three bowls

OMG HAVE YOU HEARD FOOD PRICES ARE REALLY BAD!?!

I don’t watch the news and get all of my current event information from sporadically listening to Marketplace and BBC Newspod podcasts while washing my dishes.

Marketplace and the BBC are not exactly like your local newscast, i.e., not especially melodramatic or fear-mongering.  Nevertheless, during the three hours or so (this is actually NOT one of my patented ridiculous exaggerations) it took me to clean up from the babycake bake-a-thon, I listened to so much dire news about the state of the world’s food supply that I started to get that special kind of mild, vague anxiety that only the news can give you.

In response, I decided to make a pot of beans from the black beans I already had in my pantry.  Nothing calms me down faster than eating like a peasant, and this would kill two birds with one stone in that I would be eating an inexpensive food that I had actually already paid for.

I had heard, in happier podcasting, a KCRW Good Food Market Report (first audio clip on page)in which L.A. Times food writer Russ Parsons explains how he makes black and other dried beans.  There’s also more info about his thoughts at the eGullet Forums section on Dried Beans.  (Unfortunately the link doesn't seem to want to take you to the actual Russ Parsons post, but the one with the most bean-prep info appears to be his response from Feb 3 2004, 11:24 AM, so you can scroll down the page to click on the post from the tree view.)

Here are some of his bean tips:

He recommends not soaking.  His research led him to believe the benefits people assume come from soaking (minimizing of bean-induced gassiness, shorter cooking time) might not necessarily always be true.  He says cooking time with freshly dried beans isn’t really impacted very much from soaking.  Discard the soaking liquid might get rid of some of the troublesome complex sugars (alpha-galactosides), but you also lose the flavorful broth and you’re not doing anything about the fiber which can have the same effect.  Eating beans regularly usually takes care of that anyway and beans are good for you, so there.

He also says that salting only at end is a “misconception,” and you should do “a little at beginning, a little in the middle” and of course to make final seasoning adjustments before seasoning so that the flavor of the bean is seasoned all the way through.

He generally uses about 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt per pound of beans and recommends using only the minimum amount of water necessary.

He uses a closed pot method that he starts on the stove, bringing it to a simmer, then he sticks it in the oven at 350.

The time will be dependent on age of bean.  A freshly dried bean might only take 45 minutes, older beans, up to two hours.  Blow on a bean to see if its skin wrinkles to test if it’s done (or taste it, of course).  After they are done, take off heat and leave covered for 20 minutes to finish the cooking.

He notes that putting dried chipotles in to give the beans a smoky, meaty flavor even though they are vegetarian. 

I followed his advice with regard to the not soaking and adding salt and chipotle, but I used a slow cooker.  They were nice, not transcendent, so I think I will try again using his full method once I have a proper pot. 

The chipotle flavor was a nice addition; I think next time I will use more (used about three for two lbs.).  For summer BBQ’s with veggie friends, beans prepared that way might be a good centerpiece to a dish to help give them a heartier smoky BBQ experience.