Ingredients
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 brown onions, roughly chopped
- 5 pounds dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
- water to cover
- 1 (24 ounce) jar tomato paste (such as Tukas®)
- 1 head garlic, peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup dried onion
- 4 tablespoons mustard seeds
- 5 dried pasilla chile pods
- 5 sticks cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
- 5 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried epazote, or to taste
- salt to taste
Why This Dish Is Worth Trying
Cooking Pointers
- Simmer the beans slowly to allow the spices to fully infuse their flavor.
- Taste and adjust seasoning toward the end, adding salt or spice as needed.
Step 1
Heat some oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and cook them until they’re soft and translucent, which usually takes about 5 minutes. Next, add the beans along with enough water to cover them by a few inches. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, dried onion, mustard seeds, chile pods, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cumin seeds, oregano, brown sugar, and epazote. Bring everything up to a boil.
Step 2
Once boiling, lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently. Give it a stir now and then, and cook until the beans are tender—this should take around 3 ½ to 4 hours. When the beans are soft, uncover the pot and turn the heat up to high. Let it boil, stirring frequently and mashing some of the beans against the bottom of the pot to help thicken the sauce. This part takes about 30 minutes. Finally, season with salt to taste, and you’re all set!
