Nothing compares to the flavor of homemade black beans. If you have never bothered making them, opting instead for the canned variety, you are in for a pleasant awakening! Luscious and meaty, they are so versatile that they can become a meal on their own when served with rice. The hardest part to making black beans is remembering to soak them overnight and then scheduling a couple of hours at home to cook them. But because they freeze and reheat so nicely, you can make a large batch and always have some on hand.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8 to 10

　　1 pound dried black beans

　　8 cups water

　　1/2 cup olive oil

　　1 onion, chopped

　　4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

　　4 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed

　　1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed

　　1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

　　1 bay leaf

　　

Soak the Beans

Step 1

Rinse the dried beans with water and pick through them, removing any pebbles or debris you find.

　　

Step 2

Combine the beans and the water in a large saucepan, cover with a lid, and allow to sit at room temperature for 8 hours, or overnight. (Refer to Techniques for a quick-soak method.)

　　

Simmer the Beans

Step 3

Place the saucepan with the soaked beans and water over medium heat. Simmer the beans, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until tender.

　　

Check for Tenderness

Step 4

Test one bean by pinching it between your fingers. If it easily caves to pressure, the beans are ready. If the beans are still tough, continue simmering until they soften. This requires some judgement on your part; you ultimately decide how soft you want the beans to be. If you continue cooking, there is no need to add more liquid, just make sure to stir the pot often.

　　

Sauté the Onion and Garlic Mixture

Step 5

Once the beans are tender, sauté the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them slowly over low heat, for about 10 minutes. You want to sweat the vegetables—not brown them. When ready they will be very soft and translucent.

　　

Add the Onion Mixture to the Beans

Step 6

To the simmering beans, add the onion mixture along with the salt, pepper, oregano, and bay leaf. Mix well and simmer, uncovered, for another 45 minutes. At this point, the liquid in the pan should barely be skimming the top layer of beans.

　　

Adjust Seasoning and Serve

Step 7

Before serving, check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

　　

COOKING NOTES

Step 8

TECHNIQUES

　　

Step 9

Soaking the Beans

　　

Step 10

Overnight Soak: The only hard part is remembering to do it. Just combine the dried beans and water in a saucepan, cover, and let sit overnight at room temperature.

　　

Step 11

Quick Soak: If you forget to soak your beans overnight or if you decide at the last minute to make them, bring a covered pot filled with the beans and water to a boil, remove from the heat, and let sit for 3 hours. Then continue with the recipe from the “Simmer the Beans” point.

　　

Step 12

INGREDIENTS

　　

Step 13

Salt

　　

Step 14

It is important not to add salt to the beans until they have softened. Adding salt too early in the process will increase the time it takes for the beans to tenderize. This will substantially add to the cooking time.

　　

Step 15

ADVANCE PREPARATION

　　

Step 16

The beans can be made up to 3 days in advance and will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the beans after they have been cooked. Frozen beans will keep for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Just remember to freeze in small useable portions; a large tub of beans will take a long time to defrost.

　　Reprinted with permission from Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro, © April 2009 Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book at Amazon or Bookshop.