Black Beans Slow and Low

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

Great black beans are a treat and really easy to make. Just like a lot of things, the more time you take cooking most beans, the better they tend to be. At least that's been my experience.

Connecting to what you eat has always been very important to me, and now that I have a family, nourishing them is extraordinarily important. There isn't anything wrong with recipes that call for cooking beans in less than one hour. I use my Instant Pot all the time, and when I cook beans in it, they turn out fine (never amazing). Cooking beans rarely is a spontaneous act for me. The thing is, usually when I'm making beans, I'm having them with something else which I've planned, usually a main course - and so, I tend to align my method of cooking beans in that planning. If I were cooking a pork shoulder, I know it will take a long time, and beans from dry can be cooked in tandem with the pork. And because I really love the creaminess and flavor of beans, I want to showcase them - I want to treat them with respect the same way the farmer grew them with respect. Cooking beans fast - or anything else for that matter - isn't inherently disrespectful; I've noticed that the more you connect with your food over time, the more you understand it, and the more delicious it will be. Something just feels lost to me when you don't impart this good intention and pay attention to the food you're cooking.

Black beans are magical. When dry, they're small, black, and shiny - avoid really dusty beans, as it usually means they are old. When you soak them, they double in size and leave behind a dark purple, squid ink-like liquid. When cooked, they take on a brown/black hue. Each stage is telling you something, and if you follow what they're saying, you'll end up with one of the most versatile foods in the world.

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

THE MORE YOU EAT...

I definitely recommend mastering cooking beans from dry before regularly making them in a pressure cooker. I'll say it again, the more you understand about the food you're cooking, the better it will be. The first step is always to sort through the beans, looking for debris like little pebbles or anything which doesn't belong. I used to skip this step until I gave some soup to a friend once and saw him bite down on a rock. It wasn't good. After picking through the beans, wash and then soak them overnight. A good rule is to put them in a bowl, and just cover them with cold water and sprinkling of baking soda. This will allow the beans to cook faster by softening the pectin in them. Also, fun fact about beans: they contain oligosaccharides, a type of sugar which we digest very slowly, resulting in us producing lots of gas when it's in our large intestine. Baking soda greatly reduces this sugar and you won't be nearly as farty.

In the morning, or whenever you start cooking your beans, you have the option of draining off the purplish water that hasn't been soaked up by the beans. Since I add baking soda to this water, I usually give the beans another wash, but I'm not convinced you need to do that since the baking soda left over won't affect the flavor of the beans. If you don't drain them, just add less cooking liquid. I like to use chicken stock, but using water is fine too. You'll just want to add some more aromatics to compensate for what you're lacking by not using stock. In this case, I highly recommend sautéed onions.

I was always having a dialog with the beans while I was working the the kitchen

Another fun thing about beans is that they take seasoning and fats really well. For my method of black beans, I like to start off by rendering a decent amount of bacon or salt pork. You may transfer out the crispy bacon to be added later, but I elect to leave it in the pot, mingling with the beans. Next, in the rendered fat, I'll cook some garlic and sometimes red or white onion. Honestly, any allium will work in this situation. Optionally, adding a pinch or so of cumin is a welcome addition. Not only is it a delicious spice, but frying ground spices in hot fat releases fat-soluble flavor compounds which are more easily distributed throughout the dish. It's also very good for you. After a few turns of black pepper, I add the soaked beans and a large pinch of salt to the pot, swirling to coat everything. Finally, I cover the beans again, this time with chicken stock if I have it. Please note that although I love products such as bouillon, I recommend keeping track of the salt you're introducing. I know I said that beans can take a lot of salt, but you should always be careful when using concentrated ingredients. Bring the beans to a simmer, reduce to low, and cover.

Periodically, take off the lid, admire how things are coming along in the pot, and give your beans a stir. After about two hours, you should be able to get away with serving them. However, I am a firm believer that you can leave your beans on the burner all day and they'll be great, as long as you're tending to them and tasting them along the way. I've never had beans I've made this way have a texture that was unpleasant. To serve, my go-to dishes are usually tacos or as a dip. I also make black bean soup from time to time. Generously garnish them with torn cilantro, freshly squeezed lime, and queso fresco.

It used to surprise me that I'd get more compliments for my beans than other dishes I was cooking, but looking back, I also think I was always having a dialogue with the beans while I was working in the kitchen, prepping for other elements of the meal. They'd tell me how they were doing, and if they'd like to have a little more salt, or perhaps a tad more cumin. Sometimes a little more cooking liquid and to be stirred a little. Our relationship would deepen, a journey that lasted an entire day. As dinner would approach, I would be assured that the beans were ready, and I would be happy. I wasn't saying goodbye, I was saying thank you. And it's no question why I'd received the compliments i did.