Black beans are a staple in my home. There are countless recipes for refried black beans, but I do not like to fuss over them and have arrived at this simple preparation. My son has been eating black beans since he was old enough to eat solid food and he loves them this way. Really, the only way to go wrong here is to use old beans, which don’t soften nicely, or add salt too soon in the cooking process, which toughens them.
I used to think dry beans kept forever. They don’t—they are harvested annually and should be used within the year. Michigan raises a lot of beans, so hopefully they are fresh on our own store shelves!
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black beans, checked for stones and rinsed
- 6 cups water
- 1 small onion, halved
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 strips bacon
- 3 tablespoons butter or lard
- 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon cumin or to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt
Preparation
Cover beans with water in a 3-quart saucepan. Add onion, garlic and bacon. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for about 1½ hours, or until beans are soft, then season with salt and pepper.
At this point, the beans are ready to be used. Drain beans, reserving liquid. Add half of the beans, the onion and garlic all back into the pan. Reserve the remainder for other meals, like soup or chili.
Add butter or lard to beans, juice of 1 lime, cumin, red pepper flakes and salt., Purée using immersion or countertop blender, or mash by hand. Add bean liquid as needed until beans are the consistency of a thick paste.
