Vegan Bayo Beans or Mayocoba Beans (Frijoles de Olla II)
Mayocobas and bayos are two of our favorite beans: They cook up relatively quickly to delicious creaminess, need nothing more than a little onion and/or garlic, water and salt along the way. Have a few dried avocado leaves, or some fresh epazote or cilantro? Even better. You can eat them straight out of the pot with some of their broth, and they reheat beautifully. Or you can turn them into refried beans.
Bayo beans means different things to different people in Mexico. Strictly speaking, the word refers to a particular bean, frijol bayo, that is one of the most commonly eaten throughout the country, particularly in and around Mexico City (where a bayo called flor de mayo is very popular) and in Mexico’s central states. It comes in shades of brown, from tan to pinky-brown to cafe con leche. It is similar in size and shape to a pinto bean, but its skin is thinner, it cooks more quickly and it cooks up creamier.
[Read our story: “Bring on the bayos: Showing some love for Mexico’s creamy, dreamy other bean — and its kissin’ cousin mayocoba.”]
Dried mayocoba beans
It is similar in taste, texture and cooking time to the frijol mayocoba, which the favored bean of some states, including Michoacán. The mayocoba is also known as canario or peruana. These can be light brown or shades of pale yellow. Some people, such as Cooks Without Borders’ Mexican cooking expert Olivia Lopez — who comes from the coastal state of Colima, in the central part of Mexico — use the name bayo to refer informally to this whole constellation of beans — mayocobas and bayos proper. The point is they cook the same. When they’re fresh, they can all be cooked to creaminess in an hour. (Older ones may take an hour and a half, or even two hours.)
These are delicious eaten on their own, with some of their brown, or you can use them to make refried beans (Frijoles Refritos). You can cook them with either toasted avocado leaves, which add a lovely gentle anise flavor (toast them briefly on both sides on a dry hot skillet first), or half a small bunch (or more or less) of epazote. Neither herb is required, however; the beans will still be delicious without them.
Because you’ll probably need to add boiling water to the beans as they cook, it’s handy to have a kettle handy.
Serves five or six.
Ingredients
1 pound dried bayo or mayocoba beans (including flor de mayo, canario, peruano)
1/4 white onion
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
3 toasted avocado leaves or 1/2 small bunch of epazote (optional)
2 tablespoons salt
Instructions
1. Rinse the beans well and pick them over, removing any imperfect ones. Place them in a large pot with the onion, garlic, and enough water to cover them by about four inches. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and boil them for 10 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the avocado leaves (if using), give the beans a stir, cover and let simmer. Give them a gentle stir ever 15 minutes or so, and add boiling water if necessary; you want to make sure they’re always well covered with plenty. This helps them cook evenly, and it ensures you’ll have enough broth for refrying them or just to have as a brothy sauce.
3. After they’ve been cooking about 50 minutes total, taste a bean for doneness. If it’s nearly done but not yet creamy, they are almost done; at this point add the epazote (if using) and the salt. Add more boiling water if necessary, stir, cover and continue cooking until the beans are — as Contramar chef Gabriela Cámara describes it — “custardy,” but with their skins still intact.When they’re done, taste for salt, adding more if necessary, and then either serve them or let them cool in their broth.
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Bayo Beans (Frijoles de Olla II)
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried bayo or mayocoba beans (including flor de mayo, canario, peruano)
- 1/4 white onion
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
- 3 toasted avocado leaves or 1/2 small bunch of epazote (optional)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons salt
Instructions
- Rinse the beans well and pick them over, removing any imperfect ones. Please them in a large pot with the onion, garlic, and enough water to cover them by about four inches. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and boil them for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the avocado leaves (if using), give the beans a stir, cover and let simmer. Give them a gentle stir ever 15 minutes or so, and add boiling water if necessary; you want to make sure they’re always well covered with plenty. This helps them cook evenly, and it ensures you’ll have enough broth for refrying them or just to have as a brothy sauce.
- After they’ve been cooking about 50 minutes total, taste a bean for doneness. If it’s nearly done but not yet creamy, they are almost done; at this point add the epazote (if using) and the salt. Add more boiling water if necessary, stir, cover and continue cooking until the beans are — as Contramar chef Gabriela Cámara describes it — “custardy,” but with their skins still intact.When they’re done, taste for salt, adding more if necessary, and then either serve them or let them cool in their broth.