Bacon Black Beans Recipes

Steps:

• Saute bacon until crisp, then set aside.
• Drain all except 1 T bacon grease.
• Saute onion and jalapeno in remaining bacon grease.
• Add all remaining ingredients except bacon and simmer until beans are hot and tomatoes have reduced a bit.
• Top with bacon pieces.
• If you like more spice you can either leave some seeds in the jalapenos or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Steps:

• Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and bacon. Render fat 2 minutes then add onion and garlic, cook 5 minutes. Add 1 can of beans to the pan and season them with salt, pepper and cumin then smash them with a potato masher, combining them with bacon and onions. When they are combined, add remaining can of beans and combine with smashed beans. Add hot sauce to your taste and serve. Chopped cilantro or scallions and sour cream are optional garnishes to this smash.

Steps:

• Cut 1 green pepper into 1-inch squares. Smash and peel 4 of the garlic cloves. Put the green pepper and garlic into a large pot with the beans, ham hock, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon salt. Add 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender, an hour or more.
• Meanwhile, make a sofrito. Cut the remaining ½ green pepper into ¼-inch dice. Peel and finely chop the remaining garlic. Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and onion and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño (leave out the seeds if you don't want it too spicy), oregano, cumin, black pepper and 2 teaspoons salt and stir for another minute. Pour in the vinegar and scrape any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. This is your sofrito.
• When the beans are cooked, discard the bay leaf. Remove and set aside the ham hock and let it cool. Transfer 1 cup of beans to small bowl, mash them into a paste with the back of a fork and return to the pot. Add the sofrito, then the sugar. Pull the meat from the ham hock, leaving behind any white sinew or gristle. Chop the ham into ½-inch pieces and return it to the bean pot.
• Stir the beans well and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so, skimming any foam from the top. Taste for salt and serve with white rice.

Steps:

• Fry bacon in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat, leaving bacon in pot.
• Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
• Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened.
• Adjust seasoning with additional salt.
• Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large saucepan on medium heat 12 min. or until crisp, stirring frequently. Drain bacon, reserving 3 Tbsp. of the drippings in pan. Drain bacon.
• Meanwhile, add onions, celery, carrots and garlic to bacon drippings in saucepan; cook and stir until crisp-tender. Stir in beans, broth and pepper. Simmer 15 min., stirring occasionally.
• Pour soup into food processor or blender container; cover. Process until pureed. Return to saucepan. Stir in bacon; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.