Peruano beans are the quiet sibling when sitting next to Black and Pinto at the dinner table.
Black and Pinto do all the talking, constantly arguing their case for a coveted spot on your Mexican dinner plate. Peruano is happy to sit smugly next to them, confident in its case to overtake both of them in the near future.
Most likely it's their plain, unassuming appearance that has kept Peruano beans from becoming more popular outside of central and southern Mexico. It's certainly not for lack of flavor as they have a mild, buttery consistency that makes them delicioso, and at the very least puts them on equal footing with Black and Pinto.
So what's the deal with these beans?
It's true, they can be harder to find than Black or Pinto beans. If you have a market near you that stocks Goya products you might see them there in 4 lb. bags. I get them from a Latin market that stocks products from a local Mexican goods company.
I also keep seeing people mention the Rancho Gordo Mayocobas. I don't have any experience or affiliation with Rancho Gordo, but if you need to buy them online they seem like a good place to start.
(Update: I recently made a batch of the Mayocobas here.)
Canary beans are mild, thin skinned beans that have a creamier consistency then their brethren, and they can be cooked up in classic Frijoles de Olla style -- a big pot of beans taking their time on the stove.
Take a look for any rocks or shriveled beans, and then give them a good rinse. Cover 2 cups of beans with 12 cups of water (approximately), 1 small onion, and 2-3 tablespoons of lard (optional).
Bring to a boil and then let simmer for the next couple hours. Note that it's less common to soak beans in Mexico. Of course, that comes with a slightly increased cooking time, but not as much as you would think.
This batch took about 3 hours. I added a few cups of water twice to keep the water level above the beans (I also added one teaspoon of salt about 15 minutes before they were done cooking plus a little more at the end).
Ideally when they finish cooking they are resting in some liquid. This makes storage easy and leaves you some broth to make epic refried beans.
Which is probably what these beans are known for most: creamy, smooth, buttery Refried Beans. Here's 1 cup of cooked beans that were crushed with a potato masher and cooked on medium heat in a dollop of lard for about 7-8 minutes.
So good!
But the real advantage of a homemade pot of Canary Beans is the flexibility it gives your kitchen. Two cups of dried beans will make six 1-cup bags of cooked beans that will store in the freezer for months.
So when you're in a pinch, you've got the option of refrying that 1 cup of cooked beans and making an on-the-fly Huevos Rancheros.
Coat a tortilla with the refried Canary beans and top with egg, salsa, Cotija, and cilantro.
The return on investment here is through the roof: it takes just a few minutes to make a meal like this and the result is otherworldly; beyond delicioso if that's possible.
These will also work great in tacos, bean-and-cheese quesadillas, tostadas, burrito bowls....
And also a spoonful at a time on their own.
So yes, that might be the sound of Peruano beans speaking up at the dinner table, asking for just a bit more attention.
Keep an eye out for them and give 'em a try, it's worth your time.
(Here's some more info on cooking Frijoles de Olla and Refried Beans. Also, the salsa used here is a homemade Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa. I also recently made a batch of Enfrijoladas using Peruano beans.)
Creamy Refried Peruano Beans
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Peruano beans
- 1 Tablespoon lard (or oil)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 Tablespoon lard to a skillet on medium heat
- Add the cooked Peruano beans and smoosh with a potato masher (or the back of a spatula)
- Cook for 4-8 minutes or until you have the desired consistency
- Salt to taste
Notes
These Peruano beans are quite similar to this batch of Yellow Indian Woman Beans.
We also recently experimented with Cranberry Beans. Check out the post here.
And our latest post is a batch of these unreal Charro Beans.
Still hungry?!
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Saul Spatz
Thanks for the recipe. I want to try it, but I don't quite understand the part about freezing. Do you freeze the pot-cooked beans, and the fry them? If so, how do you go about frying the frozen beans? D
Patrick
Hey Saul! You don't have to freeze them, I just mention it because beans won't last long in the fridge so I typically freeze about half of them when I make a big batch. I just put a single cup of beans along with some broth in small baggies and freeze a few of them like that. Then when I need them I'll pull a bag from the freezer and give it a quick thaw in a small bowl of water -- a few minutes later you'll be able to dump the beans in a skillet and mash 'em up! Cheers.
