Drunken Black Bean Tacos

Salsa Borracha, or ‘Drunken’ Salsa, comes in many forms but always has two things in common – booze and chili heat. This version combines a spicy roasted tomatillo base with smoky black beans to create a thick blended salsa.  A single jalapeno provides a light medium heat, so feel free to add a second or third if you’d like it hotter. Serrano chili would also be excellent here.

The tomatillo base is made by charring the ingredients in a cast iron pan before processing them into a chunky salsa. Then the beans are cooked in refined coconut oil with onions, oregano and beer. The refined coconut oil is high in saturated fat and is a great stand in for the lard that is commonly used in Mexico. Please make sure you are using refined coconut oil, as it has had any coconut flavor removed. You could use a vegetable shortening or even plain vegetable oil if refined coconut oil is not available. Once the beer has reduced and the beans are creamy, everything gets processed together to make a thick spread. This is equally good as a warm base for a taco or chilled and used as a dip.

Drunken Black Bean Tacos

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

A rich and spicy beer-soaked black bean salsa is at the heart of this satisfying vegan taco.

Author: Two Happy Rabbits

Serves: 2 cups salsa, 8 tacos

Ingredients

• 3 medium tomatillos
• 1 medium roma tomato, cored
• 1 clove garlic, unpeeled
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, stem removed. Feel free to use more for extra heat.
• ¾ cup roughly chopped onion, divided
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
• 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon dry oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 cup cooked black beans, drained
• ½ cup beer, nothing too hoppy
• To Finish
• 8 corn tortillas, 4-inch in diameter, preferably homemade
• 1 cup finely shredded cabbage
• 2-3 medium radishes, thinly sliced
• ½ cup finely chopped tomato
• 2 tablespoons toasted pepitas
• Cilantro leaves
• Lime wedges

Instructions

1. - Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot.
2. - Place the tomatillos, tomatoes, unpeeled garlic, jalapeno and ¼ cup chopped onion in the pan.
3. - Roast until well spotted in char (onions and garlic will have tenderized, jalapeno will be about half roasted). Alternately, cook on a sheet pan under the broiler. Remove each item to a plate as they are finished
4. - Transfer the roasted tomatillo, tomato, jalapeno and onion to a food processor along with any juices that have accumulated
5. - Peel the garlic and add it to the food processor
6. - Process until you have a fairly finely chopped mix
7. - In the same pan, sweat onion and garlic in the refined coconut oil until tender
8. - Add the oregano and the beans, stir to coast in the oil
9. - Add liquid smoke and beer
10. - Simmer gently until all almost all of the beer has been reduced, 15 minutes or so
11. - Add the bean mix to the tomatillo mix in the food processor, process until well ground.
12. - Check seasoning, and add salt as needed.
13. - Mix in the chopped cilantro
14. To Finish
15. - Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the bean salsa on each fresh corn tortilla
16. - Top with shredded cabbage, sliced radish, diced tomato, a few pepitas and cilantro leaves
17. - Serve with lime wedges

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