Beans are a protein source and when the Spaniards arrived to Mexico, they were, along with corn, and some wild poultry meat and seafood, the base of the Mexican diet. Beans are prepared and eaten in a variety of ways, just boiled, or refried, or made puree and prepared into enfrijoladas, bean salads, soups and more. Beans are eaten in breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or as an aside. There are many varieties of beans, such as black beans, pinto, white, flor de mayo, peruano, etc. You can buy beans at your smaller local grocery stores, or at the large grocery store chains, at the Hispanic food sections, local specialty stores, or online for a easy solution for homemade baked beans recipe.

 

 

 

 

 

how to cook homade Beans



Serves 8

Ingredients

1.1 pound (1/2 kilo) of uncooked black beans

6 cups of hot water (if you can replace the water for beef broth, the taste will be great)

2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

1 sprig of epazote, finely chopped

1/2 of an onion, in big pieces

Salt at taste

Preparation:

Rinse beans and discard any debris. To safe cooking time it is better if you leave the beans soaking in water, about 5 cm above the coverage, since beans will absorb the liquid, from the previous night). Place the beans into a large the pot and cover with the hot water or beef broth, the onion, the garlic cloves, and the epazote sprig. Bring beans to a boil, then, reduce the flame, to a slow simmer, and cover. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. Check if it needs more liquid, and in case it does, add hot water, and simmer for another hour, or until beans are soft and a broth has been formed (A bit more tender than those used for salads). Retire the garlic cloves, the onion, and the epazote sprig.

Serve beans with a slotted spoon for a side dish. Alternatively, serve in a bowl with the broth and add in some cooked, cubed chicken meat, and some salsa for a main dish. You can also fry a Pico de Gallo, and then add the black beans with a bit of broth and some lard of bacon. The combination is great!

Another practical way of cooking homemade beans is using the pressure cooker. This way you save a lot of time and energy. Place the uncooked beans into the pressure cooker, add the broth, and the rest of the ingredients, except the salt and cook them for 40 minutes, counting from the time the steam valve starts to work. Let them cool, open the pressure cooker, check the tenderness of the beans, and the liquid, and leave it open. If you need add some hot water, retire the onion, garlic cloves, and epazote, or just boil the beans adding the salt at taste and rectifying the flavor of the beans.



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