Cooking
with Beans
I like beans. Over the years I have
learned a lot about how to cook beans and their care. If your goal is to have a
mean pot of beans or a tasty cup of bean soup, you may well want to consider
some of the following concepts concerning the handling and cooking of beans.
Washing, Cleaning, and Sorting Beans
It is a common practice and tradition in
Mexico and South America to assign the task of preparing the beans to the
younger children. As I watched closely what they were doing, I realized that
they not only sorted out stones, sticks, and other debris, but also tossed any
broken or half shelled beans. Also, as they were washed in water, any floaters
would be tossed.
This is important as beans contained 15
to 18% protein and a damaged bean can spoil the flavor and taste in a pot of
beans. If we were making applesauce, we would not want to include an apple
badly bruised for fear it would affect the flavor and taste of the applesauce.
It is no different with beans.
Nowadays, the mechanical cleaning
process is very good. We do not have to be as concerned about rocks, dirt, and
other debris. However, we do need to watch for damage beans.
Stir the Pot – Make the Gravy
While living in the Pacific Northwest, I
made friends with an electrical engineer from Picayune Mississippi. He grew up
making incredible pots of beans. He was one of the first black students to earn
a degree from the University of Mississippi. When I first met him, he had a pot
of red kidney beans on the stove that he had been cooking all day. He explained
that he would stir the pot as often as possible. Stirring the beans throughout
the day made the rich gravy that they enjoyed. I was amazed that beans and
water with seasoning could make such a delicious dish.
The second thing I learned from him was
the need for high grade beans. He did not buy beans at the local grocery store.
He ordered them from back home in Mississippi. His red kidney beans were
exceptionally large and shiny and fresh.
Fresh beans will soak up their water more quickly than old beans do. As you
work with beans, you will come to know their attributes and qualities.
Key to Making Their Flavor Richer and Beanier
When cooking vegetables such as carrots,
broccoli, and yams, we try not to boil them as this leaches out some of thier
flavor. Beans are no different; soaking dried beans overnight in water and then
tossing the water means the beans will have less flavor. There is a better way.
Wash and clean the beans by hand. After
rinsing them off, place them in a pan and add water to cover them. Soak for 1 1/2 hours. They are now
ready to cook. Do not toss the water that they were soaking. If you are cooking
on the stove, now add your seasonings and some more water or vegetable broth.
Cook on low heat for 6 to 10 hours, stirring often. Taste beans to determine
when they are done.
Cook with Electric Pressure Cooker –
InstantAPot
I love my InstantAPot and makes cooking
beans a pleasure and a delight. Here is how I now enjoy cooking and celebrate
the rich and delightful flavors of beans.
I do not buy my beans at a supermarket.
I buy quality-quality beans that are especially selected and taken care of in
the process of harvesting and marketing beans. Black beans are a regular staple
in my life. Bob's red Mill has wonderful black beans. Rancho Gordo carries a
wonderful array of heritage beans with unique tastes. I pay more for my beans
because I value the rich flavor that they offer.
I will cover and soak a pound of beans
in water with my InstantAPot for an hour and a half. I then add 2 cups more of
vegetable broth or sometimes water.
For seasoning, I like to add…
2 teaspoons cumin
1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic
one quarter teaspoon chipotle red pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon oregano
I then pressure cook the beans with
seasoning and additional fluid for twenty
minutes. It takes the pressure cooker fifteen minutes to heat up, twenty
minutes to cook, and twenty minutes for the pressure to be slow release. I come
back in an hour for the next step.
If I am making bean soup…
I scoop out one third of the beans into my
Vita mix. I add about a cup of water or broth and blend until smooth. I return
it back to the bean pot. This will be my gravy that is already seasoned.
I will then add my vegetables…
3 stalks of celery sliced longitudinal
and then diced
1 medium onion diced
1 to 2 carrots sliced longitudinal twice
and then diced
1 red bell pepper diced in small pieces.
1 Frozen sac of corn
Optional…
Peeled and diced sweet potato in small
pieces for texture
or
1 can of hominy
I usually add another cup of water or
broth, not to be thick like a stew but thinner for a soup.
I set the pressure cooker for ten minutes. This means, fifteen
minutes to build up the pressure and ten minutes for cooking and twenty minutes
for slow release of steam pressure.
When I come back, I now add…
1 cup chopped up cilantro
Fresh juice from 1 lime
1 to 2 cups of precooked brown rice\wild
Rice
After stirring in all the ingredients, I
enjoy a small cup of black bean soup to see if I am satisfied. This is batch
cooking, so I divided up 3 to 4 cups for lunches to be eaten this week. The
rest is frozen to be used within the month.
Final Key and Secret to Wonderful Bean Soup
Cool it in the refrigerator overnight
and then reheat for an improved blending of the flavors. Long ago I determined
that same day soup does not compare with next day soup and this is especially
true when it involves beans.
You may have noticed that I added rice
with the beans and I have added corn with the beans. Other cultures have long
ago leaned toward this combination in making a satisfying meal. It quenches the
hunger in a delightful way.
I imagine some readers will say, "Too
much! Too many steps. Too much to remember. No longer convenient."
My defense would be…
With the CONVENIENCE of store-bought
soups we miss the dance. Removing the lid to a prepared soup with a can opener
offers no opportunity to examine, explore, and interact with a red bell pepper.
We lose the opportunity to develop our own preferences in seasoning with herbs
and spices.
We abdicate our choices in how our food
is prepared which limits the outcome. The meal I am suggesting offers no fats
or oils to the recipe. Nor does it add salt. Sadly, this is how Americans
achieve flavor in their foods. And with this acquired taste, they reach for the
salt shaker or a dollop of sour cream or shredded cheese.
A quick look at one portion of black
bean soup from a can will often contain 500 to 800 mg of sodium. FDA now
suggests we limit our sodium to 1000 mg per day.
Home cooked meals without fats and oils
and salt do not need to taste bland. On the contrary, a person will begin to
develop preferences for various herbs. Thyme, coriander, and Rosemary will
begin to play special roles in your cooking. By nurturing a pot of beans that
will feed you for a week or more makes the investment of time worthwhile and
the enjoyment in the soup makes eating at a restaurant less alluring.
I have refrained from using the health
benefits as an argument for homemade beans. I will let the end product stand
for itself. But in my opinion, it makes for one mean cup of bean soup! Salude!
