Habas Verdes con Xoconostle

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •10- to 12-inch clay cazuela or heavy skillet
• •Small sharp knife for peeling xoconostle
• •Fine-mesh strainer for pressing the xoconostle seed centers
• •Wooden spoon for breaking down the xoconostle in the cazuela
• •Comal for warming corn tortillas

Instructions

1. 1

   Shell the habas

   Shell the fresh habas from their pods and rinse them. If the beans are small, bright green, and tender, leave their skins on. If they are large, pale, or leathery, blanch them in salted water for 60 seconds, cool them, and slip off the thick outer skins. That little skin can turn the guiso tough and bitter. The señoras in the Valle del Mezquital sort by touch, not by a timer.

   Do not use dried habas for this recipe. Dried habas make a different dish. Fresh habas verdes are the point here.
2. 2

   Cut the xoconostle

   Trim both ends from the xoconostles and peel them with a small sharp knife. Cut each fruit lengthwise. Scoop the seed centers into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, then press hard with a spoon to collect the sour juice. Discard the seeds. Dice the firm flesh into 1/2-inch pieces. Xoconostle is not sweet tuna. The seeds sit in the center and the flesh is tart, almost lemony. That acid is why this dish works.

3. 3

   Fry the base

   Melt the manteca de cerdo in a 10- to 12-inch clay cazuela or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent with a few golden edges, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and chile serrano and stir for 1 minute, just until the chile smells green and sharp. Add the diced xoconostle, the reserved sour juice, and the salt. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes, pressing about a third of the xoconostle against the side of the cazuela so it breaks down into the fat. La manteca es el sabor. Oil will cook it, yes. It will not round the acid the same way.

   The chile serrano is here for a clean green bite, not to punish anyone. This is not a red chile dish. Do not reach for chile ancho or guajillo.
4. 4

   Stew the habas

   Stir in the shelled habas so every bean is coated in the xoconostle base. Add the water and epazote. Bring to a steady simmer, then lower the heat and cook uncovered until the habas are tender and the liquid has reduced into a tart, lightly glossy broth. Peeled habas take 12 to 15 minutes. Tender unpeeled habas take closer to 20 minutes. Stir now and then so the beans cook evenly. This should be a guiso with a little broth, not a dry saute.

   If you are using frozen peeled fava beans, add them straight from frozen and cook only 7 to 9 minutes. It is a compromise, not an upgrade, but it is better than using dried habas and pretending nothing changed.
5. 5

   Finish at the table

   Remove the epazote sprig. Fold in the chopped cilantro and taste for salt. The finished guiso should taste green, tart, and earthy, with small beads of manteca on the surface and soft pieces of xoconostle between the habas. Serve it in the cazuela with warm corn tortillas. Do not add lime. The xoconostle already did that work. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for xoconostle by name. Sweet tuna will not work. The vendor should be able to tell you the difference: xoconostle has its seeds gathered in the center, while sweet tuna carries seeds through the flesh. Si no conoces el mercado, no conoces la cocina.
• •Fresh habas verdes should look plump and green, not gray or dry at the edges. If the pods are limp, the beans inside are already tired. Cook what the market is selling today.
• •The epazote matters. It gives the bean pot its central Mexican smell and helps the habas taste less heavy. Do not replace it with oregano. Cilantro finishes the dish, epazote cooks the dish. They are not the same job.
• •Manteca de cerdo is the correct fat. Two tablespoons is not a scandal. It carries the sour xoconostle and gives the broth body. If you use vegetable oil, the dish will be thinner and sharper. That is the compromise.
• •Serve with corn tortillas. Flour tortillas belong to the north, and Hidalgo's Valle del Mezquital is not pretending to be Sonora today.

Advance Preparation

• •The habas can be shelled one day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. If they are large, blanch and peel them the same day you cook, so they do not dry out.
• •The xoconostles can be peeled, seeded, and diced up to one day ahead. Keep the diced flesh and pressed sour juice together in a covered container.
• •The finished guiso keeps refrigerated for three days. Reheat gently with a splash of water and add fresh cilantro only after reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 205g)