Slow Cooker Frijol con Puerco con Arroz y Chiltomate
Frijol con Puerco con Arroz y Chiltomate·(free-HOL kohn PWER-koh kohn ah-ROHS ee cheel-toh-MAH-teh)
Monday Night Comforts: Slow-Simmered Yucatecan Stews
Monday in the Yucatán historically meant laundry day, a laborious chore that demanded a meal capable of cooking itself over a low fire. Today, the slow cooker acts as that unattended hearth, gently simmering pork and dried black beans into an earthy, profound stew. But the real magic isn't in the pot—it's what happens at the table. You crown the heavy, comforting bowl with black rice cooked in the bean broth, a bright, crunchy salpicón of radish and cilantro, and a smoky chiltomate salsa where a single, whole habanero swims, lending its floral aroma without blowing out your palate. This is how a grandmother in Mérida cooks it, unapologetically simple and deeply perfect.
Before you start
Sort and rinse the dried beans.
Pick through the dried black beans carefully to remove any small stones or debris before adding them to the slow cooker.
Ingredients
- dried black beans1 lb
- pork shoulder1 1/2 lb
- bone-in pork neck bones1/2 lb
- white onion1/2 med
- garlic4 med
- epazote1 large
- kosher salt1 1/2 tbsp
- roma tomatoes4 med
- white onion1/4 med
- garlic1 med
- habanero pepper1 med
- long-grain white rice1 cup
- pork lard1 tbsp
- radishes4 med
- fresh cilantro1/2 cup
- lime2 med
- avocado1 med
Method
- 01
Combine the raw beans, pork, half onion, and peeled garlic in the slow cooker.
Cover with 6 to 8 cups of water, ensuring the liquid sits at least two inches above the ingredients. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or HIGH for 5 to 6 hours.
- 02
Wait until the beans are completely tender before seasoning.
Salt hardens the skin of black beans if added too early. During the last 45 minutes of cooking, stir in the kosher salt and the epazote sprig, letting it finish simmering to absorb the seasoning.
- 03
Roast the chiltomate vegetables in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Place the tomatoes, quarter onion, unpeeled garlic clove, and whole habanero in the dry pan. Turn occasionally until blistered and blackened on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the garlic skin.
- 04
Blend the roasted salsa into a chunky, rustic chiltomate.
Transfer the tomatoes, onion, and peeled garlic to a blender with a heavy pinch of salt. Pulse until chunky, not smooth. Pour into a bowl and drop the whole, intact roasted habanero directly into the salsa.
- 05
Extract bean broth from the slow cooker to make the black rice.
Ladle out 2 cups of the dark, rich bean broth. In a saucepan, heat the lard over medium, toast the rinsed white rice slightly, then add the broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low, and simmer for 20 minutes until tender.
- 06
Serve the stew deconstructed, allowing everyone to build their own bowl.
Place a scoop of black rice in a wide bowl, ladling the pork, beans, and rich broth over the top. Garnish heavily at the table with the diced radishes, chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, avocado slices, and a generous spoonful of the chiltomate.
Notes
Keep the habanero whole for flavor, not fire.
A grandmother's secret for feeding a family: roasting the habanero and letting it swim intact in the chiltomate imparts the signature Yucatecan floral aroma without blowing out a child's palate. Diners who want heat can crush the pepper in their own bowl.
Resist the urge to sear the pork.
Boiling raw meat might feel counterintuitive to Americanized cooking rules, but it keeps the broth cleanly flavored and deeply earthy, exactly how it is traditionally prepared in Mérida.
Never use canned beans.
The entire recipe, particularly the black rice, relies on the dark, starchy liquor that only comes from simmering dried black beans low and slow.