cook chorizo over medium-high heat until completely cooked and fat starts to render. Add onion and garlic powder, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add pinto beans, stirring to combine. With a potato masher, mash beans into chorizo, and add cheese, stirring to combine. Let simmer about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While beans are simmering, in a separate frying pan, heat oil over medium high-heat, tilting pan to distribute evenly in pan (or spray pan with nonstick cooking spray, which I realized makes life a lot easier). Place tortilla flat in pan. Once air bubbles start to form and tortilla has started to brown on bottom, flip tortilla. Cook on other side. Continue flipping until desired degree of doneness is reached. Place on paper towel to drain any excess oil. Repeat with desired amount of tortillas, adding more oil to pan if needed.

To serve, place about 1/2 cup beans into a tortilla. Top with cheese, onion, taco sauce (if you can take the heat — that chorizo is already pretty spicy), and sour cream, if desired. Roll tortilla into a mini burrito, or fold in half to enjoy as a taco.