Spicy Black Beans with Homemade Chorizo

This recipe for Spicy Black Beans with Homemade Chorizo combines dry black beans with spicy homemade chorizo to create a very flavorful side dish. Or make it a gluten-free main by adding a dollop of sour cream and a side of cornbread or tortillas!

The making of Spicy Black Beans with Homemade Chorizo

It was coming up to Labor Day weekend, and while we are still under stay in place (SIP) orders, everyone wants to celebrate Labor Day in one way or the other. Labor Day, the first weekend in September,  is officially the last day of summer here in the United States, although on the actual calendar, it's not until September 21st or 22nd, depending on the year, but hey, EVERYONE knows Labor Day weekend is for BBQ's, getting together with friends, and celebrating the end of summer. 

Well, at least we could have the BBQ part of the program.

On Friday BB told me he wanted to have BBQ Ribs, Corn on the Cob, and some spicy beans, but not my Texas Style Ranch Beans, some new beans. 

Got you covered my dear with some delicious Spicy Black Beans with Homemade Chorizo, a recipe I wrote some time ago, back in the days when one could just write a recipe, no photo needed. It's been sitting in my unpublished file waiting for me to make it and take some photos and this seemed like a great time to finally do that.

To soak or not soak your beans?

I generally don't have the forethought to soak my beans overnight. My dinner decisions are done pretty much the same day as I'm making it, although admittedly when I worked full time I did have a more thought-out schedule, but my beans always ended up with the quick-soak method.

Beans done with the quick soak method are, after picking through for small stones and other possible debris, rinsed, put into a pot of water covered by 2-inches, and then brought to a boil. Once they reach a boil, boil for 2 minutes then turn off the stove and let them sit for 1 hour, drain, and proceed with your recipe.

Done overnight it just that. Cover your cleaned beans with 2 to 3 inches, or more, of water, and let them sit out overnight. Drain and proceed with your recipe.

In this recipe, because the request was made on Friday, and I wasn't going to cook them until Sunday (a day of rest is always good for a bean recipe) serving them on Monday, I had plenty of time to "soak them overnight". 

There is also the no soak method. That obviously is to not soak them at all. They will cook, eventually, but may take an hour or so longer than a soaked bean. And even a soaked bean is subject to taking longer to cook, depending on the "age" of the bean. 

Bean Cooking Times?

As I said, bean cooking time will depend on whether you soaked them, and the age of the bean. With this recipe for Spicy Black Beans with Homemade Chorizo, I must have had elderly beans. Even soaking them overnight, I had to add an hour and a half to my 2 ½ hour cooking time. So however long any recipe states, the beans are done when the beans are done. Cooking times are a good time to start checking them for tenderness. Stir, and check often, adding water as necessary.

This is a good reason to cook them in advance, like the day before. Not only will you not be stressing undercooked beans, but you can also let the beans sit in the refrigerator making happy noises with all of the other ingredients. Day-old cooked beans are the best old cooked beans.

LindySez: "the beans are done, when beans are done"

Cooking Methods for Spicy Black Beans with Homemade Chorizo

In the Oven:

The preferred method of cooking the beans for this recipe is in the oven. Slow and low. This allows the maximum flavor to build up and most control over checking for tenderness.

Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot:

While you can make Spicy Black Beans in your pressure cooker or Instant Pot, the speed in which the beans cook really doesn't allow that much flavor to build. And these are certainly flavorful beans, so if you go with this method, please allow the day of rest for the beans to get settled with all their flavor components.

Slow-Cooker or Crock-Pot:

I had a girlfriend who made chili once in her crockpot and even with overnight soaking, the beans were still hard after two days. I finally recommended she remove the chili from the crockpot and put it on top of the stove to properly come to a proper boil. I'm not sure if her crockpot was faulty or what, but keep an eye out for time if using a crockpot, and if they aren't done fully in 8-hours or so, take them to the stovetop to finish. 

Spicy Black Beans need some spicy!

My recipe for Homemade Mexican Chorizo is already pretty spicy with a combo of various chili powders, cayenne, and other spices. If you don't want to make your own chorizo, at least go to a store that makes housemade chorizo or find a good quality Mexican chorizo. 

Combine that spicy chorizo with some jalapeno for heat, chipotle in adobo for smokiness and additional heat, and then for added flavor hit me up with some Poblano or Anaheim chili. These chilis give a nice rounded heat.

Cilantro Stems add flavor

Cilantro stems. Just the stems. The stems have so much flavor and are generally discarded. I learned a trick recently from Jacques Pepin that he learned from his wife Gloria and that is to cut the stems from the leaves when you bring the cilantro home. Keep those stems wrapped in a paper towel sealed in a baggie in the freezer. Then anytime you are making chili, or beans, add flavor with chopped cilantro stems. Easy to chop what you need from the frozen stems when you need it. Finely chopped they impart flavor while the stems just disappear.

What to Serve with Spicy Black Beans with Homemade Chorizo?

Here are some great go-to dishes that pair perfectly with this recipe:

The Most Tenderest Bestest BBQ Ribs

Beer Can Chicken

Rotisserie Chicken

Coffee Rubbed Cheeseburgers with Texas BBQ Sauce

Polenta Muffins

Scallion Corn Muffins