← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 500 g dried pinto or black beans
• 2.5 l water, plus more as needed
• ½ white onion
• 2 cloves Garlic, peeled
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil (optional)
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 3 sprigs coriander (or epazote) sprigs
• 1 Jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges (optional)

Method

1. Spread the beans on a tray and pick out any stones or shrivelled beans, then rinse them well.
2. Put the beans in a large heavy pot with the water, onion, garlic and oil (if using). Bring to a rolling boil for 5 min.
3. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for about 1½ hours, stirring now and then and topping up with hot water so the beans stay covered by about 3 cm.
4. When the beans are almost tender, stir in the salt and the coriander sprigs and simmer for 30 min more, until the beans are creamy all the way through and the broth has thickened slightly.
5. Fish out the onion and herb stems. Serve the beans in their broth, topped with jalapeño and lime, or use them for refried beans.

Tips

• Older beans take longer, so taste a few rather than trusting the clock. Soaking overnight cuts the time by about a third.
• Always add hot (not cold) water while the beans cook, or they can toughen.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Pati Jinich ¡Hola! Jalapeño