Ingredients
- 1 pound/453 grams dried black beans, rinsed and picked through
- 1/4 medium white onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 dried or fresh avocado or bay leaves
- 3 fresh epazote sprigs or a combination of parsley, oregano and mint sprigs
- Fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine the beans, onion, garlic, avocado leaves, epazote, 4 teaspoons salt and 16 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a slow simmer, uncovered, skimming and stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Check the beans every hour to see if they need more water; the beans should always be covered by water. The cooking time will depend on how old the beans are; freshly dried beans can fully cook in 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove and discard the herbs. Taste and season the beans with more salt if desired. The beans and their cooking liquid can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Or, make them up to 3 months ahead and freeze in an airtight container.
Full Article
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Mariana Velásquez. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
This beloved dish often starts with unsoaked dried beans, which are traditionally cooked in an olla, earthenware pot, or other types of clay pots, such as a cazuela de barro. Any pot works and the seasonings are generally simple — usually onion, garlic, herbs and sometimes lard or pork — but the resulting flavor is rich and complex. A staple throughout Mexico, this dish varies from region to region in the types of beans used and include pinto beans, black beans and Mayocoba beans. Eaten as is as a side or a main dish, frijoles de olla also can be puréed, smashed or refried and used as a sauce or a filling for dishes like tetelas.