How to Make a Perfect Pot of Beans
Nowadays, there’s rarely a need to make food from scratch. Kitchen staples such as marinara sauce, salad dressing and bone broth are easy to find at the supermarket.
And then there are beans, which are cheap to buy in cans and last for a long time on shelves. "Why," you might be wondering, "would I take time to make beans myself?"
Good question. Simply put: Where canned beans might be fine or good enough, simmering a pot of homemade beans elevates the pantry staple to revelatory status. They're plush and creamy, tender and satisfying. (Plus, homemade beans come with a bonus: deeply flavorful broth with a high starch content that adds silky body to saucy dishes. Store beans in the liquid or separate it out when storing.)
Add a pot of beans to your regular batch cooking routine to have on hand in the fridge or freezer for easy, off-the-cuff dinners or to add into recipes that call for canned beans. Here are answers to a few legume FAQs:
WHAT KIND OF BEANS ARE GOOD TO COOK AT HOME?
Any kind of bean is worth cooking at home, whether you want to make cannellini beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, chickpeas or a dappled heirloom variety you sourced at your local farmers’ market. The method is the same for all beans; it’s just the timing that will vary.
SHOULD YOU SOAK YOUR BEANS?
Though you absolutely can make homemade beans without soaking them in advance, a lot of cooks–Ruth Reichl among them–swear by an overnight soak. (HexClad Food Director Laura Rege says the difference is marginal when it comes to speed or evenness of cooking.)
TO SOAK BEANS: Place dried beans in a large bowl. Fill with filtered tap water and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly before cooking in fresh water or broth.
HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT POT OF BEANS
If you want to begin with some aromatics, start by sautéing them in a large pot. (Your 8-QT Hybrid Stock Pot works well for a big batch, but our new 12-QT Stock Pot is arguably even better!) Rege recommends starting with a mirepoix (diced onions, carrots and celery) to build flavor before adding the soaked or dried beans. Then, fill the pot with filtered water, leaving about 2 inches from the top. Add 1 (6-inch) piece of kombu and/or a bay leaf (optional), cover, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 1½ hours, or until the beans are tender. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let cool completely, then transfer to storage containers. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
HOW SHOULD I USE UP COOKED BEANS?
There’s not much a great pot of beans can’t solve, whether it’s rescuing a weekend from the Sunday scaries or producing a great, delicious dinner on the cheap.
- Heat cooked beans and liquid in your HexClad 10" Hybrid Fry Pan. Make four divots in the mixture and slide an egg into each. Cover and cook until the eggs are cooked through. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and serve with crusty sourdough toast.
- Toss homemade beans with slivered celery, cubed salami, chopped black olives and vinaigrette for an easy bean salad.
- Blitz cooked chickpeas (with a bit of the bean cooking liquid) in a food processor with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper for a quick and cheap hummus.
- Smash pinto beans onto a toasted corn tortilla and top with avocado, fried eggs and hot sauce.
- Mash cannellini beans with olive oil, red pepper flakes and salt and serve with seared steak and sautéed kale.
- Sauté ground beef with spices; stir in diced canned tomatoes and black beans. Serve over warm brown rice, topped with pico de gallo, crumbled cotija and fresh cilantro leaves.
HERE ARE SOME MORE IDEAS FOR PUTTING HOMEMADE BEANS TO USE IN OUR TASTY, TEST KITCHEN–DEVELOPED RECIPES:
