Pinto Beans

2 cups dried beans (bayo beans, pinto beans, mayocoba beans or black beans)
½ white onion
2 cloves of garlic, smashed with the back of a spoon
2-3 leaves of fresh epazote (if you can’t find epazote, substitute dried bay leaf)
salt
water
1 whole Serrano or Jalapeño pepper (optional) – cut the top off to prevent the pepper from bursting
flour tortillas
Toppings (optional)
cheese (we prefer a mexican cheese like Cotija)
crema
salsa
serrano pepper
chopped onion
fresh cilantro
olive oil
dried oregano

INSTRUCTIONS
Sort your beans to make sure there are no rocks or beans that have gone bad.
Soak the beans in water overnight (in the fridge).
Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly.
Put the beans, onion and garlic into a large, lidded ceramic pot.
Add enough water to cover the beans by 3 inches, bring to a strong boil.
Remove any beans that float to the top of the water or any foam that forms at the surface.
Once the water is boiling, reduce it to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.
The water level should remain at least an inch above the beans throughout the whole cooking process. If the water level falls lower, add boiled water as necessary.
When the beans begin to get tender (after at least an hour of cooking), add the epazote and pepper (if using).
Continue to cook until the beans are soft, 1.5 – 3 hours.
Once the beans are soft, season with salt to taste and continue to cook for 10 minutes more.
At this point, if there are still pieces of onion and garlic, remove them from the pot.
Remove the epazote and pepper from the pot.
Mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with the back of the spoon and stir in to thicken the broth, the more you smash, the thicker the broth becomes.
Serve hot with your choice of toppings and warm tortillas.
partaste.com/worldrecipes/frijoles-de-la-olla-mexican-beans/

Molé Negro de Oaxaca

20 black chilcahuatles peppers
8 mulatto peppers
1 tortilla
2 tablespoons of sesame
1 dried avocado leaf (or bay leave with Star Anise seeds)
700 grams of ripe tomatoes
170 grams of lard (or vegetable oil)
50 grams of walnut
75 grams of almonds
30 grams of peanuts
1 cinnamon stick
30 grams of white bread
5 peppercorns
6 cloves
2 Cup seedless raisins
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 Oaxaca table chocolate bars
6 cups of chicken broth

PREPARATION
This is a slower process than other recipes that we have published here. But trust me it’s totally worth it. Heat a comal (or cast iron skillet) over medium heat and toast the chilcahuatles and mulatto peppers, taking care that they do not burn. Open, remove the stem and devein. Reserve the seeds of the chilcahuatles peppers and discard the rest.

Place the cleaned chiles in a bowl with water and salt. Let them soak for 30 minutes until they have softened. Meanwhile, place the chilcahuatle seeds and the tortilla on the hot comal and toast until only slightly burned. Remove from the comal and grind the seeds to a powder and reserve.

Place the sesame and the avocado leaf on the same comal. Toast well while continuing to stir the sesame seeds and turn the avocado leaf to avoid burning. Remove from the comal and reserve.

Now roast the tomatoes on the comal, turning several times, until the skin has burned and begins to peel off, between 10 and 15 minutes. Once ready, blend, strain and reserve the pulp.

While the tomatoes are roasting, heat 4 tablespoons of the lard in a large skillet. Add the walnut, almonds, peanuts, cinnamon, white bread, peppercorns, cloves and the burned tortilla. Fry until the ingredients turn a golden hue.

Remove these ingredients from the pan and grind together with the toasted raisins, sesame and avocado leaf. The best way to do this is with a metate, but you can also use a food processor. Drain the soaked chiles and fry them in a large saucepan with 2-3 tablespoons of hot butter. Once they release their oils, add the previous mixture and stir well so that all the ingredients are perfectly incorporated.

Meanwhile, grind the chocolate into powder. Heat the remaining shortening in a large clay pot. Pour the mixture of fried ingredients in step 8, add the ground tomato, powdered table chocolate, oregano and chicken broth. Let it boil over medium heat until it reaches a thick consistency. Serve with cooked chicken, turkey or pork backbone.

lossaboresdemexico.com/receta-mole-negro-de-oaxaca/