Replicating Kazah’s Frito Pie

Earlier today I was picking strawberries in a farm field and I realized once again that I’m a wet bag of equations. The strawberries convinced me. They are, too. Sauvie’s Island is the largest island in the Columbia River and it was the ancestral home of the Multnomah Indians of the Chinook. The ‘Sauvie’ in the name came from Laurent Sauvé dit Laplante, a French-Canadian dairy farmer. Before that it was called Wapato Island and before that something else. Thinking about history and nature in the bright sun and occasionally glancing over to admire Sylvia’s sunhat, I thought about Kazah and the magnificent frito pies he served out of his food cart years ago now across the street from City Liquidators. It was a natural progression as thinking in a field goes. I was just getting hungry and I could suddenly remember eating those spicy bowls of soul food goodness every day for lunch one long summer as clearly as I could remember the business about the dairy farmer. Kazah was Trinidadian by way Houston so he had a unique way about him. One of the happiest dudes I’ve ever known, too.

BEGIN

Begin with 5 garlic cloves

2 ancho chilis

3 New Mexico chilis

Skin the cloves and deseed the chilis and put them in a pot with a cup of water, bring it to a boil, turn the heat off and cover. Steam for five minutes and then blend with 1 cup whole canned tomatoes, fire roasted is best.

Heat pot, add one tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Briefly fry seeds and then add the garlic-chili-tomato sauce. Smells great! Lower heat and add the beans, one quart. Here they are below. In brief, I make a big pot of pinto beans now and then and then freeze them by the quart. Pretty versatile bean base and they’re always more tender when treated this way. Skip this step if you’re using canned beans (hmm, a canned bean is shit just so you know), but you’re looking at 5 drained cans. This below is better.

BEANS

In large pot-

2 quarts chicken stock

½ cup sherry

2 tsp salt

4 gloves minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

4 sage leaves

Add dry pinto beans to fluid level and then add about an inch of water. Bring to low boil and add water as needed until cooked. Cool and decant for freezing.

NEXT-

Once the beans are thawed on LOW with the lid on, add one cup of shredded beef. I usually make a big batch of this as well and you’re on your own here as there are many good and super easy way to accomplish this step. I freeze it in one cup freezer bags.

The beef will thaw, stir it in, then add 1 tbl cumin. Cumin has a short life so it goes in close to the end. I grind in some black pepper at this time as well and salt to taste. After the second phase cumin cook ten minutes on low, then ladle over the god damned processed corn chip called Fritos, an absolute necessity unfortunately, and then if you like add cheese. I usually don’t unless I’m going the extra mile with a little chopped white onion and sliced pepper garnish. Tapatio the hell out of that either way and then, the important last step…

Imagine you’re sitting outside on a sunny day. A dripping, disgusting industrial bridge is off to your right for atmosphere and color, plus it reflects the reggae music blasting from cheerful Kazah’s bright yellow food cart. People are happy. Somewhere, ribs are cooking. Paper plate, plastic spoon, and all is right with the world.