Frijoles de la Olla

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Para empezar con el pie derecho, I’m listening to “Me Gustas Mucho” by la bella Rocío Dúrcal. Los frijoles de la olla is one of those meals that are full of so much love and also one of the most frustrating meals growing up in a Mexican household. “Hay frijoles en la casa” is one of the most infamous lines that every child growing up with immigrant parents heard often. Those burgers and fries never stood a chance with the many ingenious ways our mothers would prepare this humble legume. For my siblings and I it was a waste of time and energy to even try to protest, because by the time we got home and ate se nos olvidó por completo.

Mis muchachos love it when I make frijoles de la olla for them. Sometimes los acompaño con arroz o una quesadilla and eso los tiene contentos. But to be honest, I didn’t make it as often as I do now. It took me a while to truly harness the power of my querido frijolito. It wasn’t until we moved to the middle of nowhere that it became my saving grace. From frijoles charros to refried beans, the sky is the limit to what you can make by always having frijoles at home. Como es costumbre, me despido con “Hasta la Miel Amarga” by Tiranos del Norte. Buen provecho!

How do you make frijoles de la olla?

The recipe that we will be making today will be with frijoles pintos. I’ve made this recipe with frijoles peruanos and have enjoyed the result as well. It takes only a few ingredients to make and a bit of time and you got yourself a winner. You’ll need frijoles pintos, onion, garlic, salt to taste, and plenty of water. I like to make a big olla because my little pollitos like to darle un buen bajón and I need it to last me for at least 2 meals.

Do you need to soak the frijoles the night before?

When you cook beans on low heat after it reaches boil, it can take between 3-4 hours to cook. So soaking it the night before does help with shortening the cooking time. Another great benefit is that it helps with reducing the after affects of eating beans, or to put it plainly los pedos. You don’t want to soak them longer than 12 hours because it can start to affect the flavor and texture of your final product.

Can’t I just use the Instant Pot?

Absolutely! You can totally skip the soaking and put all your ingredients in the Instant Pot and you will find that you get a consistent texture. Pero si hay una pequeña diferencia, and that’s in the flavor. Because the cooking process is shorter, the beans may not absorb all the flavors of the other ingredients we added. I use the Instant Pot when I’m using my beans in other meals. When I use the beans as a meal I use the stovetop method to harness all those flavors to my advantage.

How to make frijoles de la olla:

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pinto beans
• 1/4 white onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 12 cups of water
• salt to taste

Optional Ingredients:

• chile de arbol
• bay leaves

Instructions:

1. as you put beans in the pot to wash, pay close attention as you pour them in to take out any debris. Wash beans with cool water until the water drains clear.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a large pot.
3. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 2.5 hours or until the beans are tender and can be easily smashed.

Good to know tips

• You can add 2-4 more cups of water if you prefer that your beans have more bean broth.
• Check back every 30 minutes or so to make sure that the beans have plenty of water to continue the cooking process. If it does not have enough water the beans can burn and stick to the bottom of the pot. Making it difficult to clean later and also giving your beans a burnt taste.
• If adding, add the optional ingredients in step 2.

With these frijoles de la olla you’ll have the perfect nourishing side to complete your meal. Having this delicious pot of beans ready, the va a sacar de aprietos when you need it!