Black Beans
This recipe can be kept refrigerated for 3 days. For a colorful presentation, serve the black beans with sour cream, chopped cilantro, and diced red onions as a side dish, or use them in recipes such as burritos or Chili.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
- 1 pound dried black beans
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 slice bacon
- 5 quarts water
- 1 jalapeño pepper, cut lengthwise in half
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
In a 6-quart soup pot, cover beans with boiling water; let stand with pot uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain.
Sauté onion in a large pot with the bacon for 5 minutes. Add the soaked, drained beans. Add 5 quarts of water.
Add the jalapeño, cumin, salt, and honey. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer uncovered for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
To see if the beans are done, blow on a few in a spoon. When they are done, the skin will peel off when you blow on them.
Bean Counting
Here is a list of some of the colorful varieties of dried beans (and peas) available for cooking: calypso, cranberry runner, fava, garbanzo, flageolet, pinto, pink, red, black, white, black-eyed peas, lentil, lima, and kidney.
