Spicy Tepary Black Bean Dip

This unique spicy black bean dip will blow you away with the complex flavors of two heritage ingredients from the Slow Food Ark of Taste. The tepary bean has been cultivated for thousands of years by the indigenous people of the Sonoran Desert. Traditionally brown or white, the rare black tepary bean comes from an ancient tradition of saving the black seeds each year. Even for an heirloom bean we find them more flavorful, and the silky texture holds its shape after boiling. Another Sonoran heirloom ingredient gives this dish a little heat, the chiltepin pepper. Very spicy, but with a distinctive smoky flavor it only takes a few peppers to give this a wonderful balance of flavors.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 cup dried black tepary beans

3-5 chiltepin peppers

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon adobo seasoning

cilantro to garnish

cotija cheese to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Rinse and soak 1 cup of black beans in 2 cups of water overnight and up to 24 hours.
2. Remove from the soaking liquid, rinse and add to a pot with 3 cups of water, 1 clove of garlic (whole) and 1 bayleaf. 
3. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn down heat to a simmer and cook for 60 to 2 hours until the beans are very soft. 
4. Using a slotted spoon transfer the beans and garlic to a food processor or blender discarding the bay leaf. 
5. Add cumin, adobo, lime juice, and salt.
6. Smash the peppers with a moral and pestle or the back of a knife. Add 2 peppers, blend and taste before adding peppers to your desired spice level.
7. Garnish with cilantro and cotija cheese and serve.