The Unseen Hero of Simply Julia: Green Chile Braised Chicken Thighs with Pinto Beans

Why I regret not taking a photo of the easiest, most versatile recipe in the book...

How often do you cook a recipe from a cookbook that doesn't have a photo? Seriously, please tell me. I think about this question all of the time. And the more I think about it, the more I think about how many recipes don't get their shine because there was never visual encouragement to try them, no gorgeous photos to whisper make me, make me! 

Photos are, though, the most expensive part of a cookbook to produce. Every single photo requires not only buying the ingredients for the recipe, but also taking the time to make it (or paying someone else, usually a food stylist, to make it), considering the props (a.k.a. the plate, the spoon, the napkin and you have either purchased or rented these items because you usually don't want to use the same dish in every single photo...you might also be paying a prop stylist...have you ever thought about renting a plate?! cookbooks are full of quirky behind-the-scenes details!), and, of course, you’re also paying the photographer. There's more that goes into a cookbook photoshoot than that (do you want to know what those things are? would that be interesting?). 

Okay, they’re expensive…but why not have a photo of every single recipe? Because photos also take up space in cookbooks and cookbooks, unlike the internet, are printed on paper and have a last page— meaning, they end. They are not limitless. And the bigger the book, the more money it takes to produce and the more money it costs to buy and wow wow wow everything comes back to capitalism, huh?? 

This is a VERY long way of saying: I really regret not taking a photograph of the Green Chile Braised Chicken Thighs with Pinto Beans recipe to go along with it in Simply Julia. Why? Because I think it's one of the absolute best recipes in the book (don't worry, I'm not biased or anything) and I am concerned that the lack of a photo might mean a lot of people just turned that page (how lucky am I that this is the type of thing I worry about?).  

But I realize that embarking on this newsletter means I can return to my work and tell you more about it. I can tell you the things I know now that I wish I knew then. I can show you more. Like the photo below that I took on my phone of this wonderful recipe. I can do what I've always dreamed of doing, which is to write directly to other home cooks without anyone in between us. So: thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. And now, let me tell you about this chicken.

What it is: an incredibly simple pot of braised chicken thighs (so tender!) that also includes pinto beans (you don't even need to drain the can), a couple of spices, and a can of Ro*tel tomatoes with green chiles

Why it's great: you don't have to chop a single thing, everyone loves it, you can make it ahead, it's pretty impossible to screw up, you dirty one pot and that's it, it freezes well, and it's so versatile

Tell me about this versatility: I'm so glad you asked! This chicken is great on its own in a bowl with nothing else, but you can also serve it on top of or next to: cooked rice (any type!) or any cooked grain, any roasted or sautéed or however-else-you-cook-them vegetables, a bowl of tortilla chips, a few warm corn or flour tortillas (melt some cheese on those!). You can also use it as a filling for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or use it to top a hot baked potato (regular or sweet). You could also throw some rice in the pot let it simmer while the chicken braises and have a truly incredible arroz con pollo (if you do this, I'd go with a cup of long grain white rice and be sure to fill one of the empty cans with water and add that to the pot along with everything else). You could add more water to the pot or a little chicken stock and turn this into a lovely soup. If you do that, you can do what I love to do which is to char a few corn tortillas over the flames of my gas stovetop, wrap them in a kitchen towel to steam for a minute, and then tear them into pieces and add them to my soup which instantly makes it feel like Tex-Mex chicken and dumplings with very little effort. You can serve this with extra toppings (pickled jalapeños, sliced radishes, crumbled dry cheese like cotija or feta, salty toasted pumpkin seeds....whatever!) and encourage whoever you're eating with to make their bowl their own.

Here is my dinner last night: some of the braised chicken with sour cream dolloped on top, leftover brown rice, and butternut squash that I bought already peeled/diced at the store, tossed with olive oil + salt, and put in my air fryer at 400ºF for 15 minutes. So good. Hot sauce not shown but liberally applied.

Some pro tips:

• You can double the chicken if you want more chicken, same goes for the beans.

• Having trouble turning your chicken (for example, it’s sticking to the pot)? Just let it cook longer. One of the biggest things most of us home cooks struggle with is patience. If your chicken is sticking, it probably just isn’t brown enough yet.

• Here’s the chile powder I used from Boonville Barn Collective— it’s so good! You can use whatever you want!

The recipe: If you already have Simply Julia, you have the recipe (thanks so much for buying my book!). But if it's in another room or you don't have the book, the recipe is below (paid subscribers only). Want to see it in action? Head here to my Instagram to see the reel I just posted (so much content!)

If you like this post/recipe, you might also enjoy: my Sunday afternoon classes (I teach live cooking classes every Sunday afternoon and they are so much fun) / my podcast (always free! two new episodes coming very soon!) / my cookbooks.

Take care everyone, xoxoox, Julia

And before I sign off, if you enjoyed this post/recipe and think someone you know might also like it, please help me spread the word about this new newsletter. It means a lot!

RECIPE BELOW FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS!!!!