Recipe from Simple Food Big Flavor
Servings: 6
INGREDIENTS
Black Beans with Chorizo and Chipotle Crema
One 16-ounce package dried black beans (about 2 cups)
2 yellow onions (1 small, skin on and halved; 1 large, chopped)
2 sprigs fresh epazote, 1 teaspoon dried epazote, or 2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 generous cup Aarón’s Chorizo
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
Salt
1 cup crema fresca (preferably the Cacique brand), or a scan cup full-fat sour cream thinned with 2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 to 3 tablespoons Garlic-Chipotle Love
Finely chopped fresh cilantro and thinly sliced scallion greens, for garnish
Aarón's Chorizo
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 pound ground pork
3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground canela (Mexican cinnamon) or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground star anise
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon crushed dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
¼ cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup ancho chile powder
Garlic-Chipotle Love
1 cup canola oil
12 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Black Beans with Chorizo and Chipotle Crema
1. Rinse and drain the beans, then pick them over to remove any stones. Put the beans in a large heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, and add enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Add the onion halves and the epazote or bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer the beans, uncovered, until the beans are tender and creamy but the skins have not burst, 1½ to 2 hours. Discard the onion halves and the epazote sprigs or bay leaves.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until it’s lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and garlic and cook, breaking up the chorizo with a spoon and stirring occasionally, until it’s browned, about 5 minutes. Spoon off and discard any visible grease.
3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans to the skillet, reserving the cooking liquid. Add ½ cup of the cooking liquid and simmer gently for 5 minutes to let the flavor blend. If the beans look dry, gradually add more of the bean cooking liquid. Season with salt to taste.
4. Stir together the crema fresca and Garlic-Chipotle Love in a small bowl and serve over the beans. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced scallions.
Aarón's Chorizo
1. Put the ground beef and pork in a large bowl. Add the garlic, salt, and vinegar and mix well (your hands are the best tools for this job). Sprinkle with the pepper, canela, star anise, cloves, and oregano and mix well. Add the wine and sugar and mix well.
2. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Put the chile powder in a small bowl, pour in the boiling water, and stir well to make a paste. Let it cool to room temperature. Work the paste into the meat with your fingers until it’s well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate overnight before you use it. Store in 2-ounce portions in zip lock bags in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Garlic-Chipotle Love
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Pour the oil into a heavy ovenproof medium saucepan and add the garlic. Cover the pot with foil, put it in the oven, and cook until the garlic turns a nutty brown and is really soft (think cream cheese), about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and let the garlic and oil cool to room temperature. Put the garlic and the now garlic-infused oil in a food processor or blender. Add the chipotles and sauce, cilantro, lime zest, and salt and puree until the mixture is very smooth. Store in the fridge in a tightly covered container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to a month.