"Hay frijoles en la casa" is a phrase many of us know all too damn well. Now that I live on my own, I've come to appreciate the many uses of such a simple dish. I know that to some, making frijoles de la olla is the easiest recipe you can think of but it took me a while to get it right and to be honest, I can still struggle with this one. This was something I took for granted when living at home because there were ALWAYS beans on the stove so I never really had to learn how to make them on my own. A few years down the line and a lot of mistakes later, I'm getting the hang of it and I can assure you.. en mi casa, siempre hay frijoles.
My Mistakes: My most common mistake with making frijoles de la olla is not keeping up with the water. If the beans do not have enough water at all times, it's a recipe for bitter, gross beans. I struggled with the amount of salt too - always add your salt when your beans are done cooking and add little-by-little until you get the flavor profile you are looking for.
Ingredients:
2-3 C. pinto or Peruvian beans 1/4 of a medium onion
1 clove of garlic
1 small bay leaf
Water
Salt
Step 1:
Make sure to sort through the beans and toss out any bad beans, rocks, and dirt that may still be in there. Once you got all the good little beans, throw them into a colander and rinse until clean. Be careful not to rinse too roughly as the skin might start to peel off and we don't want that! Tip: For frijoles "blanditos" leave the beans soaking in water overnight or at least 4 hours. Trust me, it makes a huge difference. Rinse them after the soaking and proceed to Step 2.
Step 2:
Once rinsed, place the beans in a deep pot. Pour enough water to make sure the water reaches 3 inches above the beans. You want to make sure the beans have enough water to absorb and leave space below the pot's rim to avoid spillage during the boil. Throw in your garlic, onion, and bay leaf. Turn to high heat and bring your water to a rolling boil.
Step 3:
Once you've reached a boil, lower heat to a slow simmer and cover. Leave simmering for about 2-3 hours or until the beans are thoroughly soft when pinched. While they‘re cooking, check the beans periodically and make sure they have enough water. Cook times differ with different pots. The BEST time to add salt is actually once the beans are fully cooked. I usually eyeball my salt but I would say I throw in about 1/2 a tablespoon and go from there. I recommend tasting as you go and always remember.. it's better to add little-by-little instead of way too much at once.
Step 4:
Serve beans in a bowl with some of the broth and enjoy them in all of their simplicity or add some queso fresco in there for more flavor. Another favorite is throwing frijoles de la olla on a tortilla with queso fresco and avocado for a nice little taco. Store leftovers in the fridge for refried beans later!
Cocinera's Note: I personally rarely add bay leaf but know a lot of people do so I added it for this recipe. Bay leaf, or known in Spanish as hoja de laurel, does add a slightly different flavor to your beans so I would suggest you try it at least once!
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