Author Notes
I love beans. And I love Terence Hill's blue-eyed cowboy movies. In My Name is Nobody, he eats a mess of beans, very sloppily, and with huge enjoyment. Later, Henry Fonda daintily picks at some. This is how I interpreted that mess. The mission? Depth of flavour. (Adding the vinegar and wine too early will slow down the beans' cooking time) - Marie Viljoen —Marie Viljoen
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe has everything we want with beans: pork fat from pancetta, and smoke and heat from dried poblanos (ancho chiles). Marie Viljoen uses a cool technique of adding vinegar and then a bunch of wine toward the end of cooking, which sharpens the dish with acid and keeps the wine flavor fresh, levitating atop the hearty beans and pork. - A&M —The Editors
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Ingredients
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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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salt and peppa
Directions
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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.
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In the olive oil, gently saute the scallions, the garlic, and add the pancetta, cooking over medium heat until the fat runs a little.
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Add the tomato paste and stir until it has lightly caramelized.
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Add the drained beans, with enough chicken stock or water to cover them.
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Add the sugar, the peppers and the herbs, stir, and cover.
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Cook gently until the beans are fork-piercable tender, adding additional stock or water from time to time.
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When barely tender add vinegar and red wine.
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Cook, with lid removed, until the wine has been absorbed.Taste!
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Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
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Serve with crusty baguette and sweet butter. Not that Terence ever had either. Or the wine for that matter.
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