Dried black beans (Recipe: moros y cristianos)

Way back when -- we're talking decades ago -- my best friend Joyce had a boyfriend named Tom, who had a series of uninspired jobs to support his dream of hosting a public-radio show about military history.

The jobs, all odd and of fairly short duration, were entirely forgettable. All but one, which involved the packaging of glass stopper-topped jars, presumably for storing chemicals, as the tops were quite tight-fitting. The jars came in a whole range of heights, from just a couple of inches to, well, spaghetti length.

Now you see where this is going.

Of course Joyce and I began to stockpile the jars Tom would bring home (Were they seconds or damaged? We never knew.), and we would fill them with pasta, nuts, peppers, M&Ms, and beans and pulses of every imaginable size and color. No matter that we could spend a lifetime soaking and cooking all of the beans we collected. We were "evolving" (i.e., decorating) our kitchens with beautifully filled glass jars.

Of all the beans, my favorite, then and now, are dried black beans.

I love that these beans (often labeled frijoles negros on the package) aren't really black, but more of an inky purple. I love that they're called turtle beans, though they taste more like mushrooms than turtles. I love that they are classified as "common" beans, yet they are uncommonly good for you.

Black beans provide a huge dose of dietary fiber, with cholesterol-lowering benefits and the ability to help stabilize blood sugar. Recently I learned that the darker the bean, the higher the level of antioxidants it contains -- and what could be darker than black?

In soups and stews, black beans frequently cohabit with epazote, which gives me an excuse to have that wonderful herb on my spice rack. It's supposed to reduce the rooty-toot-toot, as Julia Child used to say, and to aid in digestion.

Dried black beans will keep for a year or more in a tightly sealed bag or jar. Beans do get stale, so try to use them as soon after purchase as possible. To cook dried beans, first soak them for eight hours, or overnight, in water to cover by several inches; before cooking, remove any stones or beans that look unhappy (often their unhappiness will cause them to float on the surface). Discard the soaking water and give the beans a good rinse before cooking.

In my pantry I keep both canned and dried beans. They are not entirely interchangeable; at times, only the texture of dried beans, cooked from scratch, will do. For dips and salads, use the canned beans; for soup or stew, start with dried beans.

And, if you're lucky enough to have a best friend whose boyfriend works in a jar factory, why not start your own bean collection?

Moros y cristianos (black beans and rice)

La Bodeguita del Medio is one of the most famous eating and drinking places in Old Havana. Started in 1942 by Angel Martinez as a small bodega (grocery store), it evolved into a mecca for Cuba’s leading writers and artists. Even Hemingway was said to have dropped in for a mojito or two. “Moros” is a staple at every Cuban meal. This recipe, adapted slightly from La Bodeguita, serves 6-8. (By the way, it is the tradition to sign your name on the wall at La Bodeguita; if you go, look on one of the second floor door frames. I hope my signature is still there!)

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup dried black beans
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small green pepper, minced
1 small onion, minced
4-1/2 cups rice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Directions

Soak the beans in cold water overnight.  Drain, and place in a pot with fresh water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to the simmer.  Cover, and cook for 1 hour, or until beans are tender but not falling apart.  Drain the beans, but reserve all of the cooking water.

In a stockpot, add the oil, and saute the garlic, pepper and onion for 3 minutes.  Add the black beans, rice, and the bean cooking water.  Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the rice is tender.  Add lime juice, stir, and serve.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
South End Deep Root Chili
Frijoles de la olla
No-cook summer antipasto

Comments

That's an interesting recipe you've shared Lydia!
The most common way we use black beans here is to add them in tofu or meat dishes!
Yours sounds yummmm!

Black beans are ubiquitous in our house. We once asked a friend in the food supply business where to get really good ones in bulk and he showed up with a 25 pound bag as a gift. It took us surprisingly little time to go through the 25 lbs.Yesterday at a local eatery - Nick's on Broadway - I had a simple breakfast Huevos preparation that I loved: a pan toasted whole wheat tortilla spread with black beans spiced up with onion, garlic, cumin and a little tomato (I'm guessing here), topped with an open 6-inch egg omelet and sides of fresh salsa and chipotle-laced sour cream. Yummmmeeee

I love these beans and I love the photo above!

Paz

You just reminded me that I have a festival to find in French Basque country this fall - epazote reminded me but it's about peppers, if I remember correctly....help me out here...
Great looking beans!
I remember similar decortating efforts!

