Enfrijoladas 2

🥘 Ingredients

• dried black beans 1 pound
• white or red onion ½
• garlic clove 1
• dried bay leaves 2
• dried pasilla chile 3
• canola, grapeseed, or coconut oil ¼ cup
• white or red onion ½
• garlic cloves 3
• salt pinch
• ?avocado leaf 1 dried
• ?epazote 1 sprig fresh
• dried Mexican oregano 1 tablespoon
• ?dried oregano 1 tablespoon
• fennel seeds 1 pinch
• corn tortillas 16 6-inch
• white or red onion few slices
• queso fresco to taste
• crema or sour cream drizzle
• Italian parsley or cilantro leaves 1 handful
• firm-ripe avocado 1 medium

1. 1

   == Cook The Dried Black Beans ==
2. 2

   Place the dried black beans in a fine mesh strainer then sort and rinse and remove any debris or broken bits.
3. 3

   Place the beans in a bowl and cover by 2 inches of water then set aside in a cool, dry location to soak at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours .
4. 4

   Once the beans have soaked, discard the water and rinse them off then transfer to a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot and cover with 2 inches of water.
5. 5

   Bring the beans to a boil over high heat then skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
6. 6

   Reduce the heat to low, add white or red onion , garlic clove , and dried bay leaves then and simmer.
7. 7

   Periodically skim off any additional foam that rises to the surface.
8. 8

   Simmer the beans, partially covered, until they're tender (adding more water as needed to just keep the beans covered), about 1 1/2 - 2 hours .
9. 9

   The beans are just tender when you blow on the surface of a bean and the skin peels back easily. Also, they should be easy to bite into but not so soft they're mushy.
10. 10

    If you're going to use the beans to make the bean sauce (below), discard the onion, garlic clove, bay leaves before proceeding.

Make The Bean Sauce

1. 1

   When the beans are just tender, prepare the bean sauce. If using the dried pasilla chile , place them in a dry cast iron pan or comal over medium heat and toast until they're fragrant.
2. 2

   Place the chiles in hot water and soak for 10 minutes , or until soft.
3. 3

   Drain and discard the soaking liquid then use kitchen shears to cut the soaked chile into strips (discard the stem).
4. 4

   Place a small frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the canola, grapeseed, or coconut oil .
5. 5

   Dice the remaining white or red onion and slice the remaining garlic cloves then add both to the pan with a big pinch of salt .
6. 6

   Stir to combine then cook until the onions are soft, at least 5 minutes .
7. 7

   If using the ?avocado leaf , ?epazote , dried Mexican oregano , add them now. Otherwise, add in the (non-Mexican) ?dried oregano and the fennel seeds .
8. 8

   Add the onion mixture to the beans and continue cooking until the beans are very tender and the broth has slightly thickened, about another 10 minutes .
9. 9

   Remove the beans from the heat then strain the beans from the cooking liquid and reserve both.
10. 10

    Transfer 2 cups of the beans and 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid (reserve the remaining beans and liquid for another use - you can freeze them!) along with the soaked and sliced pasilla chiles or the chipotle peppers, if using, to a food processor or blender .
11. 11

    Blend for a long time ( 1-3 minutes ) until you have a smooth sauce that resembles hot caramel.

Make The Enfrijoladas

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. 2

   Meanwhile, transfer the bean salsa to a medium frying pan, stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil, and just bring to a simmer over low heat.
3. 3

   Stir and let cook until the salsa is warmed through and just thickens so slightly that it coats the edges of the pan. Taste and add more salt, as desired then turn off the heat.
4. 4

   Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on one side of each corn tortillas and arrange the tortillas in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (it's okay if they overlap slightly).
5. 5

   Transfer the tortillas to the oven and bake just until the oil is heated, the tortillas puff slightly, they're warmed through, and they're still pliable
6. 6

   Before you begin to coat the tortillas, gather a serving platter , a set of tongs , and make sure all your garnishes are ready to go because you'll want to serve and eat these immediately!
7. 7

   To assemble the Enfrijoladas, use tongs to dip one of the warmed tortilla into the bean mixture and coat it on all sides. Allow any extra bean salsa to drip back into the saucepan , then with the help of a fork or using clean hands, fold the tortilla into quarters and place on a plate. Repeat with all the remaining tortillas.

Serve The Enfrijoladas

1. 1

   Serve them topped as they would in Mexico with white or red onion and queso fresco and a drizzle of crema or sour cream .
2. 2

   Or, if you want to up the ante (like we like to do!), add some fresh Italian parsley or cilantro leaves and some firm-ripe avocado .