Smoked Porter Black Beans
When the settlers cooked over an open fire, the resulting food had a subtle smoky note to their dishes. This smoke is the byproduct of cooking over fire and would act as a seasoning to the final dish(es). To re-create this in a modern beer kitchen, the use of a Smoked Porter adds depth to this recipe with malt flavor, hints of roast, coffee, chocolate, and an underlined smoke character. These Smoked Porter Black Beans are a perfect BBQ Side Dish, served alongside BBQ, grilled meats, used to make a burrito, alongside a taco bar, used in a salad, puréed into a dip and the list goes on. I also love these Smoked Porter Black Beans poured over my Four Ale Nacho recipe.
Smoked Porter Black Beans Cooking Beer Suggestions:
There are many different types of Smoked Porter | Smoked Beers to choose from. I’ve used Alaskan Brewing Co. Smoked Porter several times and been very pleased with the flavor results. Stone Brewing Co. also makes a very nice Smoked Porter.
This recipe uses high-quality black beans from Rancho Gordo, a specialty purveyor of heirloom beans and other unique food products, including some really cool cooking equipment. Steve Sando runs this shop | online store and has some amazing and delicious bean varieties. Check them out, as they do sell out of some of their different bean varieties. I do love their Midnight Black Beans!
To round out the flavor of the black beans, along with the smoky undertones the cooking with beer element adds, more ingredients are needed to further increase the flavor umbrella. Onions, garlic, Pasilla or poblano peppers, chipotle peppers (or smoked red jalapeño chilies), oregano, and chicken or roasted vegetable stock all combine to add a delicious Hispanic twist to this bean recipe. Another ingredient that I don’t list in this recipe, which will add an extra bit of flavor, is Kombu
Makes: 1 1/2 quarts of beans
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 people | 20 minute |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 2 hour | 24 hour |
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Smoked Porter Black Beans: A wonderful black bean BBQ side dish with just the right amount of smoke, coming from a smoked porter beer.
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- 1 pound black beans, dried, Rancho Gordo Midnight Black Beans
- water
- 2 - 3 tablespoon oil, olive
- 2 each onions, yellow, large, peeled and chopped
- 1 each pepper, pasilla other green chili seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup garlic, peeled if raw, chopped, if roasted whole
- 1 - 5 each chipolte chilies, in adobo sauce depending on heat level desired in finished beans
- 1 tablespoon oregano, dried, preferably Mexican variety
- 22 ounce smoked porter, see Cooking Beer Suggestions below
- 3 cup stock, chicken or roasted vegetable,
- 1 tablespoon salt, kosher
- The day before you make this recipe, take a large container, add the washed black beans (dried), and add enough cold water to cover the beans by 3-4 inches. Let them soak overnight, up to 24 hours to re-hydrate them and reduce their cooking time.
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, then the sliced onions. Using a spoon, stir the onions, coating in the oil and sauté for 10 - 12 minutes. Add the pasilla peppers. Once the onions start to turn a golden brown color, drop the heat to medium-low and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes. The onions are ready when they have turned a dark brown, not black color and are very sweet.
- Add in the chopped garlic and chipotle peppers (more or less depending on heat/spicy tolerance and taste), sautéing for 2 - 3 minutes. Next, add in the oregano.
- Do not add any salt at this point. The salt molecules will block the tiny holes in the membrane of the dried beans, preventing them from cooking properly. Add in the drained soaked beans to the pot and toss to coat.
- Deglaze the pan with the Smoked Porter and then add enough stock to cover the beans by a few inches and raise the heat to medium-high.
- Once the beans are boiling, reduce the heat back to medium and let simmer until tender, stirring once in a while to prevent any scorching on the bottom of the pot. Depending on the age of the beans and the soaking time, the beans will be tender anywhere from an hour to 2 hours of cooking time. If more liquid is needed while the beans are cooking add either more beer or stock. Once the beans are tender, soft, but still hold their shape, they are done.
- Season the beans with enough salt to taste. Turn off the heat and keep warm until ready to serve. They can be made up to 3 days in advanced
More Bean Recipes:
More BBQ Side Dishes Made with Beer:
