by Marie Viljoen
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A&M's Testing Notes:
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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1 bunch
scallions, white and green parts, sliced
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5
garlic cloves, crushed lightly
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6
pancetta rashers, sliced into ribbons
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3 tablespoons
tomato paste
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2 cups
red kidney beans
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3 cups
chicken stock or water to cover
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1 tablespoon
brown sugar
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2
Poblano peppers, soaked, seeded and chopped roughly
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3 sprigs
thyme
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1 bunch
flatleaf parsley
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1 tablespoon
red wine vinegar
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2 cups
dry but fruity red wine
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Soak the beans in water overnight or bring to a boil and allow to rest in water until it is cold, discarding water in either event.
Ask the hotline about this step!In the olive oil, gently saute the scallions, the garlic, and add the pancetta, cooking over medium heat until the fat runs a little.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add the tomato paste and stir until it has lightly caramelized.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add the drained beans, with enough chicken stock or water to cover them.
Ask the hotline about this step!Add the sugar, the peppers and the herbs, stir, and cover.
Ask the hotline about this step!Cook gently until the beans are fork-piercable tender, adding additional stock or water from time to time.
Ask the hotline about this step!When barely tender add vinegar and red wine.
Ask the hotline about this step!Cook, with lid removed, until the wine has been absorbed.Taste!
Ask the hotline about this step!Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
Ask the hotline about this step!Serve with crusty baguette and sweet butter. Not that Terence ever had either. Or the wine for that matter.
Ask the hotline about this step!Sounds just wonderful!
Hope you try it, KitchenKim! A dollop of sour cream at serving is great with it.
the addition of wine is an unexpected but ingenious touch!
Wine makes everything better :-)
Both dishes look fantastic. Going for pure beans here, T Hills beans gets my vote.
Thanks, mealhubby - you also need to wear boots while eating them...
Amazing combination of ingredients - I can't wait to try it. But what is "rasher" of pancetta? Is that the same as a slice, and is all pancetta roughly the same size?
Hi MarthaP - that's my colonial roots coming out. Yes, a slice.
You can buy pancetta already sliced, or in one piece (rolled). If it's rolls, just slice yourself as needed. Alternatively, you can cut it into 'lardons', fat little cubes, which I've done before. Also delicious in salads with vinegar sloshed into the pan to make the dressing.
If you can't find pancetta, subs. bacon. Pancetta just has a slightly gamier taste, which I love.
This looks really interesting. I haven't cooked much with red kidney beans except in chili, but you've motivated me to try this. It's not exactly a New Year's Resolution for me, but I'm trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into my everyday diet and cooking. Thanks for posting.
Dried poblano, yes - thanks you for catching it! Known as ancho. Amanda and Merrill 's notes describe it.
The red wine: I used a Chilean red from the Maipo Valley, made with Carmenere grapes, called Chono. Dark, plummy, a little spicy. I would call it a fairly substantial red :-)
I smiled so wide when I saw your recipe was a finalist - congrats!
Oh, Jen. It was your post that made me run for the beans!!!
Yup - ancho
I am making this as soon as I get home...love the recipe, especially the addition of red wine. Do you use a big red like Cabernet? a Merlot? maybe a Syrah?
Sorry - see my comment above :-)
oops , sorry I missed your wine selection. I would probably choose a California wine...I make a great Cabernet Franc.(Chile makes some fantastic wines too)
No, I didn't reply in the right space to your question :-) You didnt miss anything.
I love Cabernet franc, and after looking at your profile, consider me Jealous. If I had another life, I would love to pursue a wine- making one.
Kitchen Arts & Letters is a culinary bookstore on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
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Marie Viljoen starts off her beans with lots of scallions.
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Amanda shows off her new Japanese knife, a great Christmas present from her brother-in-law Scott!
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The knife's first victims: scallion roots.
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And Merrill shows off her engagement ring -- woo-hoo! Oh, and she cuts the pancetta into "rashers" which we determined to mean thin little strips of pancetta.
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See....
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Still cutting scallions.
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Interestingly, the parsley goes in the pan early.
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Anchos, awaiting their hot water bath.
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After the scallions and pancetta are cooked, we added the red kidney beans, broth, anchos and parsley.
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And then let them simmer away.
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When the beans were almost tender, we poured in some red wine vinegar and red wine and let them finish up the cooking.
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I made these last night and they were fantastic! The wine was an unexpected touch, but really melded beautifully with the beans, chiles and pork.
One adaptation I made: At step 6, I cooked the beans for 15 minutes in a pressure cooker. Next time I'll reduce that a bit. Maybe 12 minutes. Did a quick release on the pressure, then added the wine and vinegar and then cooked uncovered for the rest of the recipe. This made the recipe quick enough that I was able to cook it on a weeknight after a long day at work.