black beans

i use this recipe for black beans and pinto beans...i love having beans in the frig to add to salads, tacos, soups, and just plain topped with a bit of pico de gallo....

ingredients/supplies:
1 x 16 oz bag of organic black beans
2 small onions
2 jalapenos
3 cloves of garlic
1 shallot
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 ham hock or 1/2 pound of bacon (optional...i actually prefer them vegan)
6-8 cups of purified water for soaking beans
5-6 cups of purified water for cooking beans
salt to taste
a knife, cutting board, a large pot with a lid

prepping/chopping/cooking:

pre-prep:
-sort beans
(place beans on your counter and discard any little rocks, split beans, and discolored beans)
-rinse beans
(place beans in a colander and rinse them)
-soak beans in 6-8 cups of purified water overnight

prep/chop:
-drain and rinse pre-soaked beans
-cut 2 onions in 1/2
-peel and smash garlic (no need to chop--better to leave it whole)
-cut the jalapenos in 1/2 and de-seed and de-vein (wash your hands immediately after handling the peppers)
-peel shallot
-set bay leaf aside
-if you are using bacon, slice the strips into 2 inch pieces

-heat pot over medium heat
-add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to hot pan to heat

cook:
-add onions, garlic, jalapeno, shallot, and bay leaf to hot oil (add bacon or ham hock if using)
-add beans
-add water to cover beans
-lightly simmer for about 2-2.5 hours or until beans have reached the desired tenderness (you may need to lower heat to medium low as soon as you reach a simmer)
-i cook the beans for about 1 hour without a lid and then add water if needed and cover for the remaining hour
(check on the beans frequently to make sure that they are cooking at a light simmer and never boil...lower heat if needed.  the water level should cover the beans for the duration of cooking so add water to the beans while cooking if the water lever lowers too much)
-add salt to taste when the desired tenderness
(if you add salt too soon, i find that the beans break down.  i add the salt after about 1.5 hours of cooking)

if you are feeling like a little more spice...add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper when you are adding the veggies....

enjoy!