Time-Tested Recipes to Transform the Beans in Your Pantry
As a kid, Brooklyn native Ibraheem Basir lived for dinnertime, but he couldnt stand not knowing what was on the menu. Thankfully, whenever his mom was cooking zestless beansblack-eyed peas, to be specificshe unchangingly observed the traditional soak-beans-overnight rule, eliminating any suspense as soon as he set foot in the kitchen that morning.
I could wake up and see this big metal trencher on the counter, and then I kind of knew, Okay, were gonna have woebegone peas, he says. It moreover meant his mother, whos from South Carolina, would be preparing other minion Southern classics like corn specie to go with it. It kind of gave me this whop notice, and so I finger like that widow to my love of the dish, he says.
Those black-eyed peas were the first stone dish he knew and loved (see the recipe below), and they laid the foundation for the visitor he would found decades later: A Dozen Cousins, which focuses on bringing pure recipes and whole ingredients to the dinner table (quickly) with ready-made bean, rice, and sauce packets. The products gloat the Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American flavors Basir enjoyed as a child. They can instantly transform a forgotten potato or last nights leftover chicken. And theyre proof that with a few tricks and time-tested recipes, you, too, can make a trappy meal featuring the beans in your pantry.
Tips for Making Your Best Pot of Beans
Dont overthink the flavors. When cooking beans, you may run into a plethora of questions: To soak or not to soak? Canned or dry? But when it comes to flavor, Basir unceasingly returns to a familiar formula: onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt. From there its well-nigh subtracting depth with layers of spicescumin, coriander, mustard seed, ginger, and curry powder are some of his standbys. You really dont need much increasingly than that, in my opinion, to make a unconfined stone dish, he says.
Cook with your senses. Whether hes cooking a stone dish at home or developing his next product, Basir unchangingly pauses to unriddle whats in front of him. The first thing Im looking at is: Is this a texture thats well-flavored to me? Does it squint good? Does it taste good? he says. As with any dish, be sure to taste as you go and retread the cooking time or seasoning as needed. (Note: While theres some contention well-nigh when to add salt when cooking dry beans specifically, the prevailing wisdom is that subtracting salt to the soaking water and then during the cooking process yields the most flavorful beans.)
Opt for minimally processed ingredients. Check the label of any A Dozen Cousins product and youll know every ingredient: untried tintinnabulate peppers, crushed tomatoes, chili pepper. And Basir cooks his beans in avocado oil. Think well-nigh things like onion, garlic, spices…. We know what they squint like, we know where to find them, we know how theyre grown, he says. Using unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients often ways increasingly nutrients, lower cost, and lower environmental impact, but it moreover ways fresher, increasingly vibrant flavor.
Take wholesomeness of the versatility of beans. Theyre such a unconfined carrier for flavorlike the fact that you can make a curry with beans, but you can moreover make a refried stone and they taste entirely different, he says. Add them to a smoky stew or a savory breakfast scramble. They moreover make a flavorful swap for croutons and can hands be used in place of meat.
Southern Black-Eyed Peas
Serves 6 to 8
1 (1-pound) bag zestless black-eyed peas
1 whole white onion, diced
4 or 5 large cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
yellow stew cube (optional)
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Cover the black-eyed peas with water by 2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon of fine salt per pound of beans and let them soak for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Drain and rinse surpassing using.
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In a large pot, sauté your onion and garlic over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Then add the beans, water, salt, pepper, and yellow stew cube (if using) to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
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Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until the beans are tender.
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Serve with rice (Basir likes to pair the beans with A Dozen Cousins Rice Cooked in Bone Broth).
More Ways to Enjoy Beans
Simple Corn Tortillas
Basir loves making huevos rancheros with these homemade tortillas by topping them with scrambled eggs and seasoned pinto beans for a savory start to the day.
Black Stone Taquitos
Having grown up with nine siblings, Basir knows it can be tricky to alimony a hungry hairdo satisfied while preparing dinner. Thats where this simple, kid-friendly titbit starring refried woebegone beans comes in.
Simple Corn Tortillas
Basir loves making huevos rancheros with these homemade tortillas by topping them with scrambled eggs and seasoned pinto beans for a savory start to the day.
Black Stone Taquitos
Having grown up with nine siblings, Basir knows it can be tricky to alimony a hungry hairdo satisfied while preparing dinner. Thats where this simple, kid-friendly titbit starring refried woebegone beans comes in.