Like most other bean preparations, this is far better with beans you cook yourself than with canned (frozen beans, now available at many supermarkets, fall somewhere in the middle). But even with canned beans, it is so much better than commercially made bean dip you may never go back. If you cook the beans yourself, start with the recipe for Black Beans with Garlic and Cumin (you can cook red beans this way too), page 438, and cook them until they are quite soft. Reserve the cooking liquid. Serve with tortilla chips, toasted pita bread (not a traditional combination but a good one), or raw vegetables.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 8 servings

　　1/4 cup lard (preferred) or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed

　　1 teaspoon minced garlic

　　2 cups well-cooked red or black beans

　　1 tablespoon ground cumin, or more to taste

　　1 medium onion, peeled and cut into chunks

　　Pinch of cayenne, or more to taste

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　Bean cooking liquid or chicken stock as needed

　　

Step 1

Put the lard or oil in a medium skillet, preferably nonstick, and turn the heat to medium. When the lard melts or the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook until it begins to sizzle. Add the beans and cook, stirring and tossing, until warm. Set aside about 1/2 cup of the beans and put the rest in a food processor.

　　

Step 2

Add the cumin, onion, cayenne, salt, and pepper, along with a bit of the liquid. Process until smooth, adding more liquid if necessary to allow the machine to do its work. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more cumin, salt, pepper, or cayenne if you like, along with the reserved beans. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a couple of days; bring back to room temperature before serving.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.