Eating tacos on Tuesdays was cute for a while, but, honestly, they’re a typical meal for countless millions so dedicating a weekday to them always seemed a little off to us.  Let’s celebrate an actual unsung hero of Latin cuisine—tacu tacu, the Peruvian staple of refried rice and beans. 

Here’s the recipe.  Mix some leftover rice and leftover beans and fry in a pan until they stick together.  Done.  You might need to press the mixture with a spatula to encourage binding.  Oh, and don’t skimp on the olive oil; it’ll help crisp things up, but, really, it’s as simple a dish as it sounds.

Any FILLO’S pouch will do—the Puerto Rican Pink Beans and Peruvian Lentils being favorites for tacu tacu around here.   Lastly, try making a salsa criolla: shaved red onions and aji (or other medium hot chile) with a little cilantro and salt and plenty of fresh lime juice.  It’s sharp and citrusy and sets off the rich starchiness of the tacu tacu.