You would think that deciding how to cook something as straightforward as a pot of dried beans would be easy. But it sure doesn’t appear so.
To soak or not to soak? And for how long? Whether ‘tis nobler to salt the soak or oppose the idea. Later, to toss away the soaking water and rinse — or not? (Ay, by a rinse, say some, we end the gas.)
To boil? To slow cook? To bake? To Instant Pot? Whether or not to stir — ever. And, at the consummation of the cooking, then to drain? Or not to drain?
Oh, the heartaches — just beans.
And who are the experts here, the sages to seek out for their wisdom, the fruit of surmounting hills and hills of beans?
In Italy, the Tuscans are called “mangiafagioli” (“bean eaters”) for their predilection of eating beans instead of pasta. A Tuscan is adamant about the several rules of bean cooking: overnight soak, no salt, discard the water, rinse, cook at a bare simmer barely touching the beans. A Tuscan got me to baking my beans in the oven in order to overcome my temptation to stir them in a stovetop pot.
Generations of grandmothers warn never to salt the beans until the cooking is done, else the tough skins never soften fully. Now, a legion of food scientists admonishes to salt the soaking water before boiling precisely in order to soften the skins and to guarantee soft, pillowy insides.
More cooks than not say that an eight-hour or overnight soak is a good jump start, but a few (some influential, such as Mark Bittman) state that a “quick-soak” that steeps the beans for a couple of hours in just-boiled water achieves exactly the same.
The longtime bean cooker Stave Sando, of the great American bean grower and producer Rancho Gordo, says that it’s OK even to not soak at all. “Don’t fret. Go ahead and cook them, knowing that it will take a bit longer.” Further advice from Sando: If the beans are from a recent harvest, they definitely won’t need pre-soaking.
For three-bean salads, in order to ensure firm but tender beans with intact skins, add 2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice to the cooking water, with the salt.
For creamier beans? A cup of milk. Even creamier? Mash a portion of the cooked beans and add that back to the big pot. To prevent black beans from going purple? Add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.
The Instant Pot has jiggered with all this advice. You can Instant Pot four portions of unsoaked cannellini beans in a half an hour, perhaps 35 minutes on a dry Colorado day. The same, already soaked? Six to nine minutes. Yabba dabba bean.
My methods with dried beans (not lentils or split peas, which I cook in a different manner) are: overnight brine soak; rinse; cover by 2 inches; hard boil to kick it; then 1-2 hours, depending on the bean (its age and size), in a slow 275-degree oven (thank you, Tuscany). I store the cooked beans in their water, in the refrigerator for up to a week, and I never, ever, throw away that water, using it for the next batch of beans or as a cooking liquid for anything from poaching fish to moistening other dishes to making soups.
Finally, in order to prevent gas from beans, a mischievous but good-humored mother-in-law once told me that all I needed to do was “Soak the beans overnight, then prick a hole into each one with a straight pin. No toots.”
Did it work? Well, the joke did.
Mixed Winter Greens and Beans (Misticanza Abruzzese)
From “Autentico: Cooking Italian, the Authentic Way,” by Rolando Beramendi; serves 4.
Notes: “Winter” here is merely a synonym for “hearty.” For beans, any good quality dried white bean works: cannellini, Great Northern, lingot or haricot blanc, navy, or baby lima. “Cruschi” are distinctive sun-dried sweet peppers (sometimes called Senise peppers) from southern Italy, not easily found stateside. You may substitute dried aji or California chiles, or small, sweet or slightly hot fresh peppers that you have sliced and fried for 5 minutes, skin-on, in a few tablespoons of olive oil.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds seasonal greens and fresh herbs (such as chicory, spinach, chard leaves and stems, romaine, escarole, arugula, flat-leaf parsley, basil and chives)
- 1/3 cup robust extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked white beans
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped cruschi peppers (see important note above)
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the greens and herbs, in batches if necessary, and boil until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the greens through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside to cool for a few minutes. When the greens are cool enough to handle, squeeze out any excess water and coarsely chop.
In a large skillet, combine the olive oil, garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat until the onion in tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the greens and warm through. Season with salt and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with cruschi (or other peppers) and serve warm or at room temperature.
