Black Beans with Mexican Beer
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 1 hr 15 mins, plus overnight soaking
Active: 25 mins
Makes: 8 servings (12 for Burrito Bar)
By Regan Burns
Making a blended seasoning paste to add to the beans is a great way to punch up the flavor.
What to buy: We liked this recipe made with Dos Equis beer, but any lager will work. Just don’t use really dark beer.
Game plan: Be sure to soak the beans the night before you plan on making the dish; also note that there are two steps to cooking the beans: First they are simmered until tender, then they’re cooked with the spice paste to add flavor.
This recipe was featured in the 2006 Build Your Own Burrito Bar story.
- 2 cups dried black beans
- 1 medium white onion
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 1 small celery stalk, halved
- 1 small carrot, peeled and halved
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole dried cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon whole dried coriander seed
- 1 serrano pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium ripe tomato, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle of Mexican beer, such as Dos Equis
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
- Pour dried beans onto a rimmed baking sheet and quickly pick through them, removing and discarding any broken beans or stones. Place beans in a large nonreactive bowl and cover them with at least 3 inches of cold water. Allow to soak overnight or at least 8 hours.
- After beans have soaked, drain in a colander. Place in a large saucepan and cover with at least 2 inches of cold water.
- Heat oven to 400°F. Peel the onion and halve it lengthwise. Leave one half whole; coarsely chop the other half and set it aside for the seasoning paste.
- Remove stems from chiles and slit them open to dump out the seeds. Place chiles on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are crisp and fragrant. Place them in a small bowl and cover with very hot water; allow to soak for at least 15 minutes, or until they are soft and pliable.
- Place the onion half, celery, carrot, garlic cloves, and bay leaves into the pot containing the beans. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and gently simmer the beans until they are almost completely tender but still a little starchy in the center, about 30 minutes. (Beans should not be completely done, as they will cook for another 20 minutes with the spice blend and beer.) Season the beans well with salt and remove the pot from heat.
- Heat a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add cumin and coriander seed, and lightly toast them until fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Remove ancho chiles from the soaking water, and coarsely chop them. Combine chiles, reserved chopped onion, serrano pepper, tomato, oregano, 1/4 cup of the beer, salt, and toasted cumin and coriander seed in a blender, and process until smooth.
- Strain the beans, and discard the onion half, celery, carrot, garlic cloves, and bay leaves. Place about 1 cup of cooked beans in a small mixing bowl. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to coarsely crush them.
- Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. When it is smoking hot, add puréed mixture and fry it for 3 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Mix in crushed and whole beans and the rest of the beer.
- Simmer beans uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
I liked it; It looked great, was aromatic, and was a meal with white rice and a bottle of beer. Only thing I think it could use is a little sweetness -- maybe some carmelized onions?
Glad you liked it. If you want more sweetness, cook the puree longer and over lower heat before adding the beans back in. Since it contains onions and tomatoes--two ingredients that lend perfectly to caramelization, you should get the sweeter result you're after.
What qualities does the beer specifically add, and why would it not matter if you added, say, an extremely light Corona instead of the maltier Dos Equis Amber? Thanks, Jim
I can respect making a vegetarian friendly version of frijoles borrachos, but if no vegetarians are present, don't skimp out on the salt pork. :)
Where I am from, we use pintos instead of black beans add salt pork or bacon, and omit the carrots and celery.
I'll definitely have to give this version a try.
Yow! Check the foto, yo. Metal spoons on enameled crockery? Big mistake. That mighta worked back in the day, but all the Chinese-made enameled ironware is damned fragile. Go with wood or plastic or not at all. Unless you want to scrape the bejebus out of your cookware.
First off... good job for posting a recipe for Frijoles Borrachos... which rarely find their way North of the Border.
I would consider using Flor de Mayo or Mayocoba beans... for a creamier & fresher result (specialty beans are rarely more than 1 or 2 years old... while black or pintos can be in the system for up to 10 years).
A dark lager adds a nice amount of maltiness & chocolate. There is no reason not to use a lighter beer... it will just have a different focus... and you might have to adjust the other flavorings. Ancient versions of this dish were made with pulque, chicha, tepache & even xtabantun... proving the dish can be successful with a variety of fermented products.
For some intriguing flavors you might also consider adding Epazote, Hoja Santa or Avocado Leaves.