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Frijol con puerco

What: Black beans cooked with pork, or frijol con puerco, is a soulful Yucatecan dish traditionally eaten in homes and casual cocinas economicas on Mondays, possibly due to the relative ease of cooking it. Flavored with garlic and epazote and served with lots of add-ins—such as radish, cilantro, avocado, onion, and, of course, tortillas—it’s akin to hearty black bean soup with tender hunks of pork: pure comfort food, any day of the week.

Good to know: We’ve heard that this dish is sometimes served with the soupy liquid drained and off to the side, to make it easier to eat the beans and pork with tortillas.

Where: We found our pork and beans at Taqueria Don Beto (985-101-0163; Av. Tulum opposite the road to the ruins, map), a plastic-tabled cocina economica off the main drag in Tulum that offers this dish nearly every day. It’s a great place to fuel up before exploring the ruins.

When: Daily, 7am-4pm

Order: The soupy frijol con puerco (55p), which is accompanied by diced radish, cilantro, lime wedges, and habanero peppers, plus a pile of hot handmade tortillas (admittedly, a little color goes a long way with this dish!). The beans are creamy and savory; the pork fall-off-the-bone delicious. 

Alternatively: In downtown Cancún, Loncheria El Pocito (998-884-4736; 31 Norte, betw. Av. Lopez Portillo & Chichen Itza, map) has this dish on Mondays. Look for it to show up at other cocina economicas, market stalls, and Yucatecan eateries along the coast that day, including El Faisan y El Venado (Carretera Federal at Calle 2 Norte, map) in Playa del Carmen.