SMOKY BLACK BEANS

Last night I made the most kick ass Smoky/Spicy Black Beans for dinner. They derive their smoky spiciness from a chopped chipotle chili. I love chipotles and always keep them on hand, the canned kind in the adobo sauce. The heat they bring is a slow burn that brings up beads of sweat on the forehead and the bridge of the nose. This recipe is easy and quick so these beans are going to be a staple around my house (along with beano – geeez!) and I just have to share it here:

1 small onion
1 chiopotle chili (either canned in adobo or dried)
2 – 15 to 16oz. Cans black beans
2 tsps. Olive oil
¾ C. fresh squeezed orange juice
1 C. water

Mince the onion. If using dried chipotle, in a bowl soak in boiling hot water to cover for 5 minutes and drain. Wearing protective gloves mince the soaked or canned chipotle. In a colander rinse black beans well and drain.

In a 2-3 quart heavy saucepan cook onion in oil over moderately low heat, stirring until softened. Add chipotle and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add beans, 1 C. water, and orange juice and simmer, mashing mixture 3 or 4 times with a potato masher, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season beans with salt. Serves four.

Okay – forget the potato masher. Simmer the beans about 15 minutes and then put the whole mixture in the blender and blend it enough to chop up the beans a bit, but not too much.

Use the canned chipotle in the adobo sauce. The flavor rocks. Also, I don’t use the protective gloves, but I learned tonight why they say that you should. If you get chili on your hands and don’t wash them immediately and really well, and then you touch your eye, even if it’s like an hour after you've chopped the chili, your eye will burn as if it’s been cut with a laser. So if you don’t wear the protective gloves, be sure to wash your hands. And even then don’t touch your eyes.

Serious.