Black beans are one of my go-to staple foods. They're a great source of protein and fiber. Plus they're absolutely delicious for something that's so simple to make! This recipe combines dried black beans, jalapeños, garlic, shallots, bay leaves, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, and lime juice. Although you can easily mix and match in your own seasonings. Dried beans may also take some time to soak and are best started the night before or in the morning before you leave for work. But they taste infinitely better than the canned variety, which I will never go back to!
Add beans to a large bowl and cover with at least 2 inches of cold water. Soak overnight.This is kind of a controversial stance. Some people don't soak their beans at all. To a certain extent, it is a personal preference. If you have older beans or want the cooking process to go a little bit faster, though, it's usually better to soak your beans. I almost always pre-soak mine. Although some people do swear by not having to!
Cook Beans
Drain the beans.It can also be helpful to remove any stones or debris, really anything that isn't a bean at this point. I don't tend to find a lot of this in store bought dried beans. But it is something to potentially look out for.
Add the beans and all of the other ingredients to a large pot with 5 cups of water.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, or until tender. This is typically right before they begin to split open.The longer you soak the beans, the softer they will be and the less time that it will take to cook. I like to cook the beans a little bit longer so that they mash a little bit smoother. However, a firmer bean will typically cook in 60-90 minutes. A dryer bean might take 4-6 hours. And really old beans may never soften entirely.
When the beans have reached the desired consistency, if you still have extra water in the pot, either drain and reserve the liquid or simmer out the remainder of the water.If you choose to do the simmer out method, stir constantly as the water level diminishes, or you will burn the beans on the bottom of the pot. Otherwise just strain the beans into another container.
Variations (Optional)
If you want to make no-fry refried beans or more of a bean dip, remove the bay leaves and mash with a potato masher. You can also pulse in a food processor or puree entirely, if you want a smoother consistency.This might require more water. If you reserved some of the cooking water, add this back into the beans as needed. Otherwise, just add more tap water until you've reached the desired consistency.
Adjust seasoning to taste and serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
If you didn’t soak the beans beforehand, you can still use this method. It will just take longer to cook. I recommend rapid soaking. This entails adding the beans to a pot and covering with 2” of water. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover. Let soak for an hour. Then, begin the cooking process outlined in this recipe.
While you're cooking, if the water level gets too low and the beans are no longer covered, add more water. Just make sure not to add too much. Otherwise, you will end up with bean soup, instead of refried beans! Add just enough so that the beans are barely covered, especially near the end of the cooking process. At a certain point, about a half hour before they’re done cooking, it helps to evaporate out much of the water and stir them.