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OK, you just realized you panic bought a 25 lb bag of dried beans a couple weeks ago, and now you have no idea how to cook them.
You might have just looked at a recipe for beans and seen that it's a multi-day process of soaking, rinsing, and cooking.
WRONG.
You might have just looked at a recipe for beans and seen that it's a multi-day process of soaking, rinsing, and cooking.
WRONG.
First principle.
Wash your beans. Yes, they might be "triple washed", but they're still an agricultural commodity.
Check for stones. I've never found one, but still, check. Your dentist will thank you.
https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lswbean.pdf
Wash your beans. Yes, they might be "triple washed", but they're still an agricultural commodity.
Check for stones. I've never found one, but still, check. Your dentist will thank you.
https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lswbean.pdf
Second principle.
You don't need to soak your beans. Most common beans I cook with (pinto, small red, kidney) do not need soaking, especially overnight. https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/soaking-black-beans-faq.html
You don't need to soak your beans. Most common beans I cook with (pinto, small red, kidney) do not need soaking, especially overnight. https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/soaking-black-beans-faq.html
The ideal bean is creamy, firm but not hard, and flavorful. No-soak beans lets you control cooking just to the point of perfection, and no further.
Soaking, IME, often leads to mushy death beans.
Soaking, IME, often leads to mushy death beans.
Third principle.
Cook them low and slow. You want them just around a simmer, so you don't cook off your liquid before the beans absorb it.
Cook them low and slow. You want them just around a simmer, so you don't cook off your liquid before the beans absorb it.
Fourth principle.
Use a flavorful broth. One of the best things about good beans is the broth. It's cooked down over hours, concentrating all that bean flavor into a thick creamy goodness.
Chicken (homemade is ideal) or vegetable broth are both great.
Use a flavorful broth. One of the best things about good beans is the broth. It's cooked down over hours, concentrating all that bean flavor into a thick creamy goodness.
Chicken (homemade is ideal) or vegetable broth are both great.
Fifth principle.
Think about how you want your bean broth to taste. Beans are strong and can stand up to lots of flavor.
Some examples:
1 onion halved, 4 cloves garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika in pinto beans
Onion, garlic, half an orange in black beans
Think about how you want your bean broth to taste. Beans are strong and can stand up to lots of flavor.
Some examples:
1 onion halved, 4 cloves garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika in pinto beans
Onion, garlic, half an orange in black beans
Sixth principle.
Oven roast if you can. This, more than anything, has upped my bean game over the years. Oven roasting builds an amazing browning on the bean liquid that you can stir in every hour, deepening and enriching the flavor. There's nothing like it.
Oven roast if you can. This, more than anything, has upped my bean game over the years. Oven roasting builds an amazing browning on the bean liquid that you can stir in every hour, deepening and enriching the flavor. There's nothing like it.
But any method works.
Smoke your beans? Sure!
InstantPot/Pressure Cooker? Great!
Stovetop? Ok, I guess. Fine. It's fine. Really.
Smoke your beans? Sure!
InstantPot/Pressure Cooker? Great!
Stovetop? Ok, I guess. Fine. It's fine. Really.
Seventh principle.
Beans need fat. If you eat meat, like I do, stock up on pork or ham hocks, preferable smoked. Throw one in every pot, or two if you're generous.
Bacon is good too.
If you don't eat meat, still find a way to add fat. It will make everything richer tasting
Beans need fat. If you eat meat, like I do, stock up on pork or ham hocks, preferable smoked. Throw one in every pot, or two if you're generous.
Bacon is good too.
If you don't eat meat, still find a way to add fat. It will make everything richer tasting
Eighth principle.
Beans can substitute well for one another. Sure, the recipe might call for a specific kind of heirloom beans, but all you have are some old pinto beans.
Fine! Use them!
Beans can substitute well for one another. Sure, the recipe might call for a specific kind of heirloom beans, but all you have are some old pinto beans.
Fine! Use them!
My personal bean ranking, in order,
Pinto
Small Red
Small White
Kidney
Other various beans.
I generally just keep dried Pinto and small red beans on hand, and they work in most recipes I want beans for.
Pinto
Small Red
Small White
Kidney
Other various beans.
I generally just keep dried Pinto and small red beans on hand, and they work in most recipes I want beans for.
Also, IME, black beans are almost always disappointing. You think they're cool because they're the hip, cool, mysterious bean, but they just taste like disappointment and regret.
Just use pinto beans and make yourself happy. You deserve it.
Just use pinto beans and make yourself happy. You deserve it.
Ninth principle.
Five cups water or broth to 1 lb beans. It never fails.
Use somewhat less water if you soaked your beans.
Five cups water or broth to 1 lb beans. It never fails.
Use somewhat less water if you soaked your beans.
Tenth principle.
None of these principles are binding. Quick soaking is great when you're in a rush, and can take some time off your cooking time (although opinions vary as to how much time). https://food.unl.edu/cooking-dry-beans-scratch-can-be-quick
None of these principles are binding. Quick soaking is great when you're in a rush, and can take some time off your cooking time (although opinions vary as to how much time). https://food.unl.edu/cooking-dry-beans-scratch-can-be-quick
Pressure cooker/instant pot is also great when you have no time, but you miss some of the oven roasted goodness from.
There's no wrong way to cook beans.
There's no wrong way to cook beans.
This applies to not just bean recipes, but recipes that *include* beans, like chili, bean/sausage/kale soup, red beans and rice, etc.
Oven roast, no soak, use broth and fat, plenty of flavor, and enjoy!
Oven roast, no soak, use broth and fat, plenty of flavor, and enjoy!
