Name: Mexican Brothy Beans and Pork With Salsa Macha and Cilantro Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 pound (453 g) dried large butter beans, such as royal corona; 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 3 pieces; 1/2 medium white onion (4 ounces; 113 g), peeled, ends trimmed; 1 carrot (about 4 ounces; 113 g), peeled; 3 medium cloves of garlic; 2 dried bay leaves; 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt use half by volume; 5 dried árbol chiles, stem removed; 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil; 1/2 cup (45 g) sliced raw almonds; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano; 1 bunch (45 g) cilantro leaves and tender stems; 2 to 3 serrano chiles (30 g), stems removed; 2 medium cloves garlic; 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (1 ounce; 15 g); Warm tortillas and lime wedges for serving

Mexican Brothy Beans and Pork With Salsa Macha and Cilantro Pesto

This recipe for brothy Mexican beans calls for simmering pork shoulder and butter beans until tender, then finishing them with a crunchy almond salsa macha and a bright cilantro-serrano pesto for a filling and impressive meal.

3 hr 10 min total 10 min prep 3 hr cook 6 1074 cal

Instructions

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1 In a large pot, combine pork, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Cover with 3 quarts (3 L) water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, at a gentle simmer until the pork begins to become tender and a knife inserted meats no resistance, about 2 hours. Add beans and continue to cook until pork can be easily pierced with a fork and beans are tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours longer.
2 For the Salsa Macha: Meanwhile, in a food processor, add árbol chiles and process until coarse flakes form. Set aside. In a small pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add almonds and fry, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. Add ground árbol chile flakes, cumin, and oregano. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Set aside.
3 For the Salsa Verde Pesto: To the now-empty food processor, add cilantro, serranos, and garlic, and process, scraping down sides halfway through with a flexible spatula, until ingredients are finely minced, about 1 minute. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil until smooth. Add Parmesan and pulse to combine. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
4 When beans and pork are ready to serve, use a large slotted spoon to remove onion, carrot, garlic, and bay leaves (discard or compost). Remove pork and transfer to a cutting board. Using 2 forks, shred pork into bite-size pieces, then return to pot. Gently stir to incorporate without rupturing beans. Season to taste with salt.
5 Serve brothy pork and beans with warm tortillas and lime wedges. Top with generous portions of salsa macha and salsa verde pesto.