Frijoles antioqueños are the defining legume of the paisa table, the red kidney beans that sit at the centre of the bandeja paisa. Cooked slow with a hogao of spring onion, tomato and garlic, a green plantain for body and a piece of pork (hoof, ear or salt pork) for richness, they are the daily food of Antioquia, Caldas and the coffee axis. They are distinct from the Caribbean or Pacific bean traditions in their hogao base and the use of red kidney beans specifically.
Thick, dark, savoury broth with beans that hold their shape but give to the tongue, the hogao running through, a faint richness from the pork. Eaten with white rice and a slice of avocado, they are the everyday plate of Antioquia.
The beans are soaked overnight, then cooked long and slow with the hogao added midway so it seasons without burning. A green plantain, sliced, thickens the broth with its starch. The pork (often a salted trotter or ear) renders its gelatine and fat into the beans as they cook, which is what gives the broth its body. The long cook is non-negotiable: the beans must break down enough to thicken their own liquid.
Variations
A lean Lenten version drops the pork and adds only hogao. Some cooks use cranberry beans instead of kidney.
On the Palate
Where Frijoles Antioqueños sits in the Colombian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8
How it's made
6 steps · 20 min
- 15 min
Soak 500g red kidney beans in water overnight; drain.
Watch outSoak the beans overnight — skip it and they never soften enough to thicken their own broth, however long you cook.
- 225 min
Place the beans in a pot with 2 litres water and 1 whole spring onion; simmer 60 minutes, skimming foam.
- 310 min
Make a hogao: in oil, sauté 2 chopped spring onions, 2 diced tomatoes and 3 cloves minced garlic for 6 minutes; add 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp color (achiote).
- 45 min
Add the hogao to the beans, with 1 diced green plantain, 100g salt pork cut in chunks, and salt to taste.
- 530 min
Simmer uncovered 60-90 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the broth is thick and the beans are very tender.
Watch outSimmer long enough that some beans break down and the broth turns thick on its own — thin, watery broth means it isn't done.
- 65 min
Rest 10 minutes off the heat, and serve with white rice, avocado and a fried egg.
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