Beans and rice create an unassuming but essential backdrop for the quintessential Tex-Mex meal—leave them out and you’ll probably hear about it. Rosa Albiter Espinoza, who has worked for more than seven years in the Rather Sweet kitchen, makes her Mexican rice regularly for our lunch specials. She prefers Adolphus rice, a long-grain variety native to Texas. When I’m preparing a Tex-Mex spread for a party, I make sure to serve a pot of rice and plenty of refried black beans.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8 to 10

　　

Rosa’s Mexican Rice

1/2 cup vegetable oil

　　1 medium yellow onion, cut in medium dice

　　2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)

　　4 cups long-grain rice

　　3 medium carrots, diced

　　1 (14-ounce) can plain tomato sauce

　　7 cups chicken stock

　　2 cups frozen green peas

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

　　Kosher salt

　　(Serves 8 to 10)

　　

San Antonio Refried Beans

1 pound dried black beans

　　8 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped

　　1 large yellow onion, chopped

　　1 stalk celery, chopped

　　2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

　　2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)

　　6 cups chicken stock or water

　　1 tablespoon kosher salt

　　3 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　

Rosa’s Mexican Rice

Step 1

In a large stockpot set over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic for about 2 minutes; add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until it is light brown, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, tomato sauce, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to medium-low, and add the frozen peas. Cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let sit for another 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.

　　

San Antonio Refried Beans

Step 2

Sort the beans to get rid of any foreign matter; rinse well in a colander; and set aside. In a large stockpot set over medium-high heat, cook the bacon about 10 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium; add the onion, celery, jalapeños, and garlic. Cook until the onion gets soft, about 3 minutes. Add the beans, chicken stock, and salt; bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the stock has been mostly absorbed and the beans are tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Spoon the mixture, including the bacon and vegetables, into the jar of a blender (in batches, if necessary) or the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and puree until smooth. Pour the vegetable oil into the unwashed stockpot set over medium-high heat. Add the pureed bean mixture to the stockpot and cook, stirring, until the beans are hot and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Serve warm.

　　

do it early

Step 3

The rice can be made up to 1 day in advance, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. To reheat, stir in 1/2 cup water and cook in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rice is thoroughly heated.

　　

tips

Step 4

I’m always busy and I’m often behind. When I discover a shortcut, I take it. All of the books advise soaking black beans before cooking, but I have found that this recipe turns out just fine without a soak. While the beans take a little longer to cook, I’m spared the extra steps of soaking, rinsing, and draining. I always take the time to sort and rinse the beans; processing does not always rid them of dirt or tiny stones.

　　

Step 5

To make this dish even faster to prepare, substitute 3 (15-ounce) cans black beans for the dried beans and skip the long cooking time. Add the drained and rinsed beans to the sautéed bacon and vegetables, heat thoroughly and puree, then follow the directions as above.

　　Pastry Queen Parties by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Copyright © 2009 Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.A pastry chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, native Texan Rebecca Rather has been proprietor of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café since 1999. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, Rather Sweet has a fiercely loyal cadre of regulars who populate the café’s sunlit tables each day. In 2007, Rebecca opened her eponymous restaurant, serving dinner nightly, just a few blocks from the café.  Rebecca is the author of THE PASTRY QUEEN, and has been featured in Texas Monthly, Gourmet, Ladies Home Journal, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Chocolatier, Saveur, and O, The Oprah Magazine. When she isn’t in the bakery or on horseback, Rebecca enjoys the sweet life in Fredericksburg, where she tends to her beloved backyard garden and menagerie, and eagerly awaits visits from her college-age daughter, Frances.Alison Oresman has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years. She has written and edited for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. As an entertainment editor for the Miami Herald, she oversaw the paper’s restaurant coverage and wrote a weekly column as a restaurant critic. After settling in Washington State, she also covered restaurants in the greater Seattle area as a critic with a weekly column. A dedicated home baker, Alison is often in the kitchen when she isn't writing. Alison lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband, Warren, and their children, Danny and Callie.