Black Bean Salsa

Big Daddy's Kitchen

Big Daddy's Cooking with Attitude

Thai Chile

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Big Daddy's Black Bean Salsa

Salsas are always a big hit, and this is no exception. I made a double recipe to take on a three day camping trip with my son and my brother, and not a bite made it home. Adjust the heat by changing the amount of hot sauce used.

2 16-oz cans	black beans, drained and rinsed
2 small cans	green chiles, chopped
1 small	sweet onion, preferably Vidalia, minced
2 large	Anchos (dried Pablano chiles)
1 medium	red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 medium	tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons	cider vinegar
½ cup	olive oil
3 cloves	garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 tablespoon	Mexican oregano (see notes)
1 tablespoon	dried, crushed chipotle
1 tablespoon	hot sauce such as Cholula (see notes)
1 tablespoon	Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon	cumin
1 teaspoon	black pepper
½	lime, juiced

Remove the seeds and stem from the Ancho chiles. Put the chiles into a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. When done remove from heat, cover and set aside for an additional 15 minutes.

Put the beans, green chiles, onion, bell pepper, and tomato in a mixing bowl and toss to mix.

When the Anchos are ready place them in a blender along with the remaining ingredients except the oil and lime juice and whir until pureed. Add the oil in a slow steady stream. Once the vinaigrette is mixed add it to the salsa and mix well. Sprinkle the lime juice over the salsa and place in fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

Notes:

Cholula is, in the opinion of many foodies including myself, the very best Mexican hot sauce. It's medium-hot so everyone can enjoy it, and it has a delicious flavor unlike many of the classics (e.g. Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce) which are too heavy on the vinegar overriding the other flavors.
Mexican oregano isn't related to the Mediterranean version that we all love which is in the mint plant family Lamiaceae. Mexican oregano, on the other hand, is from a different plant family altogether, Verbenaceae (click to learn more).