Black Beans

Black Beans, J. Kenji López-Alt

Description

Based on the recipe by J. Kenji López-Alt. The “lazy” method: no soaking, no sautéing, no chopping. Whole aromatics go in with the dry beans and come out at the end, leaving a thick, creamy, deeply flavored pot of beans.

Yield: About 6 cups cooked beans

Ingredients

Item	Amount
dried black beans	450g (1 lb), rinsed and picked over
garlic cloves, smashed	x8
yellow onion, halved	x1
orange, halved	x1
kosher salt	to taste

Tools

Items
large pot with lid (stovetop) or Instant Pot Pro (pressure cooker)
digital kitchen scale

Recipe

Stovetop

1. Combine: Add the rinsed beans to a large pot. Cover with cold water by 3–4 inches. Add the smashed garlic, onion halves (root end intact), squeeze in the orange juice, then drop the squeezed orange halves in too.

2. Bring to boil: Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

3. Simmer: Uncover, reduce to a bare simmer. Cook for 1–2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed to keep the beans submerged, until completely tender and creamy throughout.

4. Reduce: Remove and discard the orange and onion halves. Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduces to a thick, creamy sauce that clings to the beans — about 10 minutes.

5. Season: Salt generously to taste. Serve over rice with cilantro and hot sauce.

Instant Pot

1. Combine: Add the rinsed beans, smashed garlic, onion halves, squeezed orange juice, and squeezed orange halves to the Instant Pot. Add 1.4kg (6 cups) of water — this keeps the ratio at 3 cups water per 1 cup dried beans, which is the reliable floor for even cooking under pressure.

2. Pressure cook: Seal the lid and set the vent to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.

3. Remove aromatics: Open the lid, remove and discard the orange and onion halves.

4. Reduce: Switch to Sauté mode and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduces to a thick sauce that clings to the beans — about 8–10 minutes.

5. Season: Salt generously to taste. Serve over rice with cilantro and hot sauce.

Tip

Salt late: The beans need to be fully tender before salting aggressively — salt added too early to under-cooked beans can tighten the skins. Taste and season after the reduction step.

Note

Orange is optional: The citrus brightens the pot liquid without making the beans taste like orange. Omit it if you don’t have one — the garlic and onion carry the flavor on their own.

Note

Instant Pot timing: Bean age affects cook time. Older dried beans (anything that’s been in the pantry a year or more) may need an extra 5 minutes on High Pressure. If the beans aren’t fully tender after the natural release, reseal and cook for an additional 5 minutes.