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Beans Cooked In A Pot
Frijoles De Olla
Beans Cooked In A Pot
Ingredients
An earthenware bean pot (can use a crock pot)
1 lb beans - black, turtle, pink or pinto
10 cups hot water
¼ cup white onion, roughly sliced
2 tablespoons lard
1 tablespoon salt or to taste
2 large sprigs epazote
Method
Pinto or pink beans will need 12 to 14 cups water. Rinse the beans and run them through your hands to make sure that there are no small stones or bits of earth among them. Put the beans into the pot and cover them with the hot water. Add the onion and lard and bring to a boil.
As soon as the beans come to a boil, lower the flame and let them barely simmer, covered, for about 3 hours for black beans and 2 ½ hours for the other varieties or until they are tender, but not soft. Do not stir during this time.
Add the salt and epazote, if you are using it, and simmer for another 30 minutes. Set aside, preferably until the next day. There should be plenty of soupy liquid.
Note: Epazote is used as a leaf vegetable and herb for its pungent flavour. Raw, it has a resinous, medicinal pungency, similar to anise, fennel, or even tarragon, but stronger. Epazote's fragrance is strong, but difficult to describe. It has been compared to citrus, petroleum, savory, mint and camphor.
Although it is traditionally used with black beans for flavour and its carminative properties, it is also sometimes used to flavour other traditional Mexican dishes as well: it can be used to season quesadillas and soups, mole de olla, tamales with cheese and chilli, chilaquiles, eggs, potatoes and enchiladas.
