Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried black beans
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons sucanat (you can substitute organic white sugar)
- 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon dry or cream sherry
- 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
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The night before:
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Rinse black beans and pick out any broken or chipped beans and any other debris. Put in a large stockpot and cover with 3-inches of water. Cover and soak overnight.
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The next day:
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Drain black beans and cover with 2-inches of fresh water. Bring beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any foam residue that forms on the surface of the water. Partially cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes until beans begin to become tender.
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While the beans are cooking, sauté onion and green bell pepper over medium heat until softened. Add the garlic during the last few minutes of sautéeing the onion and bell pepper. Once the black beans start to soften, add the sautéed onion, bell pepper and garlic to the stockpot. Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and sucanat. Continue to cook beans until tender. If the mixture becomes too thick and the beans are still not fully cooked, add 1 cup of hot water at a time as needed, and continue to cook until beans are soft, which can take an additional hour or two. Check the beans every 15 minutes towards the end of the cooking time so you don’t overcook them. When beans are done cooking, remove them from the heat. Using a hand immersion blender, for a few seconds briefly purée some of the beans in the pot. If you don’t have a hand blender, remove a cup of the cooked beans and mash them thoroughly, then add them back to the stockpot. The final consistency of the black beans should be somewhat thick, with some liquid, but not watery or soupy. Serve immediately.