recipe: black beans

if i had to pick a recipe for a foodstamp challenge, this'd be it. the cheapest, tastiest calories money can buy. they also turn into refried beans beautifully, if you're into that kind of thing. even better, they provide a good rationale for buying and eating most of a bag of tortilla chips. most recipes call for soaking your beans overnight, but i don't plan menus that far ahead. and anyway, diana kennedy says that mexicans cook them as is. so there you have it.

assembly:
2C dried black beans
8C water
1/4C oil (i like lard for this, or any rendered hog fat, but feel free to use whatever you want)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
a few larger mildly hot peppers, chopped fine
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1T coriander seed
1T cumin
1T oregano

heat the oil or rendered fat over medium-high heat in a dutch oven. add the onion and pepper and brown for a few minutes. add your garlic and spices (either whole or ground; as you prefer) and cook for another minute. dump in your beans, add the water, turn the heat to medium low, cover, and walk away. the longer you give these the better. at least three hours. you may have to add more water if they begin to stick - it's not a big deal. some beans soften way faster than others. so your mileage may vary.

finish:
salt
pepper
sriracha
tortillas, wheat or corn, heated and browned on a comal

season a little with pepper and pretty liberally with salt. nobody likes undersalted beans. provide a bottle of sriracha for communal use, and warm up more tortillas than you think you need.

serves (heartily) two with leftovers or four as part of a full meal.