Recipe - Cafe Pasquals Black Beans

2 One half cup Dried black beans; about
1One fourth lb.
One half White onion; finely minced
One half Green or red bell pepper;
seeded and minced
2 Fresh Jalapeno chiles;
seeded and minced
One half teaspoon Ground cumin
One half Bay leaf
3 qt Water
1 teaspoon Salt; or to taste

Garry Howard, Cambridge, MA garhow@hpubmaa.esr.hp.com

Recipe By: Cafe Pasqual's Cookbook by Katharine Kagel. Cafe Pasqual's is a
well known restaurant in Santa Fe, NM and one of my favorites

Black beans, also known as turtle beans, are native to Central and South
America. I prefer them to the Southwest's more traditional pinto; they have
more flavor and seem to be more easily digested. They also do not need the
addition of meat fat for flavor the way pinto beans do.

Do not soak these beans overnight. Presoaking actually seems to lengthen
the cooking time. Also, to achieve soft, tender beans, do not add salt
until the end of the cooking process. Adding salt early in the cooking will
make the beans tough.

Sort the beans by hand to remove small rocks and bits of organic debris,
and clean thoroughly, rinsing under running water.

Combine all the ingredients, except the salt, in a stockpot. Bring to a
boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered, until the beans are
soft, about 1 One half hours. Add water as needed to keep the beans immersed
during cooking. When the beans are properly cooked, they are tender but
their skins remain unbroken.

Season with the salt. Cool the beans and store in their liquid to cover in
the refrigerator. the beans will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. The
beans will keep for up to 5 days in a container with a tight fitting lid.
You may freeze the beans for up to 2 months. When thawed they will be
softer in texture.

Variations: Halfway through the cooking, add to the beans 2 lemons, cut or sliced up ,
seeded, and coarsely chopped; and/or 1 One half teaspoons mediumhot New Mexico
red chile powder (molido) and any leftover salsa. For more piquant beans,
add 1 fresh serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped.

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