Frijoles De La Olla

Photo: flickr user waywuwei

Ingredients

350 grams Black beans

1 Lg onion, stuck w/8 cloves

4 tablespoons Bacon drippings or oil

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

2 Epazote leaves, or a big handful of chopped fennel tops

1 tablespoon Fresh ground black pepper

Queso nuevo or fetta crumbled

Chopped fresh coriander

Pickled jalapenos, sliced

Grilled spring onions*

Preparation

Clean beans throughly. Cover the beans in boiling water, bring back to the boil and boil hard for 5 mins. Let stand for 2 hrs. and drain.

Pour 2 3/4 qts. boiling water over the beans and add in the onion, fat, and bring to a very gentle boil. Simmer over low heat for 1-2 hrs. until tender. Just before the end of cooking, add the herbs and salt. Discard the onion, puree a cup of the beans with their liquid and stir back into the beans in the pot to thicken. Serve in little bowls topped with the crumbled cheese and other toppings.

Black beans are served in Oaxaca with scrambled eggs, chillies and tomatoes as a rustic breakfast.

* A delicious side dish often served in Oaxaca is whole green onions that had been brushed wit oil and then chargrilled until slightly blackened around the edges, to be dipped in course salt.