Gallina Pinta (Painted Chicken)

This is a great recipe from the Mexican state of Sonora. Yes, it is called painted chicken, although it is made with beef, most likely because it looks like the colorful feathers of a chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ox tails
• 1 (3 pound) chuck roast
• 4 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, cut in half and de-seeded
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• Oregano
• Salt
• 1 pound pinto beans
• 1 pound hominy
• Beef bouillion (optional)

Instructions

1. Soak the beans overnight.
2. Wash and parboil the beef. Cover the cleaned beef with water in a soup pot.
3. Boil beef with onion, garlic, bay leaves and a little salt, skimming the top periodically throughout the process. After 20 minutes of cooking, lower the heat, and add beans and chiles. When the beans are soft, add hominy, oregano and salt to taste. If the broth isn't strong enough, add a little beef bouillon. Cook for 4 hours total.
4. Remove the bones from the ox tails and return to the soup pot. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
5. To serve, top with shredded cabbage, cilantro, onion and salsa de chiltepin.