Oaxacan Black Beans with Avocado Leaf is a traditional Mexican recipe for a quick pickle of vegetables in a sweetened vinegared bring flavoured with avocado leaves. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Mexican version of: Oaxacan Black Beans with Avocado Leaf.
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You can find Avocado leaves in via the internet. In Mexico, fresh as well as dried leaves are available, though, as with bay leaves, dried ones have excellent flavour. Dried leaves with a vibrantly olive-green colour have more flavour than pale ones. Unbroken leaves are typically a sign of careful handling and higher quality.
Ingredients:
6 medium-sized dried avocado leaves
2 árbol chillies, stemmed
3 tbsp freshly-rendered pork fat, bacon drippings or vegetable oil
½ medium white onion, cut into 5mm thick slices
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 x 400g tins of black beans (no need to drain)
Method:
Toast the avocado leaves in a hot pan until lightly browned and aromatic (about 1 minute). Transfer to a blender.
Toast the chillies in the same pan until aromatic and lightly browned (about 1 minute). Transfer to the blender.
Heat the lard, drippings, or oil in the pan and when hot use to fry onion and garlic until richly browned (about 7 minutes). Transfer the onions and garlic to the blender, leaving any excess fat behind.
Now add the beans and any liquid from the tins to the blender. Process the ingredients until smooth, adding water if needed.
Cook the blended mixture in the pan with remaining fat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a mashed potato-like consistency (about 10–15 minutes).
Season the mixture with salt to taste (about 1 ½ tsp, depending on the saltiness of the tinned beans).
Serve on tostadas or tlayudas with cheese and roasted tomatillo salsa.
If you want more texture, reserve some of the whole beans then stir into the paste near the end of cooking.
