Dish of Black Beans in Red Sauce
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Black Beans in Red Sauce


Peru   -   Frijoles Negros Escabechados
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 w/rice
***
1-1/2 hrs
Yes		 Intensely flavorful, but with very mild chili heat, this is an outstanding bean dish. In Peru it is eaten with rice, which is the way I eat it, but others use it as a side dish for roasted meats and the like.

1
1/2
8
1
1/4
4
2
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1/4
3/4
1
1/2
1/4
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1-1/2
2
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1
4
c
T
oz
t
c
oz
cl
---
t
t

t
t
---
T
T
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oz
Black Beans (1)
Salt
Onions
Salt
Wine Vinegar, red  
Ham, cooked
Garlic
-- Spices
Annatto Seed (2)
Cumin Seed
Chili Ancho (3)
Salt
Pepper
-----------
Olive Oil
Water
-- Garnish
Eggs, hard boiled
Olives, Black (4)

This recipe also works well with pork. Vegetarians can skip the meat without loosing too much.

Do-Ahead   -   (9 hrs - 10 min work))
  1. Soak dried BLACK BEANS 8 hrs in 2 cups Water with 1/2 T Salt (yes, salt).
  2. Drain Beans and rinse. Simmer in Water to cover until tender but not mushy, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain.
  3. IF Using:   Hard cook Egg for garnish. See Boiling Eggs for best method.
Prep   -   (8 hrs - (25 min work))
  1. Cut ONIONS in quarters lengthwise, then slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick.
  2. Put Onions in a saucepan with 1 t Salt and Water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately drain. Put them in a small bowl and mix with the Vinegar.
  3. Dice HAM quite small, about 1/4 inch.
  4. Crush GARLIC and chop small. Add to Ham.
  5. Grind together all Spices items in a spice grinder
  6. Chop hard boiled EGG coarse and pit OLIVES for garnish (if used).
Run   -   (10 min)
  1. In a sauté pan heat Olive Oil. Stir in Spices mix for just 30 seconds, then stir in Ham mix. Fry stirring over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes, makings sure the spices don't burn.
  2. Stir in Beans and Onions (along with the Vinegar) and 2 T Water until well blended. Cover and simmer a couple minutes until it's all heated, stirring a couple of times.
  3. Serve warm with steamed long grain Rice, or as desired. This dish is usually garnished with hard cooked eggs, but that garnish doesn't photograph well, so I garnished with parsley.
NOTES:

  1. Black Beans:

      This dish is best made from dried black beans soaked 8 hours, but if you don't have the time you can use a "quick brine" (for details see our Soaking / Brining Dried Beans page. You could also use a good grade of canned beans. Goya's "Premium" black beans seem pretty good - you'll need 1-1/2 14 ounce cans. Rinse them before using in the recipe.

  2. Annatto Seeds:

      These brick red seeds are available in well stocked spice sections, particularly in markets serving Mexican, Central and South American, Caribbean and Philippine communities. For details see our Annatto page.

  3. Ancho Chili:

    This is the dried form of the Poblano chili, and is nearly black. It is sweet and flavorful but very low in chili heat. It can be found in any spice section selling Mexican chilis. For details see our Chilis page.

  4. Olives:

      These would properly be large purple Alphonso olives which are grown in Peru. These are fairly available in better deli departments, but if you can't get them you can use large Greek Kalamata olives. For details see our Olives page.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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