Flautas with Quick Bean Filling

Rinse and drain the canned beans thoroughly.

In a bowl, combine the rinsed beans, diced green chilies, and torn cheese. Season with cumin, dried oregano, garlic powder, and salt to taste. Mash some of the beans with your hands to create a paste, then mix everything together well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

If using corn tortillas, wrap them in a damp towel and heat until warm and pliable. This can be done in the microwave.

If using corn tortillas, dissolve a dash of cornstarch in a little water. Heat the mixture until boiling and gelatinized to use as a glue for sealing the flautas.

Place a log of the bean filling onto the middle of each tortilla.

For corn tortillas, smear the cornstarch glue along the edge that will form the outer seal. For flour tortillas, plain water can be used as the glue. Roll each tortilla up tightly, ensuring the seam is positioned on the bottom.

In a wide pan or griddle, heat a film of olive oil over medium-low heat.

Carefully place the flautas seam-side down into the hot oil. Mop them around to ensure the bottom is coated. Slide them as they cook to ensure even browning.

Once the first side is golden and crispy, flip all the flautas and repeat the process on the other side. Flour tortillas may benefit from browning a third side, but corn tortillas are often too delicate.

Continue frying until all sides are golden brown and the filling is hot and melty.

Dice the tomato, shallot, and jalapeño (remove ribs for less heat). Squeeze in lime juice to taste, tear in cilantro leaves, and add salt if desired. Mix well.

Peel and thinly slice the red shallots into semi-circles. Place them in a bowl, submerge in red wine vinegar, and stir in sugar if using. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or longer for better flavor.

Drain the pickled shallots and arrange them on a plate with the hot flautas. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro leaves.