So, there are various definitions of chalupa. In Mexico, I had a dish called “chalupa” which was a fried tortilla with a spiced potato mixture on top . . . but this is the one I know, a stew of pork and beans, cooked so long that it becomes a delicious goopy mess.

It takes about five hours to make, so be prepared!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pinto beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 3 lb. pork roast (better if it has some fat)
• 8 C. water
• 1/2 C. chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1-2 minced jalapenos (1, unseeded, will bring a tiny bit of heat)

Method:

Place everything into a pot and stir together:

Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a medium boil and cover. For the first two hours, stir every half an hour, and add water as needed. As the meat begins to cook, use your utensil to break off the cooked edges, which will help the meat to cook more evenly:

Around the 2-1/2 to 3 hour mark, the meat will have pretty much fallen apart. Turn down the heat, but don’t stop cooking! The beans have long since turned to mush. That means that the stew will start to stick, so you need to scrape down the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent burning. This needs to be done every 5-10 minutes (5 minutes is better, just in case). Much easier with a spatula than a spoon.

No matter how quickly it cooks, DON’T be tempted to stop at the four hour mark. For some reason (meat protein breakdown?) that’s when it transforms from okay to delicious. So I generally go for another half hour.

In the end, it will look like this:

Now, what to do with it?

First of all, unless you’re feeding a mess o’ folks, it’s far more than you will use. But it freezes extremely well.

Use it in Mexican or Tex-Mex recipes. Delicious in tacos or as a filling for enchiladas, but my fave is a chalupa bowl. There are some broken-up tortilla chips in the bottom (breaking them up makes it easier to eat), then a layer of chalupa, and topped with the usual suspects, chopped lettuce, onions, tomatoes, cubed cheese, taco sauce and sour cream:

Both pretty and double yum!!!

-R