FRIJOLES MEXICANA
Pick over and wash one pound of small red Mexican beans, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, and add a pinch of soda. Cook for five minutes, drain and rinse, then cover with cold water, and cook slowly until soft. Melt two or three tablespoonfuls each of drippings and butter. When sizzling hot drop in two or three cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed. Keep stirring until well browned, then add two or three chopped and seeded green peppers and a large onion, sliced. Stir until cooked, then add a few tablespoonfuls of the boiled beans, mashing a few of them to form a thickening gravy. Add the rest of the beans with a portion of the liquor in which they were cooked, and three or four tomatoes, peeled and cut up. Simmer for an hour. When ready to serve, grate one-half pound of Mexican or Parmesan cheese and stir into the beans. Serve very hot.