Palmetto Pork Chalupas - A Secret Dish, No More

At some point in my youth, this dish, Chalupas, became a family favorite, particularly around holiday events or large gatherings with friends.

These days I don't need such excuses. Yesterday I made a huge pot and it wasn't for the Super Bowl; yet, I do have enough left over to feed the Bengals' defensive line. As for the Rams, "Let them eat cake."

I believe we received this recipe from some neighborhood friends. I still love them to this day, at least for doing so. Ha!

It was decades later before I heard of or saw Chalupas on a menu - usually at a Mexican restaurant. In description or appearance, none of these resembled what I was used to. I've traveled a good bit and I love trying new foods or different varieties of what I've had. But, I'm somewhat biased when it comes to this dish.

The closest I've seen to our (theirs, whatever) recipe is an Indian version of this Mexican dish.

I'm usually quite satisfied with one plate of Chalupas nowadays; however, back when I was a strapping young lad, two plates was a minimum. And, I am not the one to put ketchup on everything, in fact I rarely use ketchup, but something about pouring a little on top of the dish once it is all dressed up, looks great and complements the herbs, spices and vegetables - the entire dish.

I have shared this recipe with about five people over the last few months and assisted two with making it. So now it's time to go public with the recipe.

Prepared and made properly, this dish provides a wonderful blend of flavors and textures, and a little heat - more or less, tuned to your liking.

Palmetto Pork Chalupas

Ingredients

• 2.5 to 3.0 lbs. Pork "Boston" butt or pork "picnic" shoulder (Pork butt preferred) (Bone-in preferred for either)
• 2 lbs. Dry pinto beans
• 2 Tbsp Salt
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Ground cumin seed
• 1 Tbsp Oregano
• 2 to 3 dried bay leaves or 4 to 5 fresh bay leaves
• 3 to 4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Equivalent of 2 to 3 jalapenos in pickled sliced form and some of the pickling sauce

Toppings (as desired): Grated sharp Cheddar cheese, chopped Romaine lettuce (other crispy lettuce), chopped yellow or sweet onion, diced ripe tomato, sliced pickled jalapeno, chopped/sliced fresh avocado, dollop sour cream. Diner's discretion: ketchup - try a little first

Base: Fritos original corn chips or very similar corn chips. Substitutes or tortilla chips will not suffice. Note: I have put left-over Chalupas on a bed of rice before when out of Fritos. It's still fantastic, but not the same experience.

Prep/Cooking

• Soak pinto beans overnight and rinse.
• Place half of the beans in a large pot (stock pot preferred); place the cut of pork next and then the remainder of the beans. Cover all with water.
• Add the spices and herbs to the pot and stir around and down to distribute. 
• Bring to a boil, stir again and reduce heat to medium-low. Adjust (lower) heat over time if there is a very active boil.
• Cook until beans and meat are tender - roughly two hours.
• Remove cut of pork, tear or cut away from bone, remove fat and pull or break up meat into roughly 1/2" to 1" pieces - Do Not Shred
• See notes.

Notes:

• You may want to place pinto beans in a colander and shake/work around to remove any debris before soaking.
• After bringing the heat down you will probably want to check the meat and bean consistency and the flavor of the liquid about every 30 minutes. I use a substantial fork or tongs and rotate the pork and ensure the main two components are covered by adding water if needed.
• The last 30 minutes (roughly) is the time to test for flavor and heat, and adjust, and add whatever spices and/or herbs you desire. If I believe the heat is nominal for the diners I do not add any jalapenos as they can easily be added as a topping. After I adjust the ingredients I turn the heat to its lowest setting.
• If you choose the basic quantities of spices and herbs, along with the slow cooking of the pork and beans, you are going to produce a flavorful dish. Play around with it over time and enjoy.

Serving

• Place the Fritos evenly around a large plate.
• Spoon the Chalupas over the Fritos.
• Add toppings. If I am serving for my guests the four basic toppings are cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion, in that order - for taste, aesthetics and for the cheese to melt. The other toppings are optional and promoted.

Accompanying beverages: Iced Tea, Beer, Red or Hearty White Wine, Margaritas (Rocks, no salt)

Yes, of course you could serve this dish in smaller quantities as a kick-ass appetizer.

Again, enjoy!

Questions and comments, particularly after making your first batch of Palmetto Pork Chalupas, are welcome.

Okay, time to go. It's Super Bowl Sunday and I'm going to cheat today - Chili, Chips and Cheese and a doctored up DiGgiorno Pizza. (More later) The total prep time for both is about 10 minutes. Yesss!

I'll wait to see if the Bengals deserve some Chalupas - fingers crossed, big time.