Black Beans

Any one who knows me can tell you how much Mexican food I eat.  It's just one of those things that I could eat every day.  A typical side dish is black beans.  People find cooking beans to be a little overwhelming.  If you start out with dry beans, it can be a long process.  I see no problem with using canned beans.  It cuts out the LONG step of soaking and slowly cooking the beans, and lets me get right to the flavoring part.  They can be high in sodium, however, so I buy the reduced sodium variety, and I always rinse them before I use them.  Put them in a colander in the the sink and run them under water until most of the thick stuff is gone, and the water is pretty clear.  Let drain.

For my beans you'll need:
1 TBSP bacon grease or oil
3 cans black beans
1 small onion, chopped
1 can diced green chiles
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c chicken stock or water
3 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp mesquite chipotle powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Warm the bacon grease in a large pot.  Add the onions, green chiles and garlic.  Cook until the onion begins to soften.

Add the drained, rinsed beans and the water to the pot.

Stir in the seasonings, then bring to a boil.

Chop the cilantro.  You don't need to worry about picking each of the leaves from the stems.  Just cut it off where the leaves stop growing from the bulk of the stem, and chop it up.  The little bits of stem that remain are full of flavor and will be undetectable in the beans.

Once the beans boil, reduce to low and cover with a lid.  Allow the beans to simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  They will thicken, and the sauce will reduce.  Remove from heat.

I like my beans to be more mashed, like a refried bean.  I use a potato peeler to smash about half the beans. This gives it a thicker texture.

Just before serving, add the lemon juice and chopped cilantro.

Stir well to allow the flavors to blend.  This recipe makes enough beans for 4 people to eats about 4 times.  So, I freeze the left-overs in 2-cup plastic containers.  Just thaw it in the microwave hen you want it.

Enjoy!