I watched Cowboy Kent Rawlins on YT make Charro Beans. As a bean fanatic, I had to make some, only with my usual twists. Because I am frugal, I decided to make it with things I already have in the house. Slow cooked 1/2 of beans for 4 hours. Added two smoked ham hocks I keep in the freezer for bean soup. Found a frozen packet of sliced ham. That went in too. Kept the beans boiling. Added one raw diced onion. I would normally caramelize the onion, but I am frugal and lazy, so I didn’t want any extra dishes. I added chili powder, garlic, cumin and other herbs that escape me now. I don’t keep any type of spicy peppers so I added some red chili flakes. I added one can of tomatoes. Let it simmer for around 3-4 hours. After testing, I decided I wanted it sweeter. This is my version of charro beans so I added 1/4 of brown sugar. I let that simmer for an hour. Slightly spicy and slightly sweet. It was extremely good. The entire dish had maybe $5-6 in ingredients. The most expensive was probably the hamhocks at $3. I make something similar every summer when I camp. Spicy Camp baked beans.
by Smelly-taint