Recipe #4: basic black beans

 Today we’re going to make basic black beans, which are an incredibly versatile base for many Tex and/or Mex style dishes. Making a big batch of beans means lots of easy meals in the days ahead with the leftovers and the addition of some two dimensional corn-based products. More on this in future recipes!

I’m sure I didn’t actually invent this recipe per se, but I can’t remember how or when I learned this particular combination of ingredients and method of preparation. It is probably a composite/bastardization of multiple other real recipes, pared down to the minimal amount of time, energy, and ingredients necessary to make it still taste good. And isn’t that what rubbishy cookery is all about?

Ingredients:

Don’t panic about the Instant Pot! I am only using it because I have one. I used to make this exact recipe on the stovetop for decades before I got an Instant Pot. Yes, decades. I’m that old.

Directions:

Chop up your onion (or in my case, half onion because it was quite large) into small pieces. 

Add oil (or, if you have it around, aren’t vegetarian, and want a bacony flavour, use bacon fat) to your IP or stove top skillet on “sauté” (IP) or medium high (stovetop). When the oil is hot, add your chopped onion and sauté until softened.

Above: Steam-obscuring picture of sautéed chopped onions.

To your softened and cooked onion, add a drained and rinsed can of black beans (you can substitute pinto beans for variety), a spoonful of dried cumin, some salt, and a spoonful of chipotle pieces in sauce.

Again, I don’t really measure anything but you know what you like in terms of saltiness, spice/heat level, and flavour profile. 

Add water to cover the beans and spices, but only barely.

However, stovetop cooks may want to add more water because it will evaporate on the stove.

IP cook: set your IP to pressure cook for 5 minutes and let it release naturally.

Stovetop cook: simmer everything for about 30-60 minutes (it’s very forgiving), just keep an eye on things every 10 minutes or so to stir and add more water if it’s getting dry.

When cooked to your satisfaction, get out a potato mashing device and mash everything up in the IP/skillet.

Steam is once again the enemy of clear photographic images.

If the beans are too dry, add a little bit of water at a time, stirring between additions, until desired consistency. If the beans are too soupy, simmer with the lid off (on “sauté” setting again in the IP) stirring frequently until desired consistency. Desired consistency is the goal.

Look at that bubbling, steaming bowl of beans!

When desired consistency has been reached, they’re done.

In future posts I’ll provide more options and recipes you can make with your basic black beans. For today, we’ve worked hard enough. Let’s just crack open some Fritos, sour cream, and salsa and call it a day.

p.s. After the official photo shoot, I poured more Fritos into my bowl of beans, stirred everything together, and ate it up with a spoon like cold cereal. Recommended!