This version of frijole fronterizos is based on a recipe in Spanish I found in the book La Cocina Familiar en el Estado de Baja California, but there are many versions of it, so feel free to play with amounts and ingredients within these general guidelines. And yes, regular pintos work well, too.
1poblano chile, roasted, skinned, seeded and roughly chopped(See note below)
4cupscooked beans
2 to 4Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2cupqueso fresco or cotija cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed chiltepin chiles, to taste(optional)
Instructions
Cook the beans - generally you will need 2 cups dry beans to get around 4 cups, but it's not an exact science - in lots of water at a very slow simmer. After about 90 minutes, add the epazote, if using. When the beans are reasonably soft, about 2 hours, add salt. This can all be done up to a couple days ahead of time. If you do cook them ahead of time, store them in their cooking liquid in the fridge.
When you are ready, cook the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove and chop. Set it aside.
Add the chorizo, onions and garlic to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until the chorizo is nicely browned. Add the chopped poblanos, the cooked beans and a little of the cooking water. Mix well and let this cook gently. for 10 to 20 minutes. Don't let the beans stick to the bottom of the pot. Keep adding cooking liquid, stock or water as needed. You want it a little wet, but not soupy.
Mix in the chopped tomatoes and let this cook a couple minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the cheese and serve. I like to crush a bunch of dried chiltepin chiles over everything, too.