Lazy J Bar C

Lazy J Bar C

Friday, December 30, 2011

Mexican Pork and Beans


This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes and I have been making it for several years. The original recipe is great just the way it is but I decided it needed a  "Farmgirl" makeover to use fresh ingredients, home canned salsa and our goat cheese! Here is the original recipe:

Mexican Pork and Beans

1 pound boneless pork loin cut into 1-inch pieces
1 jar (20 ounces) salsa
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Mix pork, salsa and chilies in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender. Stir in beans. Cover and cook 10 minutes more or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve over hot cooked rice or tortilla chips.

Pretty simple, huh? Very tasty too! Now, for the "Farmgirl" makeover.

Season the pork with salt and Seasoned Pepper and brown it in a cast iron skillet. I like to get a nice sear on the meat to enhance the flavor.


Put the meat into the slow cooker and deglaze the pan with the salsa to get up all those lovely browned bits of pork!


I don't have a pressure canner (yet) so I used some freezer salsa that I had made with corn and black beans in it and I also added half a cup of Southwest Salsa, both made using produce from our garden, to get the 20 ounces recommended. I added the salsa to the slow cooker along with half a cup of freshly roasted green chiles from the Farmer's Market. Hey, I live in Arizona, remember? We have stuff like that available year round! ;-) These particular chiles were a little on the hot side so I didn't use a full half cup.


Mix well; cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. In the meantime, cook one-half cup of dried black beans. Pinto beans would also work well.


When the pork is tender, stir in the cooked beans and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until heated through. I served this over hot cooked rice and topped it with grated Queso Blanco made from our goat milk. I had to add some Cheddar because I didn't have enough of the goat cheese. :) We also had some homemade tortillas from the Farmer's Market.


This is a very easy and tasty healthy dish either way you make it! Have you given a favorite recipe a makeover to use fresher, home grown and/or home canned ingredients? I'm linking up to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop at Deborah Jean's Dandelion House! :)

10 comments:

Michelle said...

This looks so good. I love slow cooker recipes. I am glad you can use pinto beans. My husband doesn't care for black beans. Also wanted to let you know the girls at work loved the fudge.

Anonymous said...

Oh.... I love this kind of recipe! We have some fresh pork in the freezer, too. :) I think I'll have to double the recipe, and I know it will be yummy. Thanks, Candy.

MARARIA said...

delicious, I have no words to say how great they look!
thanks Candy and Happy New Year
X0X0

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

This looks really nice- you know it's good luck to eat pork on New Years- and I think black eyed peas too. For some reason my husband has to eat Limburger and herring New Year's Eve.

Candy C. said...

Michelle,
Glad the girls liked the fudge! :)

Julie,
LOL!! You would at LEAST need to double it for your big family!

Candy C. said...

Mararia,
Thanks and Happy New Year to you too! :)

Kathy,
That's funny because we will be eating herring on New Year's Eve too!!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Candy, that looks like something my entire family would love.

dr momi said...

....pork recipe. I make note of everyone. I'll have to try it!

Kateri said...

This looks like a great recipe...I just shared it to my blog's facebook page so I can find it easily when I am ready to make it. :) Thanks for sharing.

Candy C. said...

Kristina,
I hope you get a chance to try it out!

Jean,
Ha!! I'll just bet you do! ;-)

Kateri,
Hay, that's a good idea! I'll have to remember that! :)