Morisqueta!

At home, we always had rice, beans, salsa y un tipo de carnita.  With those key ingredients you were never short of a good meal.  Especially with frijoles in the house. One day you get ricos frijo, another day rico Litos and then the following ricos frijolitos! I know– bad joke.  Blame my dad, he’s told this joke since I can remember.

If you’re  from Michoacan, you’ve probably heard of  Morisqueta. It’s really just rice, beans and red chile. You can add meat if you want, which is really carne con chile.

Growing up I was never really asked what I wanted to eat. So I never knew this amazing combination had a name until Abuela said one day, “a que hacer morisqueta”.  I was so excited thinking I was going to try a new dish! Here I was … waiting for morisquetaaaaa!!!! Turns out, it was a dish I had been enjoying for years.

We got a good laugh that day. But enjoyed un platillo bien simple, Mexicano y delicioso.

Ingredients

• refried Beans
• steamed rice

Sauce

• 2 chiles California 
• 8-9 chiles Japoneses (Add more for spiciness.)
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 a garlic clove (Abuela only uses ½.)
• Cotija cheese (optional)

Instructions

• If you have frijoles de la olla, heat up some lard and add 4 cups of beans, 1-2 cups of bean broth (or water), and salt to taste. Mash them to make refried beans.
• Add 2 cups of washed rice in a pot, add 4 cups of water and salt to taste.
• Place over medium-low heat and cook without uncovering rice until it is cooked through.
• Roast the chiles.
• Cook tomatoes in water until soft.
• Blend chiles, tomatoes, garlic and salt to taste.
• While the refried beans are still simmering, pour the chile sauce over the beans and mix well.
• Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve rice along with the beans.
• Sprinkle it with cotija cheese.

For a heartier meal, add meat of choice to your chile sauce to make carne con chile. Serve rice, beans and the carne con chile.

Usually, you place the rice on your plate first then add the beans or carne con chile over the rice.  But Abuela always loved to serve them side by side.

Link to original video.