Veggie Charro Beans

Beans, such an important asset to my diet. Charro beans are pretty traditional Mexican fare. Basically, you throw a whole bunch of stuff in a pot with the beans and cook it. They tend to have some sort of pork, but obviously, my version does not. I add some dry chipotle I brought back with me to add a very nice smoky and spicy flavor. You can toss in any seasonal vegetables as well. I've used okra, but you could also throw in some zucchini too, add this in when you add the chile peppers. Anyway, this recipe is fairly easy to make (just takes a long time to soak overnight and then cook), and you can use whatever beans you like really, not just the black beans I used. I'm sure you can even mix types of beans too (my next idea!). I usually make a huge batch and eat them throughout the week. Beans always make me light up inside ha ha. ALWAYS be sure to clean your beans. I usually dump out all the dry beans on my table and put them into a pot after I've inspected them in small batches removing any ones that are super grungy and of course any rocks or pebbles.



Makes one hell of a large pot of beans, so adjust portions accordingly. 8 hours overnight soaking plus 1 and a half or up to 3 hours cooking time.

Ingredients:

Beans; pinto, black, any type of bean should be alright, but keep in mind taste will differ. I use about 5 to 6 cups.
Clean, wash, and rinse the beans. Place the beans in a large pot, and add water to cover them with twice as much water as there are beans. The beans will soak up the water and the amount will about double. Leave them in a pot overnight or for at least 8 hours. Yes, this amount of time is essential. You will be very disappointed if you try to cook unsoaked beans.

Oil, for cooking
Mild to Spicy Chiles of any kind, cleaned and seeded, about 1 cups worth, less if they're really spicy
Onion, about 1/2 cup, diced
Garlic, 5 to 7 cloves, diced

Herbs and spices such as:

Black pepper, 2 teaspoons
Oregano, to taste
Cilantro, to taste
Cumin seeds, a small pinch
Whatever else you have in your cabinet really

Tomato, 1 to 2 medium sized, diced
Tomato paste, about 6 tablespoons (because the paste is sold in little packets here, ok...) or one small can if you can get it
Bay/Laurel leaves, about 4
Salt, to taste. I don't like salt much so I use only about 1 teaspoon for a batch this huge, but you can add more

Strain the overnight soaking water out from the beans. Place the beans in a different pot than the pot you'll use to cook them in.

In a very large pot where you will cook the beans, heat some oil on medium heat. Add the onion, and the garlic. Mix around with a wooden spoon. Once the onions and garlic are well toasted, add the spices, lower the heat, and let everything cook for about another 2 minutes or until everything smells nice but isn't burnt.

Add the chile peppers and cook everything for a bit. Then add the diced tomato and cook for about another minute, mixing constantly.

Add the beans, and use a glass to pour water into the pot. Put enough water to cover the beans well. You don't want watery bean soup, but you also don't want the beans to run out of water while cooking (because then they won't cook). Finding this amount may take practice, but is well worth the effort. If you put too little, be sure to add a bit more during cooking and make a mental note for next time. The beans should always be submerged by at least a small amount of boiling liquid.

Once the water is added, add the tomato paste, the Laurel/bay leaf, and the salt. Mix around to integrate the tomato paste. Cover the pot. Turn up the heat to medium. Once everything is boiling, turn the heat to the lowest setting and allow the beans to simmer for 1 and a half to 3 or more hours. Beans are ready when they are soft and not crunchy when you bite into them. Try not to uncover the pot too much during cooking either.

Note: How long it takes to cook will depend on your range. Back at my parent's house I cooked it on a super low flame for 4 hours, but the lowest setting on my stove here is still rather high for my likes, so my beans cook in about 1 and a half hours. The lower heat with longer time really allows all the flavors to get deep into the beans, so try not to make a "super quick" batch of beans. You will taste the difference ;)