The Bean Book from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen
The Bean Book from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen
From Steven Sando, the founder of...
From £30.00 GBP
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Small but plucky red heirloom beans with a deep savoury weight and brilliant versatility. Certified organic Rojo Chiquito Beans harvested at Seneca Farm, upstate New York, USA. The Heirloom Bean Co sources these Phaseolus beans from Vermont Bean Crafters in New England, America. |
Cultivated at Seneca farm, run by the Martens family farm in upstate New York, these organic Rojo Chiquito beans are tiny, brick‑red pulses with a firm, springy bite and a dark, savoury undertone that sits somewhere between Mexican red beans and a leaner, more aromatic cranberry bean. Their skins hold beautifully, their centres stay dense rather than creamy, and their cooking liquor develops a reddish, almost smoky tint — a quality that makes them exceptional in dishes where beans and grains mingle.
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Recipe Suggestions
These ruby little wonders are made for beans and rice, especially when cooked with onions, sweet peppers and a little tomato, the bean liquor tinting the rice and giving the whole pot a warm, earthy backbone. They also work miracles in the scrambled egg-based breakfast treat that is gallo pinto, where their firm texture stands up to frying and that flavour deepens under coriander and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. For something more vegetable‑forward, simmer them with roasted squash, garlic and epazote, letting the broth thicken naturally. Or build a bright bowl with Rojo Chiquitos, charred sweetcorn and lime, the beans anchoring the sweetness with their savoury weight.
Cooking these beans
Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, celery, carrot, etc.) in olive oil. Add beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches/5cm. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours. Salt when the beans start to soften. A pre-soak of 2 to 6 hours will lessen the cooking time.
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Ingredients
Rojo Chiquito Beans
Further info
Similar to: Domingo Rojo, Red Kidney
Latin name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Country of origin: USA
Sold in resealable 453g (1lb) bags
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Typical values Per 100g Energy 1406kJ (337kcal) Fat 1.1g of which saturates 0.2g Carbohydrate 46g of which sugars 2.1g Fibre 15g Protein 23g Salt 0.01g
