Simple Black Beans & Rice

Directions

1. Firstly, if you are using dried beans, soak 1 pound of black beans in 8 cups of water overnight, then rinse and set aside.
2. In a large, heavy bottomed pan, add your 1 tablespoon of butter and melt over medium-high heat, then add in the sliced bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spatula and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan (if you want to vegetarianize or veganize this, just replace the bacon and butter with oil), then add in the minced shallot and jalapeño and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add in the chicken stock, salt, cumin, ancho chile powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, stir to combine, and add in the soaked beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover, stirring every so often, for 1 hour, until the beans are tender. This is a good time to simultaneously cook your rice (if you aren't using leftover rice).
4. Once the beans are tender, mash about a quarter of them with the back of a wooden spoon or puree a quarter of them with your immersion blender to thicken the mixture a bit. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, then serve over cooked white rice and serve with a garnish of cilantro.