Instructions: Take about 3 cups of beans, clean them up. Put them in a large pot, without soaking, covering them with water that is "2 knuckles above the surface of the beans." Put half a white onion in the beans, and drizzle a bit of oil on the water (keeps them from foaming). Bring them to a boil, then cook them at at medium low for an hour to an hour and a half. At that point, add a sprig of epazote (mine grew to almost 6...it is now at eye level with me and in flower), the other half of the white onion, chopped, and some salt. Cook about another 45 minutes until softish.

Take 6 oz of chorizo, saute it for about 15 minutes, and then add the chopped onion. Saute until the onion is soft and the chorizo starting to crisp. Drain the onion and chorizo on thick paper towels. Chop two good-sized tomatoes and saute them in the onion/chorizo dripping mixture for about 3 minutes. Put the onions, chorizo, and tomatoes into the bean pot and cook for about 20 minutes. Then add 5 whole chiles de arbol to finish it off. You need to keep the beans moist, and you can add some beer, water or wine (we used some chianti last night) at this point.

We serve them with mounds of tomatoes, cilantro, chopped onion, and lots of queso cotijo (grated) or grated queso anejo, and tortillas. These beans are a meal in themselves, and worthy for an Aztec emperor:) Enjoy!

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