Feijão Preto (Brazilian Black Beans)

🛒 Ingredients

• Dry Black Beans 150 g · 212 kcal
• Onion 28 g · 14 kcal
• Garlic 4 g · 8 kcal
• Smoked Bacon 10 g · 60 kcal
• Olive Oil 7 g · 66 kcal
• Bay Leaves 0 g · 0 kcal

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Rinse the dry black beans thoroughly and soak them in water overnight, or for at least 8 hours; drain and rinse again.
2. Place the soaked beans in a large pot or pressure cooker with enough fresh water to cover them by several inches; add the bay leaves.
3. Cook the beans until tender: about 1.5-2 hours on the stovetop or 30-40 minutes in a pressure cooker after coming to pressure; reserve some cooking liquid.
4. Meanwhile, dice the bacon and render it in a large pan over medium heat until crispy; remove bacon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
5. Add olive oil to the pan if needed, then sauté the chopped onion until translucent; add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
6. Add the cooked beans (without the bay leaves) and a cup or two of their reserved cooking liquid to the pan with the sautéed aromatics.
7. Mash some of the beans against the side of the pan with a spoon to thicken the stew; simmer for 10-15 minutes, adding more cooking liquid if needed, until desired consistency is reached.
8. Season with salt to taste and stir in the reserved crispy bacon; serve hot, typically with rice.