flipFrijoles de la Olla and Corn Tortillas
Frijoles de la Olla and Corn Tortillas
Why this dish? This is the foundational dish of modest Chicana cooking that Dolores has known since Dawson, New Mexico: a pot of beans that never stops, warm tortillas to sop up the broth. On the roads of Delano and Sacramento, this is what farmworker families offered her, and what was eaten on the picket lines.
Pinto beans slowly simmered in their water with onion and epazote, served with handmade corn tortillas. Simple, nourishing, shared from a large pot.
Listen to me: in our families, the *olla de frijoles* never goes out. My mother taught me that you don't throw anything away, you always add a little water and a little love, and there's always enough for whoever knocks at the door. When we were on the picket line in Delano under the sun, that's what kept us standing — a warm tortilla folded over frijoles, and the courage comes back. *Sí se puede*, even with a pot of beans, you feed a whole movement!
- •Dried pinto beans — a large cup (base)
- •Onion — half (aromatic)
- •Garlic — a few cloves (aromatic)
- •Epazote (herb) — one sprig (flavor and digestion)
- •Lard or a bit of bacon — a spoonful (richness)
- •Nixtamalized corn masa — for tortillas (accompaniment)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Frijoles de la Olla and Corn Tortillas
Pinto beans slowly simmered in their water with onion and epazote, served with handmade corn tortillas. Simple, nourishing, shared from a large pot.
Why this dish? This is the foundational dish of modest Chicana cooking that Dolores has known since Dawson, New Mexico: a pot of beans that never stops, warm tortillas to sop up the broth. On the roads of Delano and Sacramento, this is what farmworker families offered her, and what was eaten on the picket lines.
Listen to me: in our families, the *olla de frijoles* never goes out. My mother taught me that you don't throw anything away, you always add a little water and a little love, and there's always enough for whoever knocks at the door. When we were on the picket line in Delano under the sun, that's what kept us standing — a warm tortilla folded over frijoles, and the courage comes back. *Sí se puede*, even with a pot of beans, you feed a whole movement!
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried pinto beans — a large cup (base)
- Onion — half (aromatic)
- Garlic — a few cloves (aromatic)
- Epazote (herb) — one sprig (flavor and digestion)
- Lard or a bit of bacon — a spoonful (richness)
- Nixtamalized corn masa — for tortillas (accompaniment)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Dried pinto beans — 400 g (base)
- Yellow onion — 1, halved (aromatic)
- Garlic — 4 cloves (aromatic)
- Dried epazote (or bay leaf if unavailable) — 1 sprig / 1 tsp (flavor)
- Lard or neutral oil — 2 tbsp (richness)
- Masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour) — 300 g (tortillas)
- Warm water — ≈ 250 ml (tortillas)
- Salt — 1 to 2 tsp (seasoning)
Method
- Rinse the beans and cover them generously with cold water in a large pot (no salt for now).
- Add the onion, garlic, epazote, and lard. Bring to a simmer and cook on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours, adding hot water if needed.
- Salt only when the beans are tender, then cook for another 15 minutes: the broth should be flavorful and slightly creamy.
- For the tortillas: mix the masa harina, salt, and warm water until you have a soft, non-sticky dough. Let it rest 10 minutes.
- Form balls, flatten them between two sheets of paper (using a press or rolling pin) into thin disks.
- Cook each tortilla on a dry comal or skillet over high heat, 30 to 45 seconds per side, until it puffs up.
- Serve the frijoles in bowls with their broth, accompanied by warm tortillas.
How it was made : In Chicano communities of the Southwest, the *olla de frijoles* simmered continuously on the fire; it was replenished day after day. The corn tortilla, made from nixtamalized masa (corn cooked with lime), was cooked daily on a cast-iron comal. Nixtamalization, inherited from Mesoamerican civilizations, releases the nutrients in corn — a millennia-old technique.
The contemporary twist : Serve 'frijoles charros': add diced tomato and a little fresh cilantro at the end of cooking, and present in colorful enameled bowls in the style of union canteens.
Dolores Huerta · Charactorium
