Frijoles Al Borracho Naranjo (Beans prepared in the style of the Orange Wino)

(listening to "Close to Me [Closer Mix]" by the Cure)

I am alone all week, because the wife is away. She departed on her trip early yesterday afternoon. I had a very "orangewino-ish" day yesterday. I got some beer and a bit of food at the store. The weather was sunny and mild, a happy contrast to the oppressive mugginess that preceded it. I was in a good mood. Tuna steaks were on sale, so I got one. I stuck it in a bag with some Soy-Vay. I got some Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weisse and some Pilsner Urquell. I got one of those huge pickles that they have floating in the barrel. I got a moderate chunk of smoked Gouda. I got some tortillas.

("Sunday Sun" by Beck, and then "Army of Me" by Bjork)

I sipped the crisp, refreshing Hefe-Weisse out of a tall glass while I flipped through Diana Kennedy's Essential Cuisines of Mexico. I sliced off bits of the excellent dill pickle (crisp and vibrant, nothing like the stuff in a jar) and of the smoky, slightly buttery Gouda. I decided to do something with the bag of dried pinto beans in the pantry.

What a wonderful cookbook. It's all about the regional nuances. I did not follow a recipe, however. I used some ideas, but I winged it. This is what I did.

Ingredients:
1 pound dried pinto beans, washed and inspected for stones
a few tbsp bacon grease
1 dried Pasilla chile
1 dried Guajillo chile
1 dried New Mexico chile
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
about 1 1/2 tsp whole cumin
1 or 2 inches of cinnamon stick
2 beef bouillon cubes (real beef stock would be better)
water

I think that's everything. I tore the stem off of each chile and shook the seeds out. I tore them up a bit and toasted them lightly in an iron skillet, just until they emitted their earthy, wonderful perfume. I'll never bother with that stale, insipid "chili powder" from the store again. I pulverized them in my little food processor. I chopped the onion and sweated it down in the bacon grease (in my deep iron skillet, Lodge model 8CF). I pulverized the cumin with the garlic in my Huge Mortar and Pestle of Death. I put this in the pan. I put in the beans and the bouillon cubes, and I covered them with water. I added the chile powder and the cinnamon stick. I covered it and simmered it for two or three hours. I stirred it occasionally, and I added a bit of water to keep the beans covered. I may have added some salt; I'm not sure. I tasted periodically. I put some in a tortilla with some fresh cilantro leaves. Cheap, tasty stuff. Not strictly traditional Mexican style.

I neglected to mention the tuna. While the beans were cooking, I heated up the broiler. I sprinkled some sesame seeds on both sides of the tuna and broiled it until the surface sizzled. Still pink on the inside. Nice. It went well with the Pilsner Urquell.

Other nutritious items included M&M's and lots of Food TV.

I accomplished some laundry, but that's as industrious as things got. No wonder I'm such a ne'er-do-well.