Year of the Bean

Though less prominent in the US than black or pinto beans, the Canary (or Mayacoba, or Peruano) is another staple of Latin American cuisine. I had picked up a bag of them at Kalustyan’s a while back and now that I found myself with a jar of lamb fat on the counter, knew it was the time for a simple, proper prep.

Ingredients

• 250g Canary/Mayacoba/Peruano beans (I soaked them but it’s not necessary)
• 2 tbsp. lamb fat, lard, or vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced (I used some of the roasted garlic I had in oil in the fridge)
• salt

Procedure

1. Put beans, cooking fat, onion, and garlic in heavy-bottomed pot, and cover with 2″ water
2. Raise to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, and then cook on a low simmer until the beans soften, adding liquid if necessary
3. Once beans soften, add salt to taste
4. If you want some as refried beans, heat more cooking fat in a skillet, add beans, and cook, smashing with a large wooden spoon or potato masher, until beans are desired consistency