And I really must stop and proof read... sigh....

everyone needs some good ol' beans & rice everyone once in a while

Valentina, I don't think I've had black beans and tofu, but I can imagine how good that would be!

Mary, breakfast at Nick's is always a treat. The huevos sound truly spectacular -- what a way to start the day!

Paz, thanks. I love black beans, too.

Katie, piment d'Espelette is what you're thinking of...I think. Please let me know if you go to the festival.

Connie, you betcha.

Black beans are the best! I could probably eat them seven days a week. The combination of the tart lime juice with the earthy flavor of the beans sounds very appealing!

Oh Lydia, a few of your phrases made me laugh like "though they taste more like mushrooms than turtles" and "often their unhappiness will cause them to float on the surface". LOL! Thanks for all the info. about these beans. Due to my lack pf patience when it comes to beans, I usually use canned beans, unless I am making a soup. But like you said, they are not necessarily interchangeable.

Black beans would probably be one of my top pantry staples!
I can imagine how beautiful all of those lovely glass jars looked in your kitchen!

I'll be canned ones for me. Back in hometown, we usually use green beans and red beans for making desserts.

TW, the lime is a nice touch. Very Cuban.

Nora, thanks! Sometimes I giggle when I write, too.

Kristen, I think at one point I must have had at least 25 jars filled with beans and other goodies. And though I no longer have those particular jars, I still tend to "decant" things into glass jars, so I can see what I've got on hand in the pantry.

Tigerfish, I've had some of those red bean desserts -- there's one called ABC, I think, that we had in Malaysia -- or maybe it's called ais kacang -- or maybe those are the same thing, I can't quite remember.

I adore black beans. And I am going to talk to my husband to see if there is anyway he would allow me to have boyfriend on the side with a jar company. I might have to liquor up my husband first:-)

The most important ingredient in feijoada, Lydia! :)

Can't decide which I like better, black beans or chick peas. It's apples and oranges, isn't it? Too bad I only use canned. I love the homey look the jars give a kitchen.

Maryam, welcome to The Perfect Pantry. I wouldn't have wanted to share my friend Joyce's boyfriend (not my type), but I did like the perks!

Patricia, some day I will have to try making feijoada.

Susan, I'm completely in the black bean camp. Do try cooking beans from scratch some day; you'll be amazed at the difference in texture.

hi lydia,
thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.
I have just been reading about black beans, wow, I didn't know any of that stuff, next time I make a soup, I am gonna put some in. I am really into healthy low gi foods. thanks for the tips

linda pp pantry

I know what you mean about the difference between canned and dried beans. Strangely, I have never found dried flageolets to be superior to canned, which is a bit funny because I do look down on cans a bit, but there you go.

Linda, beans are so good for you, and delicious. I hope you'll try them!

Neil, what I like about dried beans is that you can control the texture; with canned, you get what you get, and you try not to let them get too mushy. Dried beans do need a lot of flavoring when you cook them.

I can thoroughly indentify with filling jars. Years ago, in Madison, Wis., whenever friends left town, they would give me their nonperishables! Inevitably, the gift included those flap-top glass jars with stoppers. I filled them with lentils in three colors, black beans and pasta. They looked lovely in my cupboard. I still have most of them.

Black beans remain a favorite.

I like your picture - the black beans look like coffee beans when they're placed in a mug! It sounds like those jars were not only useful, but fun! Thanks for the tips on dried versus canned black beans.

Mimi, I had tons of those flip-top glass jars, too (still do....). There is something so satisfying about surveying the pantry and seeing all the jars filled with beans and pasta. Maybe it's just the knowledge that with such a bountiful and beautiful pantry, we will never be hungry.

Hillary, thanks. When I make black bean soup and serve it in those cups, it really does look like coffee -- very strong coffee!

Black beans seem really special to me here, and I like their subtle and comforting flavour. Mmm :)

Kelly-Jane, one of my favorite meals in a local Peruvian-Brazilian restaurant is a big plate of black beans and rice, with a dollop of fresh salsa on top. The beans are made like this recipe, with no meat or bones, and they are light and delicious from their own goodness.

This post caught my eye because I have a bag of black beans in my pantry. I did not know that they can go stale - that is a good thing to know!! What an informative post!