What a treat to have some Peruano Beans back in the house!
Somehow it's been close to a year since I've made these, but if you're new to them please don't wait that long!
Peruano beans have been one of my favorite kitchen discoveries -- you can use them anytime Black or Pinto are called for, and you might even get to a point where you prefer them over other varieties 🙂
How To Make A Quick Batch Of Peruano Beans
You'll also see these referred to as Canary or Mayocoba beans. Their distinct yellowish color is the quickest way to identify them.
Here's how they look next to Black and Pinto in dried form:
So why bother at all with these harder-to-find beans?
Their flavor!
They have a creamy, buttery flavor, and I am more likely to eat them "plain" compared to other beans, i.e. with minimal additional flavoring.
They also make incredible refried beans and that is all the reason I need to make a batch 🙂
Start by rifling through 2 cups of the Peruano beans, removing any stones or stragglers. Then give 'em a good rinse.
Add them to a pot along with a roughly chopped onion and 2-3 tablespoons of FAT.
Yes, fat! This will make your pot beans considerably more savory. Lard is traditionally used, but bacon drippings will work just as well so that's what I used for this batch. How to render your own lard.
Add 2-3 quarts of cold water, or enough to cover the beans by a couple inches.
Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let 'em cook!
I usually check on them at the 90 minute mark. If they're still hard or grainy they need to cook a bit longer.
Once they're soft and mushy you can add the salt. Add a heaping teaspoon of salt and let the beans cook for another 10-15 minutes.
And then take a final taste for seasoning.
If you want them to be savory out of the pot you'll need somewhere between 2-3 teaspoons salt for 2 cups of dried beans.
I usually add the last bit incrementally, doing plenty of taste testing along the way. For this batch I probably used 2.5 teaspoons total. But note that you are welcome to use less salt if you have other plans for the beans.
You'll typically get 3 cups of cooked beans from a single cup of dried beans.
So this batch made 6 cups of cooked beans and had plenty of broth leftover. I stored them in quart-sized jars -- so that's 3 cups of beans and 1 cup broth in each of these jars.
They freeze well, so I put one of those jars in the freezer and the other in the fridge.
I will sometimes portion them out into individual baggies with 1 cup of beans inside -- this can make it easier to pull a smaller portion from the freezer.
So now what?!
Make some refried beans! Cook off some finely chopped onion in some lard or butter, then add a single cup of cooked Peruano beans and a bit of broth. Simmer over medium heat and then give 'em a smoosh with a spatula.
These simple refried beans will give you the full Peruano experience 🙂
But first things first, you'll need to make a Quick Batch of Peruano Beans! Keep an eye out for these beauties in your local markets, with Amazon being a good backup.
Enjoy!
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Quick Batch of Peruano Pot Beans
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried Peruano beans (Canary, Mayocoba)
- 1 onion
- 2-3 tablespoons lard (or bacon drippings)
- 2-3 quarts cold water
- 1-2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)
- pinch of Mexican oregano (optional)
Instructions
- I usually start by rifling through the dried beans, keeping an eye out for any stones or strugglers and discarding them. Rinse the beans and drain.
- Add the rinsed beans to a pot along with 2-3 quarts of cold water. You'll typically want the water level to be 2" above the dried beans, so feel free to eyeball it. Add the roughly chopped onion and 2-3 tablespoons of lard (or bacon drippings).
- Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let 'em cook! I usually start taking bites around the 90 minute mark. If they are hard and grainy then give them a bit longer. Note: starting with the water level 2" above the dried beans will usually ensure the beans stay submerged throughout the cook, but if the water level gets low and the beans are exposed feel free to add a bit more.
- Once the beans are soft and mushy you can add the salt. I usually add a heaping teaspoon at this point along with a generous pinch of Mexican oregano (optional). Let them cook for another 15 minutes and then take a final taste for seasoning. I added more salt at this point, so that is about 2.5 teaspoons total.
- Note: the salt level is negotiable! If you want them to be edible out of the pot you'll probably need somewhere between 2-3 teaspoons total. But it also depends on how you'll be using them -- for example when I use the beans for soup I don't salt them as much during the cook as this will leave some leeway down the road.
- You'll end up with 6 cups of cooked beans and some leftover broth. Sometimes I will portion them into individual baggies containing a single cups of beans and broth, but for this batch I used two quart-sized jars. Each jar got 3 cups of cooked beans and a single cup of broth.
- You can store the cooked beans in the fridge where they will keep for a few days, or you can store them in the freezer where they will keep for significantly longer.
Here's the latest post: 12 Mexican Soup Recipes -- Yum!
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Janelle
This recipe is a great jumping off place for making all kinds of recipes. I use them to make homemade pork and beans. For your readers, the Mayocopa beans can be purchased online at Rancho Gordo in California.
Patrick
Ooh homemade pork and beans, thanks for the inspiration Janelle 🙂
Tom
I’ve been making these for years, though I usually add a chopped poblano. When all the dried beans disappeared at the start of Covid they left the maya cobas and I just smiled.
Patrick
🙂
Rhonda
Bravo! Mayocoba beans are terrific. Their creamy texture is divinely rich and smooth. Your recipes, tips, serving suggestions, etc are always satisfying, easy to understand and practical. I've been successfully integrating my meals regularly since discovering your website. Thank you.
Patrick
Ahh good news Rhonda, so glad to hear you are finding some good stuff on my site! Cheers.