Pasilla de Oaxaca Black Bean Dip
There is nothing that tastes exactly like the Pasilla de Oaxaca chile. These chiles have a unique flavor; smoky and deep, with hints of tobacco and a beguiling sweetness. This chile gives the humble bean dip a signature flavor that will leave your average bean dip lying in the dust. Try to acquaint yourself with the Pasilla de Oaxaca before grinding it for this recipe. The smoky flavor these chiles impart can be pungent and, if you're not mindful, overwhelming. Break off a small end of one chile and taste it. If you grind more than you need, just set the excess aside in a baggie or small jar and add a twist to an omelet on the weekend.
This recipe makes use of a can of black beans, and we recommend that you drain the beans and mix them with about a half a cup of fresh water. If you have cooked black beans on hand, by all means, use those! Include about a half a cup of cooking liquid if you have it. If your homemade beans have been drained, include about half a cup of water. We blended the ingredients in this dip with a food processor, but everything can be combined by hand if you don't have a food processor. The dip will probably be a bit more chunky and rustic, instead of smoothly pureed. It will still be delicious.
When our taste testers got a hold of this dip, it went quickly. It was delicious and well-received. Serve this with tortilla chips, salsa or pico de gallo, and maybe some sour cream or pickled jalapeños, and get ready to enjoy some of the best dip you’ve ever had. We topped this dip with Oaxaca cheese, a soft, easy-melting cheese that's rich and almost buttery. Oaxaca cheese can sometimes be hard to find; if you can't find it, look for asadero (also called "quesadilla cheese") or an easy-melting mild cheese like mozzarella or muenster. Relying on traditional Mexican spices and seasonings, this appetizer combines rich, toasty elements with fresh crunch, a little heat, and intoxicating smoke, for a dish that's easy to eat and fun to share.
- 1 15-oz can black beans or two cups of black beans, cooked
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon New Mexico Green Chile Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Mexican Oregano
- 2 Tablespoons Pasilla de Oaxaca Chiles, ground into flakes
- 2 Tablespoons Guajillo Chile Flakes
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- ¼ cup tomato, chopped
- ¼ cup red onion, minced
- Fresh cilantro to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 1/2 cup Oaxaca or mild, easy-melting cheese, broken into scatterable chunks
- Grind Pasilla De Oaxaca Chiles into flakes. We used a coffee grinder for this. Set aside 2 Tablespoons of the chile flakes for use today, reserve any leftover flakes for later use.
- Place beans with 1/2 cup water or their cooking liquid, and the garlic, cumin, New Mexico chile powder, and Mexican oregano in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the Pasilla de Oaxaca and Guajillo chile flakes and cook for a minute or two, until they start to release their fragrance.
- Add the bean mixture to the cast iron skillet and stir well. When the beans are heated through, stir in the Cheddar cheese. Cook until cheese is melted.
- Pour dip into serving bowl. Top with tomato, onion, cilantro, sesame seeds, and Oaxaca cheese and serve.
