Mexican Cowboy Beans (Frijoles Charros)

Mexican frijoles charros, or cowboy beans, is a brothy stew of beans and a variety of meats, plus aromatics, tomatoes and sometimes chilies. The dish is said to originate with the charros, or cowboys, who worked on the ranches of northern Mexico and threw together ingredients they had on hand to cook a hearty meal. Pinto beans are commonly used, but during a visit to Mexico City, chef Luis Alberto Llanos Legorreta made us a version with black beans, along with no fewer than four different types of pork products. Our recipe is modeled on his, but we include only chorizo sausage and bacon in our stew, and garnish at the end with crushed chicharrones (fried pork rinds) for texture; if you don’t like them, feel free to skip them. Serve with warm tortillas.