Black beans

What are they?

Black beans are small, glossy legumes with a dense structure and an earthy flavor. They’re a staple across Latin American, Caribbean, and Southwestern cooking—and one of the most reliable beans you can keep in your pantry.

Black beans hold their shape better than many other beans, even after long cooking, and take on seasonings well.

Commonly sold dried or canned; both are useful to keep stocked so that you’re never far from a real meal.

What’s their flavor?

Taste & aroma: Earthy, savory, take on seasonings and acid well

Texture: Creamy interior with a firm, intact skin, unctuous with added fat

Human: A daily protein in many cuisines; comforting, filling, and familiar

Why should you buy some?

Black beans punch way above their price point. They’re cheap, filling, nutritious, and extremely forgiving.

Canned black beans are convenient, what we most commonly use for easy meal starting points.
Dried black beans are even more economical and have much better texture than canned, but take some advance planning to cook.
Can be made vegan for plant-based meals.

Buying tip: Keep both. Canned for weeknights, dried for when you want the best possible pot of beans.

Cooking tip: Start with onion and garlic, season generously with salt, and finish with acid (lime, vinegar) and/or a fat of choice (like a squeeze of olive oil)

What can you make with them?

Mashed into refried black beans as a side or tostada base
Mixed with corn & peppers for a cold Southwestern-style salad
Bowl base of black beans and rice with lime and cilantro
Black bean soup finished with crema or olive oil
Tossed into chili, stews, or soups (like tortilla soup) for texture and protein

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FRAMEWORK OF THE WEEK ✅

Black bean burger

Black beans are a decent protein source, too, so they often get used in plant-based recreations, like burger patties.

But how do you make a black bean burger that actually tastes good? The key is optimizing for texture, and making two thinner patties instead of one thick one.

Years ago, Ethan did a full video investigation on the black bean smash burger, which has a lot of good info, or just check out the written recipe on our app or website here:

Black Bean Burger Recipe

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Does fancy butter make a difference?

Out of all the ingredient deep dives we’ve covered, butter is unique in that even the nicest brands are just a few dollars more than the cheapest option. But that doesn’t mean nice butter will always make a difference:

1) In raw or lightly cooked applications — like spreading on toast, making a butter sauce, or baking simple pastries — you will notice some differences.

Higher-end butters often have higher butterfat content, less water, and a richer, creamier texture.
Cultured butters are the most difference since they have a cheesy tang from fermentation. You’ll notice these immediately.

2) In heavily cooked applications — like sautéing vegetables or baking cookies with lots of sugar and mix-ins — the differences become a lot less noticeable.

Once butter browns, melts into batter, or blends with bold flavors, much of the subtlety disappears.

Our take: To save money, use a standard butter for everyday cooking and baking, then splurge on a high-quality or cultured butter for spreading and finishing.

For most home cooks, a reliable mid-priced butter does the job. That said, buy one you actually enjoy. Some people love the tang of cultured European-style butter; others prefer the clean, neutral flavor of standard supermarket sticks. A grassfed, deeply yellow salted butter might increase your enjoyment of your breakfast, and that’s worth it.

If you want a deeper dive into butterfat percentages, cultured vs. sweet cream, and when it actually matters, check out Ethan’s full breakdown here.