makes approximately 1 gallon of beans
2 quarts dried beans
1/2 cup olive oil (plus enough to sear the aromatics)
2 large shallots, halved pole-to-pole and root “hairs” trimmed
1 head of garlic, halved orbitally
1 poblano pepper
1 lemon, halve
2 packets of Sazon Goya
1 tbsp dried mexican oregano
1 tbsp Aleppo chili flakes
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp mustard oil (or 2 tsp dried ground mustard)
water
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Equipment: 6-8 qt pot, chef knife, broiler/ torch
- Start by preheating a large pot with 1/4″ of oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers. With their cut sides facing downward, place the shallots, garlic and lemon into the oil. Cook until thoroughly browned. Remove everything from the pot and reserve.
- Char your poblano pepper under your broiler or with a butane torch. Your end result should have all of the chile’s skin black, blistered and starting to separate from its flesh. Place the freshly charred poblano in a metal bowl and cover with a pot lid or plastic wrap and let it steam for 10 minutes. At this point, rub the burnt skin off using a dry paper towel. Cut off the stem and remove as many seeds as possible. Place aside with the other seared aromatics.
- After checking your beans for debris, add them to the pot along with the 1/2 cup of olive oil, Sazon, oregano, chili flakes, paprika, four 4-finger pinches of salt and 10-12 cranks of freshly ground black pepper (approximately 2 heaping tsp). Fill the pot with water so that the beans are covered by at least 2 inches.
- Add your reserved fruit and veg to the top and bring the whole thing to a boil. At this point, reduce the heat to a gently bubbling simmer.
- The beans will need to cook between 2.5-4 hours, or until they are tender all the way through. Be sure to keep your eye on the water level, making sure to cover the beans in water whenever needed.
- Remove the aromatics from the beans. At this point, you have 2 choices: you can dispose of the aromatics to keep your broth clearer and thinner, or you can blend them in a food processor (careful to de-seed the lemons beforehand) and add them back to the beans. The latter makes your broth thicker and more unctuous. All the flavor has been cooked out of the aromatics, so this step is primarily for texture and appearance.
- Turn the heat off on your burner and add your apple cider vinegar and mustard oil. Mix thoroughly and taste your beans. At this point you want to add more salt/ pepper/ vinegar a little at a time until they are seasoned to your liking.
- Enjoy with rice or alone as a delicious vegan protein source!
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