For the first installment in The Endless Horizon series, we partnered with Snow Peakers Tyler Way and Kendra Olguín, taking inspiration from their Pacific Northwest excursions. The pair enjoyed many campfire meals and shared two of their favorites with us. Don’t miss their Fire-Roasted Tomato Pasta!
Although simple, making these enfrijoladas will have you bouncing back between your campfire and camp stove in a fun way. A sweet-and-savory take on the classic Mexican dish, we added the PNW ingredient of a locally-picked apple purchased at a fruit stand up the road from our campground in Washington.
Gear:
Enfrijoladas:
- 2 cups of black beans
- 1 cup of vegetable stock
- 1 large apple diced
- 1/2 cup crema
- 1/2 cup queso fresco
- 1/2 small onion very thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons of cotija
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 6 corn tortillas or 4 flour tortillas
- Salt to taste
- Sliced avocado for serving
- Chopped cilantro for serving
Potato Hash:
- 3 medium-sized potatoes or 1 large potato, diced into 1/4" cubes
- 1/2 small onion, diced into 1/4" cubes
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced into 1/4" cubes
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Combine the beans and vegetable stock in a medium-sized bowl and, using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Pour the beans into one of the Cast Iron Micro Pot and cover.
Combine the potatoes, onion, bell pepper, and garlic into a medium-sized bowl and toss. Drizzle olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and mix again to coat the mixture with the oil evenly. Pour the potatoes into a cast iron pot with a lid like the Cast Iron Micro Capsule. Cover and set it on one side of the grill.
Place the Cast Iron Micro Pot filled with the beans on the other side of your grill.
You'll want to check on your bean mixture every few minutes or so to stir and make sure the beans on the bottom aren't solidifying. With the potatoes, check on them after several minutes and give them a toss so that the potatoes roast evenly.
While that's going on, dice your apple and place it into a small bowl. Crumble your queso fresco and add it to the bowl of apple. Add in a pinch of salt. Toss the mixture and set it aside.
On a camp stove, heat the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas by immersing them in the hot oil for a minute or so on each side. I like my tortillas on the crispier side, so I let them golden. When taking them out of the pan, fold the tortillas in half using tongs and line them up on a plate. Fill each tortilla with a small palmful of the apple and cheese mixture.
Thinly slice the remaining half of the small onion. The thinner, the better. Chop a handful of cilantro and set both the onion and cilantro aside.
Because cooking time depends on the size and intensity of your campfire (not to mention environmental factors such as wind), continue checking on your beans and potatoes to prevent them from burning. The bean puree should be a little thicker but not too thick so that the moisture is gone.
Remove the cast iron pots from the grill and set them on trivets. While you allow them to sit for a second before serving, make your eggs the style you prefer on the pan you used to fry the tortillas.
Ladle or spoon the beans on top of the fried, folded, and apple/cheese-filled tortillas. Cover the tortillas until almost entirely coated with beans. Place your eggs on top of the beans. Top with the thinly-sliced onion, cilantro, crema, and cotija. Serve with fresh slices of avocado.
Sprinkle the potatoes with cotija and cilantro as well. Serve with your favorite hot sauce if handy.
Buen provecho!
Please note: Parts of the country are experiencing extreme drought and high wildfire danger. Please consult local authorities and closely follow burning regulations in your state or region.
