Chorizo Black Beans

Circle B Kitchen

You can use any kind of chorizo sausage for these beans, either fresh (bulk or in links) or fully cooked. If using fresh sausage in the links, you can remove the sausage from the casing. If using fully cooked links, just cut the links lengthwise into quarters and then chop them before adding them to the pan

(1) 1-lb pkg of dried black beans

½ to ¾ lb chorizo sausage (see headnote)

1-2 teaspoons of salt

Rinse the black beans and remove any little stones or foreign matter (I never seem to find anything foreign in my beans, but I do it anyway).

Place the beans in a heavy, medium-size pan or stockpot and cover with water by about 2 inches.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour. (After the beans have been simmering for about 30 minutes, I add a teaspoon of salt). The beans should be soft. If they still seem to have a bite to them, continue cooking until they’re cooked through.

Meanwhile, either chop or crumble your chorizo into a heavy soup pot. If using the homemade chorizo sausage, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Stir until the sausage is cooked through and nicely browned.

Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, remove the beans from their cooking liquid and add them to the pot with the chorizo. Add about half of the cooking liquid from the beans and then just enough water to cover the beans and chorizo.

Simmer the beans, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours or until the liquid has evaporated to the level of the beans. Using a potato masher, mash about half the beans, which thickens them and creates a creamy texture. Taste for salt and add another teaspoon or so if needed.

Continue to simmer the beans, uncovered, if they still seem a little liquid-y, but they also tend to thicken as they sit and cool, so don’t over-reduce them. Add a little more water if they seem too thick.

Remove the beans from the heat, cover them, and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.