Cooking with beans

[Skywalker[TSG]]

I went shopping yesterday and found this huge 25lbs bag of dried beans but i have no idea how to use them.I love chili and mexican foods and i've heard they use a lot of beans in their cooking.

Does anyone have any ideas what i could make with the beans ?
Recepies needed




Also how long should i soak the beans to make them soft ?

[Agent_Embryo]

That's how much in Kg? Just don't eat it all at once.

[Cruez]

HAve to put them in a crock pot or something similar and cook them on low for a while.. (couple hrs maybe)

[RayH]

Basically, you have to 'de-gass' beans. You do that by soaking them overnight in water. If you are in a bit of a hurry, you can put them in a pot of water, bring the water to ALMOST a boil, and let it soak for a couple of hours. Either way, toss the water afterwards.

You then put the beans in more water and simmer. Cover them, bring the pot to a boil, and then put them in a 350 F oven is an easy way to cook them w/o having to stir them.

Chili has a million recipies. Just throw hot spices in: chili powder, garlic, onions, pepper, ginger, etc. The "secret" is a little bit of CUMIN. If you make it too spicy, a bit of sugar cuts the hot! Oh yeah, some tomato sauce. Meat if you want. Takes maybe two-three hours.

[Theophylact]

What kind of beans? Chili usually wants red or pink kidney beans, pinto beans or black (turtle) beans, though cranberry (Roman) beans are good too. White kidney beans (cannellini, Tuscan beans) are used in a lot of Italian dishes, and pea, navy and Great Northern beans are good for baked beans, cassoulet and cholent (don't ask).

The initial prep is the same for all: if you have the time, soak them for eight hours, then simmer until tenderish: how long depends on the variety, but usually between half an hour and an hour. If you're pressed for time, bring the beans in more than enough water to cover to a boil, boil for 1-2 minutes, turn off the heat, cover, and let them soak an hour, then proceed with the simmering.

Recipes? I've got a zillion. What nationality would you like?

[Skywalker[TSG]]

Well i could use everything

i have beans for a lifetime so i should get started
you have any favourite recipes?

oh btw i think it's kidney beans

[Theophylact]

Basic Chile con Carne:

For about 1 kg of meat (I prefer beef chuck; don't know what the cut is called in Sweden), either ground or (preferably) cut up into small cubes (about 1 cc).

about 25 ml of vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons (about 25 g) or more chile con carne seasoning powder (this already has cumin in, but you may want more: see below)
1 small can of tomato sauce (about 250 ml, or about 200 g). (Note: this is not tomato paste or tomato pureé; both are too thick. I use Hunt's tomato sauce, or Contadina, or whatever house brand the supermarket has)
twice as much water as tomato sauce
dried oregano (about 1/2 teaspoon)
ground cumin (about 1/2 teaspoon)
ground cayenne pepper (I use about a teaspoon, but many people would put in less!)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fine cornmeal (optional)
250 ml or 250 g of those kidney beans you've prepared

In a skillet or saucepan, brown (sear) the meat in the oil at high heat. If you're using beef that you've bought already ground, pour off most of the fat that the browning will produce.Take the meat out of the pan with a slotted spoon. Brown the onion and garlic over medium heat until they're golden but not crisp. Put the meat back in the pan, add all the other ingredients except for the cornmeal and beans. Cover the pan, bring the stuff just to the boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about two hours. (You can do everything except for the browning in a slow cooker, and you can even skip the browning, although I think that's sailing a bit close to the wind.)

When the meat is tender, taste for seasoning, add salt, pepper and cayenne if needed. Stir up the cornmeal with about a half cup (125 ml) of water until it's a thick but pourable slurry. (The cornmeal is not essential, but it mellows things out, and gives a little body to the sauce.) Add it with stirring to the cooking chile. Continue cooking another 15 minutes. Add the cooked beans, continue cooking until everything's thoroughly warmed up (about 5-10 more minutes) and serve.

You can vary this a whole lot. Other meats are good: moose, venison, even lamb. I add Mexican green tomatoes ("tomatillos," probably hard to find in Sweden).

This is a version of a packaged Chile mix called "Wick Fowler's Two-Alarm Chili", probably not easy to find where you are.

[Skywalker[TSG]]

sounds tasty

Would regular green tomatoes work instead of the tomatillos?
also would i ruin it if i add more chilli ? the cayenne is good but i'm used to stronger stuff

[Theophylact]

Dunno. They're a different genus entirely. But you might try them, and throw in a handful of chopped cilantro (coriander leaves, "Chinese parsley").

[alondra]

If some one hasn't mentioned it, beans swell when cooking, I put a pound in a crock pot, big mistake.