Sweet and (Slightly) Spicy BBQ Black Beans
Hello, friends! Welcome back to reality. I don’t know about you, but being a parent in September is always a wake-up call. No more lazy mornings. You actually need to crack down on screen time for your kiddos (which you totally meant to do all summer…), enforce bedtimes and wake-ups, and generally get back into some kind of routine. Ugh, adulting and parenting, amirite?
And for many of us, that also means less time for meal prep. Never fear on that front, my friends! This month, I’m going to focus on meals that you can “set and forget,” but that also can be repurposed for multiple meals. Bring it on, September! I’m ready for you. I’ll take your stupid PSL, throw it out a window, and raise you a matcha latte. A good one. From the Highland Park Corner Store (that’s a shout out to our local bodega, which is AMAZING. Makes the best coffee and tea drinks, the staff is super nice, they support tons of other local businesses as well. West Seattle pride at its finest).
But I digress, as I am wont to do. Let’s talk legumes, y’all. Legumes, IMHO, are the unsung heroes of many a hearty meal across the world. They are packed with vitamins and fiber, inexpensive, filling, the their carbon footprint is much lower than meat. Their shelf life - either canned or, especially, dried -is ridiculously long. They are ideal for little hands learning to feed themselves. They can be prepared in a myriad of ways, with delicious results (Note to self: post roasted chickpeas recipe). I could go on, but I won’t. But I was a vegetarian for many years and legumes are close to my heart as a perfectly viable main protein option for any meal. I would encourage you to add this humble ingredient to your list of bases for entrees. Let’s start with one of the most versatile of beans - the black bean.
As many of you know, I attended the University of Miami and had LOADS of Latin food over my four years there. It’s no secret that Latinx know their way around a frijole. After I left Miami and moved to Boston, I really, really missed good latin-style food. Not tex-mex, but also not anything too fancy. I’m talking like, El Pollo Loco. Standbys made well. Black beans have always been my favorite bean, so years ago when I was starting to experiment with the cuisine I missed the most, I started there.
The very first thing that came out of these experiments was a batch of black beans that are somewhat sweet, a little spicy, and slightly refried. But, most importantly, SO EASY TO MAKE.
A couple of notes before we start: 1) I have no shame in admitting that I use canned beans for this recipe. Kudos to you if you use soaked, dried beans, but I just haven’t been able to get the right consistency with them. So I won’t be going over a soaking method in this recipe; 2) *I cook these on the stovetop, which requires a bit more supervision. But given that everything is already “cooked,” you’re welcome to throw this in a slow cooker on LOW for 4-6 and just forget it. However, I have NOT done this yet, and I do not know how much of the water will evaporate with the cover on a slow cooker. Part of the magic of this recipe is that it does have the thicker consistency of refried beans due to the evaporation during its time on the stovetop. If you like soupier beans or don’t want to watch the pot, I’d say go for the slow cooker.
These beans will solidify even more once they are leftovers, even making them “spreadable”. Feel free to reheat with extra water!
Ok, let’s cocinar!
Ingredients:
2 cans black beans, rinsed.
1-1 1/2 cups water
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP ketchup
1 TBSP sriracha, or hot sauce of your choice
3 strips of bacon
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP green chilies (or sweet red/orange peppers, if you want to keep it mild)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp coriander (or cilantro)
Cayenne to taste
Instructions:
*On stovetop: Combine all ingredients and bring to a bubble. Lower to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 75-90 minutes. Optional: mash slightly before serving.