Tom
I have seen conflicting nutritional information on the Mayocoba's. From 6 grams of protein in a 1/2 cup serving up to 11 grams of protein in a 1/4 cup serving. That is a huge difference in protein and serving size. if the 11 grams of protein in 1/4 cup is correct that is a lot of inexpensive protein.
Randie
Should I simmer them covered or uncovered. I’ve made before but it was a long time ago. Delicious
Patrick
Hey Randie! Covered or partially covered seems to work best. Cheers.
karen marie
I was delighted to find your post about the Peruano beans because I bought some in El Super Mercado in Mesa, AZ yesterday on the recommendation of a fellow customer who told me that while pricier than the dried pinto beans, they are much tastier and - she said - bigger when cooked.
Unfortunately, I was so overwhelmed by the whole experience (I don't speak Spanish), it never occurred to me to find the lard and buy some. I'll rectify that and cook me a big batch to freeze and make lots of lovely bean things.
Patrick
Yeah go for it Karen, those Peruanos were a revelation for me the first time I made a batch at home. I hope they treat you well! Cheers.
Cassy
So happy to learn of these beans! My husband brought them home thinking they were pintos and not reading the label. Honestly, I don’t know of a bean I don’t like! Definitely feel confident about making these now! Thank you!
Patrick
Thanks Cassy, I hope they treat you well! Cheers.
Mary-Anne D Patterson
Rancho Gordo is my favourite bean source! Many chefs from the French Laundry to mom and pop spots love Steve Sando’s Beans. I have known Steve like 25 years when he joined my Heirloom Tomato List, TomatoMania, a list to help home gardeners grow their own usually organically. Members trade seeds! We use to have a free Seedbank, but our Seed Godess lost her son, and well it was a lot of work. Anyway, Steve needed another thing to grow and beans became his forte! I love his beans! He now is growing Carona-huge white beans like the Greek Gigantes that I adore, and Cassoulet beans, etc. I just order online. He does sell at the Ferry Building Market Place. I’ll post my Serbian Bean recipe using Peruanos if anyone would like. I learned to make them from my son-in-law’s mom who was a chef at a big hotel in former Yugoslavia. They are awesome with Double Smoked bacon and Smoked Spanish Paprika etc. no not Mexican, but yummy! I have traveled w/my job for over 50 years, so I cook many flavourful cuisines. I do make some traditional Mexican like Tamales with my Caranitas cooked in copper pot for crust. I use Manteca for tamales, but sometimes sweet butter-oh yum.
Patrick
Hey thanks much for your note Mary Anne! I have some of those huge white beans in the pantry but haven't gotten around to making them yet, looking forward to it though 🙂 Cheers.
Mary DeFir
Patrick - I am weirded out. The person commenting about Rancho Gordo beans is using my name, Mary Anne D Patterson. Is it an spambot or an info-morph, or identity theft? I can't say that I disagree with them about the beans, yummy!
Patrick
Hmmm I'm not sure Mary, it might just be a coincidence.
Barbara Youders
I have been following your recipes for several months. Puruanas are me new favorite bean. I was surprised to find they have them at Walmart selling as Mayocoba!! I cook them like your recipe except add about 1/4 chunk of white onion.
Patrick
Hey thanks much for mentioning this Barbara as I never even considered looking for them at Walmart 🙂
Arik H-K
Super tasty. Thank you for posting recipe. So easy.
Patrick
Cheers Arik 🙂
Dave Christy
Hi Pat. I finally got around to trying these beans. Wow, so amazingly good. I bought them in bulk at my local mercado yesterday and cooked a batch today. ...made a bean and leftover steak tostada and the best part was the beans. I was going to refry them with a slice of bacon but they tasted so good in the pot I went commando used them as is. When I was putting the leftover beans away I tasted them again noticed a sweetness and mellow earthiness. I am so glad to be freed from using canned refries. Thanks for the recipe!
Patrick
Ahh good to hear this Dave! Such a great option to have in the kitchen...
Hugh Bavaro
My family and now Italian neighbors cook these whole, add a little onion while cooking and when tender to eat, place in a bowl and pour olive oil over them with a little salt. Maravilloso! Abondansa! The silky smooth taste combined with the olive oil is a meal unto itself. I tried adding some cooked sliced portugese sausage and some pepers. OMG ! is there anything better?
Patrick
Oh nice Hugh, sounds delish 🙂