Introduction
The Ranch Hand Special is hot Frijoles Charros served over Cheddar Cornbread Muffins. Topped with cheddar, onions and chiles, it’s a quick and easy, spicy, hearty meal for a hungry gaucho.
The Ranch Hand Special Recipe
Ranch Hand Special
Ingredients
- 1 wedge Skillet Cornbread
- 1 cup Frijoles Charros
- 1 dash hot sauce – such as Tapatio
- 1 tbsp white onion – finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cilantro – finely chopped
- 2 tbsp pepper jack cheese – grated
- 1 fresh hot jalapeño – thinly sliced
Instructions
- Warm up a cup of beans and a large wedge of cornbread. Place warm cornbread into the center of a serving bowl. Ladle hot beans around the cornbread.
- Add a dash of hot sauce to the beans.
- Top with cheese, onion, cilantro, and sliced jalapeño.
Notes
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Delicious and Inexpensive
When I was young and hungry, I worked as a doorman at the Omni Hotel in downtown Austin, TX. There was a restaurant within walking distance on South Congress Ave, serving this basic meal for just a few bucks. It was simply pinto beans ladled over cornbread, and topped with a pinch of cilantro, cheese and onions. It was cheap, tasted good, and filled me up.
The restaurant no longer exists, but the meal is easy enough to reproduce. You could make it yourself for about $3 worth of ingredients.
Pinto Beans and Cornbread
The Ranch Hand Special combines two of my other favorite recipes: Frijoles Charros, and Cheddar Cornbread Muffins. It’s a satisfying hot meal reminiscent of my younger days in Austin, TX. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Variations
For more heat, add chopped serrano peppers leftover from making the Frijoles Charros. Watch out – this will add lots of peppery heat!
Skillet Cornbread
Instead of Cheddar Cornbread Muffins, you could use a wedge of Skillet Cornbread. I’ts a delicious alternative!
Ranch-style beans
Replace the charro beans with a can of Ranch-Style Beans. Add chopped onion, cornbread muffins, cilantro, cheddar, and a dash or two of hot sauce. Easy and delicious!
Fun Fact about Gauchos
A gaucho is a South American cowboy. He is a folk symbol of the Patagonia region of South America, including Argentina and Chile. Gauchos dressed distinctly, with loose-fitting trousers called Bombachos, a heavy wool Poncho, and a wide hat called a Boina. He had a knife tucked into his belt, and carried a whip at his side. I can imagine a gaucho enjoying a plate of beans and cornbread out on the Pampas – the grassy plains of Argentina.
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