Walking Tacos

Gather the following:

Diced tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Sliced jalapenos
Pitted sliced black olives
Sour cream
Minced onions
Chopped cilantro
Black bean chili
Tomatillo salsa
12 small individual bags of Fritos corn chips

Open the Frito bags, add a ladle of chili and some/all of the above ‘mix-ins’… it’s a taco in a bag. Spoon in some salsa and enjoy.

Ingredients

Black Bean Chili

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 slices of bacon, chopped
2 pounds trimmed pork shoulder, cut into 1/3-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 poblano chiles—stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 large onion, cut into 1/3-inch dice
4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced (1/4 cup)
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons Andrew Zimmern Mexican Fiesta seasoning blend (available at Walmart, ShopRite and on-line at www.badiaspices.com)
1/3 cup ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 cup minced cilantro
One 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 pound dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
7 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 cups beer
4 tablespoons corn flour
4 tablespoons water

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

1 1/4 cups minced white onion (about 1 medium onion)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 poblano chiles
1 jalapeño
12 tomatillos, husks removed and quartered (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 cups cilantro leaves and chopped stems
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Instructions

For the chili:

In a large enameled, cast-iron casserole, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until the fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate.

Season the pork with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the poblanos, onion, chipotles and garlic to the casserole and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 7 minutes. Add the chile powder, cumin, oregano, spice blend and minced cilantro and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, beans, chicken stock, beer and cooked bacon and bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the beans are just getting tender, about 2 hours. Uncover the casserole and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are cooked, 30 to 45 minutes longer.

In a small bowl, whisk the corn flour with the water until smooth. Slowly whisk the mixture into the chili until incorporated. Season the chili with salt and serve.

For the salsa:

In a medium bowl, mix the onions with the kosher salt and let stand.

Roast the poblanos and jalapeño directly over a gas flame or under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until charred all over. Transfer the poblanos and jalapeños to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel and seed, then transfer to a blender.

Add the tomatillos, cilantro, mint, garlic and lime juice, and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Drain the onions and stir into the bowl. Season the salsa with salt, if necessary. Serve. Try mashing an avocado into this salsa for a unique spin.