BASIC BLACK BEANS

Ingredienser

1 pound dried black beans

2 tablespoons pure olive oil

½ medium yellow or white onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

½ medium jalapeño, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 dried chile de árbol

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ cinnamon stick, about 1 inch long

1 dried bay leaf

Kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra to taste

Vejledning

Place the beans in a large bowl and add enough tepid water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Set aside to soak at room temperature for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until the oil is shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, celery, jalapeño, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft but not browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the chile de árbol, cumin, oregano, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Add cold water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches. Raise the heat to high, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the beans are tender, adding water if necessary, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove and discard the bay leaf, chile de árbol, and cinnamon stick before serving. You can refrigerate the beans in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notater

If you think canned beans are cheap, then wait until you see how far a bag of dried beans can go! With a pound of dried beans that costs a few bucks, you can make enough cooked beans to serve 12 people (or more!), easy. Dried beans tend to have a meatier texture when cooked and will fully soak up the flavors of the ingredients you cook with them. The longer you soak the beans before cooking, the creamier they will get.