Black beans with chorizo

In autumn and winter there is no better health contribution than that offered by legumes, and we already wanted a spoon dish. So I present you a recipe for black beans as I prepare them at home. Beans are of many types and qualities. In Spain we are fortunate to have several areas in which this product has a Denomination of Origin: La Bañeza (León), the beans from El Barco de Ávila, the Asturian bean and in the Basque Country we find those of Gernika and Tolosa.

In fact, for lovers of gastronomic tourism, I recommend a walk along the “Ruta Indaba” in the Vaco Country, more specifically in Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa. An initiative of four Basque regions that are characterized by being large bean producers. A rural tourism to enjoy the scenery and the food, what more can we ask for? The Asturian Faba needs no introduction, the most emblematic being that of the fertile plains of Nalón and Narcea, in the surroundings of Pravia and Grado, among others. I could continue talking about this magnificent product without rest, but today we have to give prominence to pinto beans, those of a lifetime, those that we have eaten at our grandmothers’ house.

I propose you a simple recipe so that you stop thinking that macaroni is the easiest way out for a day when you don’t feel like cooking. There is nothing easier than preparing a legume, just add the ingredients raw and let them cook over medium heat or with the fast or express pot. The ingredients go to taste, I do not usually put black pudding, but if you are passionate about this product, I recommend that you cook them separately and incorporate it at the end of the cooking. That said, we get down to business. You will see how quickly we have it ready and delicious!

Before cooking the beans

Almost all the beans or beans I have seen are dry, they even come vacuum packed, so their preservation is perfect. When the season starts, late summer and early fall, they can be found fresh or so fresh that they don’t need to be soaked. They are easy to store for consumption throughout the year. The most important thing is that you always buy the best quality that you can within your possibilities, new vegetables.

1. The day before we put them in warm water with a handful of salt and leave them to soak for 10-12 hours overnight. We should not have more than 12 hours, since after this time the legume loses qualities.
2. It is important that, in addition to hydrating, we wash them afterwards to remove possible impurities and that no damaged beans that can tear a tooth strain, I say from experience. We will only have to drain and set aside until the time to prepare the casserole.
3. If you are lucky to find them fresh, you only need to leave them to rest for an hour in a little hot water. This will help them cook more quickly, once that time has passed we just have to wash them and put them in the casserole with the rest of the vegetables.
4. The cooking time is relative, because the truth is that one legume is never the same as another, sometimes they are tender, others are older, others have thicker skin, others if you spend time they fall apart … with what You should try at the end of the approximate time that I give you to make sure that they are on point.

Preparation of pinto beans with chorizo

1. In an express pot or a large saucepan, put the half onion, the garlic cloves, a piece of fresh bacon, the ham bone and the bay leaf handfuls of pinto beans. Everything except the chorizo! We cover everything with water and add three more fingers, so that when consumed they do not stay dry. We add a jet of extra virgin olive oil and a little salt. If you like the touch of paprika in your spoon dishes, optionally we can add a tablespoon of paprika, this would be the moment, we mix all the flavors for one minute.
2. If we cook in the express pot we leave it for 30 minutes. After the time of the express pot we add the chorizo ​​and let it cook another ten minutes more. We taste of salt and rectify if necessary.
3. If we cook in a normal saucepan, leave it for an hour and a half over medium heat or until the bean is tender, but not over, remember that you have to stir it from time to time. If they stay dry we will add a little warm water. Then we add the chorizo ​​and leave it for another ten minutes. Remove with a ladle part of the fat from the cooking with the oil, there will not be much but it will be a little softer.
4. If you want to add black pudding I recommend that you cook it separately and add it to the stew along with the chorizo. This will prevent the black pudding from breaking and leave the whole plate with pieces of black pudding. We remove the chorizo ​​and the blood sausage if we have added it, and cut into slices, each one then put the amount they like.
5. Another tip, one of those from the mother, is to whisk some of the ingredients a little so that the broth is thicker and more flavorful. We put in a blender glass (if you do not have it, with a fork) a couple of tablespoon of black beans, a little broth and crush. We incorporate this “mash” into the beans and let them finish. I guarantee that this is how they link, which is nice.
6. Finally, both if we use an express pot or if we use a saucepan, add a handful of rice and let it cook until the rice is ready. Remove from the heat and let it rest a little before serving. We put the black beans in a deep plate and eat. That easy!

I leave you with a very simple recipe to prepare, without many complications, which I like. Anyone can make delicious chorizo ​​beans.

You can see all the photos of the step by step in the next album .