Perfect Black Beans Recipes

HOW TO COOK BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• First, pick through your black beans for debris (sometimes tiny rocks can sneak in). Place the beans in a fine mesh colander or sieve and rinse very well. Pour the beans into a large Dutch oven or saucepan (4 quarts or larger in capacity).
• Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, salt, cumin, orange zest and red pepper flakes (if using) to the pot. Pour in the water.
• Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Give the beans a stir to make sure none are stuck to the bottom of the pot, and set a timer for 1 hour. Leave the pot uncovered and adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer (you should see several small bubbles popping to the surface at any given moment).
• Once the timer goes off, test a couple of beans by using a fork to press them against the side of the pot. If they're easy to press through, taste a few (carefully! they're hot!) to see if they're sufficiently plump, tender and delicious.
• Otherwise, continue cooking, testing in 15 to 30 minute intervals as needed, until they're done. If you're running low on liquid, add water in 1-cup increments so the beans are covered at all time. (As mentioned in the post, if your beans are old, they can take several hours to cook and require a lot more water, and some very old beans may never cook through.)
• Once the beans are very tender and tasty, you can increase the heat a little to reduce the cooking liquid into a more gravy-like consistency, about 5 to 15 minutes (it will continue to thicken up as the beans cool).
• Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully remove the orange zest and both bay leaves. Use a fork to press the garlic against the side of the bowl to break it up. Add the cilantro, if using, and lime juice. Stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt, if needed. Use as desired.
• Allow leftover beans to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze leftover beans for several months.***

ABUELO PELáEZ'S FRIJOLES NEGROS (BLACK BEANS)

Steps:

• In a large pot, soak beans overnight in 10 cups of water.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil, the onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves and bay leaf to beans, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour, checking regularly and skimming the foam that forms on top.
• Meanwhile, make the sofrito. Warm remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the half onion, 1 bell pepper and 3 garlic cloves and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Add 1 bay leaf, cumin, oregano, black pepper and salt, and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Add the sofrito to beans. Stir in sherry vinegar, wine and olives, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and cooked through. Remove both bay leaves, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add sugar. Serve as soup or a side dish, or over white rice.

BASIC BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Rinse the beans under the tap. Put them into a bowl large enough to hold them and 4 cups of water. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and leave to soak overnight. They should double in size.
• Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and put them into a heavy pot with onion and bay leaf. Add enough water just to cover the beans, and drizzle olive oil.
• Bring the beans to a boil. Remove any scum that forms. Boil for 10 minutes, cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer until the beans are tender but not falling apart, 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the age of the beans.
• Remove the onion and bay leaf. Add the sea salt. Use the beans or store them in the fridge or freezer.

INSTANT POT BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Saute Onion, Herbs, Garlic in Instant Pot: Heat up Instant Pot by using "Sauté More" function. Wait until Instant Pot says "HOT". Add 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil in Instant Pot. Add in chopped onions, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in 1 tsp (2.7g) ground cumin, 1 tsp (0.6g) oregano, and 3 bay leaves, then saute for another minute. Add in minced garlic, then saute for 30 seconds.
• Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour 1 cup (250ml) unsalted stock in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
• Pressure Cook Black Beans: Add in 1 lb (454g) black beans and ½ tsp coarse kosher salt. Pour in 5 cups (1.25L) unsalted chicken stock, then give it a quick mix. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure 50 minutes, then Natural Release for 20 minutes. Open the lid carefully.Amy + Jacky's Tip: Adding salt to the black beans won't make it tough.
• Season & Serve Black Beans: Taste and season black beans with more salt. For reference, 3 to 4 large pinches of salt work best based on our testing. You can serve the black beans as a tasty side dish, topping, filling, or a simple Black Beans Soup. Garnish your black beans with chopped cilantro, then serve. Enjoy!~ :)
• *Bonus Soup Tips: If serving as a Black Beans Soup, boil the black beans in Instant Pot (use "Saute High" function) for another 4 to 5 minutes. This will add some more body to the soup. Stir occasionally.

BEST BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine beans, onion, and garlic, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Season with cilantro, cayenne, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, and serve.

BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• For the beans: Place the beans in a bowl or pot, cover with cold water and allow to soak overnight. Drain and rinse before proceeding. (Alternatively, add the beans to a medium pot and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil, and then boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow the beans to sit for 1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse them with cold water before proceeding.)
• In a medium pot, add the soaked beans, chicken broth, 2 cups water, the garlic, onions and green, red and yellow bell peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Then add the chile powder, cumin and salt and stir. Cover and continue simmering until the liquid level is to your liking, about another hour. Taste for seasoning and add more of what it needs.
• For the fixins: Serve in a bowl with sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges and diced bell peppers on the side.

PERFECT BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• The night before, soak the black beans in a large pot of water. The next day, rinse the beans, cover with 3 cups of fresh water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes, skimming off any foam. Stir in the onion and simmer 30 minutes more. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, and red pepper flakes, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar and vinegar, and taste before seasoning with salt and pepper. Turn out into a large serving bowl and garnish with chopped scallions.