Some of My Secrets to Good Beans

I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

First, I almost always use "Mixtec salt" - sometimes called "Mexican salt" - in my beans. There's apparently a lot of controversy on the subject of using salt during the cooking process. "Mixtec salt" is apparently a staple in Mexican kitchens, and it's rumored to soften beans. I trust Mexican madres, so I use it. I wait until I've boiled the beans for five minutes, then I sprinkle in a pinch. I think it gives an interesting flavor.

In black beans, I use epazote. It's a Mexican herb that grows as a weed, and it has a unique faintly camphorescent aroma. It flavors beans in a subtle but distinctly Mexican way. I add the leaves and stems after the garlic and onions are sauteed, then warm them a bit. Then I add the beans and water, and cook as usual.

For pinto beans, I do the same treatment with Mexican oregano, and it adds an herbaceous richness to the beans.

Try it and let me know your results!