Improvised Pot Beans -- Frijoles de Olla

Name: Improvised Pot Beans -- Frijoles de Olla
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 2 h
Yield: 14 (7 cups)
Ingredients: 1 lb. dried beans (approx 2.5 cups worth); 2-3 tablespoons lard, or bacon drippings; 1/2 onion; 1 Jalapeño; 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano; 2 quarts water (plus more if necessary); 2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)

User Reviews

5.0

21 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Servings
14 (7 cups)
Cuisine
Vegetarian

Improvised Pot Beans -- Frijoles de Olla

Ximena Brandt

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I hope this post inspires you to improvise some pot beans at home! You'll get a big upgrade in flavor compared to store-bought versions, and it will lead to all sorts of quick, satisfying meals.

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Ingredients

Servings

1 lb. dried beans (approx 2.5 cups worth)
2-3 tablespoons lard, or bacon drippings
1/2 onion
1 Jalapeño
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
2 quarts water (plus more if necessary)
2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)

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Instructions

Give the beans a once-over and discard any stones or strugglers. Rinse the beans.
Add the beans to a pot and cover with 2 quarts of water, or so the water level is about 2" above the beans.
Add the roughly chopped 1/2 onion and jalapeno to the pot, along with 2-3 tablespoons bacon drippings or lard, and 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano.
Bring them to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover, and let them simmer away for a couple hours. Note: when partially covered I use low heat on my stove for a simmer.
Ensure that the beans are always submerged in liquid. If the water level ever seems too low you can just add a few more cups.
I usually start taking bites after 90 minutes or so. If they are still firm or grainy then they need more time. Once they are close you can add two teaspoons of salt, that was around the 2 hour mark for this batch.
Once salted, let them simmer for another 10-15 minutes and then take a final taste for seasoning. I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch, so that is approx. 3 teaspoons total for this batch.
Once cooked you can optionally split them into 1-cup sized portions. Be sure to include some of the broth in each of the portions. I usually store some of the portions in the freezer where they will keep for months, and keep a couple portions in the fridge to be used over the next few days.

Notes

Be sure to do a final taste for salt level! Each bean variety has their own sweet spot so feel free to keep adding pinches until it tastes right to you. For this single pound of black beans I used just under 3 teaspoons worth, or just under a single tablespoon.