"I'll Just Make Some Beans" Beans
For many years, I stressed out planning dinner when Torre was coming over. As an omnivore dedicated to impressing my vegan friends, I would be on the blogs, on the phone, and in the kitchen at work trying hard to make something worth talking about. Torre is one of those friends I am explicitly trying to impress (versus just trying to impress myself), because she always impresses me. In the beginning, I couldn’t tell when she was being polite and when she really liked something, but I am better at that now. I have attempted all manner of inherently vegan dishes, and also I have adapted non plant-based recipes with varying success (all it took was one person to point it out: it’s really not that hard to find delicious plant-based dishes and it tends to work so much better).
At some point in our friendship, I started saying, “I’ll just make some beans” and Torre would bring something to add to it. It has now evolved into a tradition for our shared dinners. My recipe for Alubia Blanca beans varies slightly from Torre’s, our two recipes truly were developed in tandem. We get on the phone at about 2pm on a Saturday to discuss what each of us has to contribute: these greens, that bread, this wine. Torre wants to know the specifics of the batch of beans, if I am using a fat cap and when I salt the beans. Frankly, to me, it doesn’t matter, and I often forget. It never goes wrong. Rinsing the beans, browning garlic, onions and lemon in the pot, and then boiling the water all takes about 15 minutes. I might wash the escarole or make the green sauce ahead of time or just wait until guests arrive so we can all assemble this meal together. The pot simmers for the rest of the afternoon while I play outside with my daughter or clean the house or search for candles and the nice napkins—I check on the beans every thirty minutes or so to see how it’s going but also to admire how it changes color and texture over time. This rhythm, more than anything else, is what made me want to make beans on a regular basis. It’s a very specific kind of satisfaction to know that the beans really don’t need me at all. I can set the pot quickly, walk away and it transforms magically into something worth talking about later.
“I’ll Just Make Some Beans” Beans
Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca* beans
2 lemons, washed and quartered
1 onion, peeled and quartered
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Optional: Dried Chiles, 1 chipotle, 2-3 chile de arbol
Oil (olive? Avocado? Use something that can be heated, that you like and isn’t too old)
Loaf of great bread
1 cup of herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil)
1 ounce of lemon juice
Optional: Escarole
*yes this is another Alubia Blanca recipe and no this is not just an Alubia Blanca stan account
Rinse your dry beans and set them aside. Don’t worry about soaking.
Heat up a large pot to medium high (I use an enameled cast-iron dutch oven)
Add a few tablespoons of oil to the pot to heat first. Then add lemons, onions, garlic and brown all the pieces on each side.
Once everything in the pot is browned and fragrant, dump in the rinsed beans, and add water to cover the beans by two inches.
Optional: Throw in one large dried chipotle pepper and a few chile de arbol peppers.
Bring to a boil, and let it boil at high heat for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, partially cover and turn down the heat until the liquid is just simmering and cook until the beans are soft with a little bite (al dente?). Check after an hour or so, and then check every 15-20 minutes. Add more water if the beans aren’t covered anymore.
Turn off the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, stir it in, and cover for 30 minutes while you toast and prepare some favorite bread.
Make a green sauce: to make an actual chimichurri, I recommend this recipe. Or, blend up 1 cup of whatever herbs you have (basil, parsley, cilantro) with a teaspoon of salt, an ounce of either vinegar or lemon juice, and enough oil so that your blender will make a spoonable sauce. Taste as you go and add more salt or oil until it tastes good.
Serve in a wide bowl: beans with a little broth, washed escarole, toast (or rice, polenta), and optional green sauce. If you like, you can shave parmesan on top of it all.
Leftovers? Make some Good Beans (On Toast).