Black Beans with Cumin
This is how you turn a humble can of beans into a foundational side dish. The goal is to marry the earthiness of the cumin with the creamy texture of the bean liquid until it coats the back of a spoon.
Don't discard the liquid.
The canning liquid contains the starch necessary to create a thick, cohesive sauce. If you rinse the beans, you lose the texture.
- heavy-bottomed saucepan
- wooden spoon
- chef's knife
What goes in.
- 2 cans (15 oz each)black beans, unrinsed
- 2 tbspneutral oil or lard
- 1/2yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1.5 tspground cumin
- 1/2 tspkosher salt
Toasting the Cumin
Add the cumin to the hot oil and aromatics for exactly thirty seconds. This wakes up the essential oils and removes the raw, powdery edge from the spice.
The method.
Sauté the aromatics
Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they turn pale gold, about 5 minutes.
Toast the spices
Add the garlic and cumin. Stir constantly until the scent hits you—this should take no more than 30 seconds to avoid burning the garlic.
Simmer
Pour in both cans of beans, liquid included. Add the salt. Reduce heat to low and let it bubble gently for 10 to 15 minutes.
Thicken
Use the back of your spoon to crush about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot. Stir the starch into the liquid until it thickens to a gravy consistency.
Other turns to take.
Spicy
Add one seeded and minced jalapeño with the onions.
Citrus
Squeeze half a lime into the pot right after you take it off the heat.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the beans look too dry before they are finished, add a splash of water or stock.
Taste the liquid before adding the full amount of salt, as canned beans vary in sodium content.
Serve immediately while the starch is still active; the sauce will firm up significantly as it cools.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use dried beans?
Yes, but you must soak and cook them until tender before starting this process. The canned method is for when you want this side dish finished in under thirty minutes.
Do I have to crush the beans?
The crushing releases starch into the liquid. If you prefer whole beans in a clear broth, skip the crushing, but the result will be much thinner.