Description
A bowl of black beans with some rice, bread, or greens is a meal in itself, but it's also a side dish to round out about any meal. The trick, if you could call it that, is to stick to dried beans that can slowly release their starch into the cooking liquid, and use a balance of aromatics to enhance their flavor. In this recipe, that's garlic, onion, and a whole orange—juice, hull, and all, for a subtle floral citrus character.
Yield
6 Servings
Preparation time
39 minutes
Cooking time
2 hours
Total time
2 hours, 39 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb dried black beans (rinsed and picked over)
8 clv garlic (peeled and smashed)
1 onion (peeled, sliced in half, with enough of the root end intact that the onion doesn't fall apart)
1 orange (rinsed and sliced in half)
kosher salt
Instructions
- Place beans in a large pot or dutch oven and add water until beans are submerged by 3 to 4 inches. Add the garlic and onion, squeeze in orange juice, then add the squeezed orange halves. Cover and place over high heat until water comes to a boil, then uncover pot and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook until beans are completely tender and creamy, 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, and adding water if tops of beans become exposed.
- Remove orange and onion halves. Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced to a thick, creamy sauce that clings to the beans, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Serve over rice or as a side with fresh cilantro and a dash or two of hot sauce.
Source