Dish of Black Beans
(click to enlarge)

Black Beans


Mexico - Yucatán   -   Frijoles Negros
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2 cups
**
3 hrs
Yes		 Black Beans made this way are served everywhere in the Yucatán region, taking the place of the refried beans served in the north. In some regions they are made almost soupy, but in others they are made quite thick.

2
1/2
ar
-----
7
4
1/3
1
1
-----
c
T

---
oz
cl
c

t
---
Black Beans (1)
Salt
Water
-- Flavorings
Onion (2)
Garlic
Epazote, fresh (3)
Chili Habanero (4)  
Salt
--------------
Do Ahead   -   (8+ hrs - 5 min work)
  1. Place BEANS in a big jar with 1/2 T Salt and water sufficient to re-hydrate the beans. Let sit in a warm place overnight.
Run   -   (2-1/4 hrs)
  1. Drain and rinse Beans. Place in a sauce pan and pour in water to cover by 1/2 inch or so. If they have been well soaked they won't absorb much more. Bring to a boil uncovered (to eliminate foaming over), turn down to a slow simmer, cover tightly and simmer 1 hour.
  2. Peel ONION, leaving root end intact. Slice lengthwise into several wedges, making sure each wedge has some of the root end to hold it together.
  3. Crush GARLIC and chop small.
  4. Chop EPAZOTE quite small, or see Note-3.
  5. Blast HABANERO black with your propane torch. Brush off skin under running water. Remove stem and chop small.
  6. When Beans have simmered an hour, stir in all Flavoring items Check water. Bring back to a boil and simmer tightly covered for another 1 hour.
  7. Drain Water but retain it. Remove Onions as best you can. Crush beans to a paste, to whatever smoothness you prefer, adding back just enough of the water to get the consistency you desire. The photo example is crushed moderately and made quite stiff.
NOTES:

  1. Black Beans:

      These are the favorite bean of the Mayan region and should not be substituted. Why the salt? See Soaking / Brining Dried Beans for details.

  2. Onion:

      The pattern recipe calls for "2 small onions". Onions that small can be hard to find in Southern California, so I specify 1 7 ounce onion (small onions are 4 oz or less).

  3. Epazote:

      Amount is for fresh chopped quite small. While fresh is erratically available here in Southern California, the pattern recipe presumes you can't get it and calls for 1 T dried, but dried is much inferior to fresh. There is no substitute, so if you can't get either, you'll just have to leave it out. For details see our Epazote page.

  4. Habanera Chili:

      This chili, with its unique fruity flavor and fiery heat, is very popular in the Yucatán region (it's where the Jamaicans got them from). Just about every market has them, or the equivalent Scotch Bonnet, but they may not be much available in some regions. The pattern recipe suggests 2 fresh Jalapeño or 3 Serrano chilis. For details see our Chilis 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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