Mexican Mole Baked Beans #A1

DIRECTIONS

• Roast the Peppers: Turn on oven broiler and line a baking dish with foil. Slice the poblano peppers lengthwise, removing and discarding the stems, ribs, and seeds. Press each pepper half with your hand to flatten it a bit, then arrange peppers skin-side up on foil-lined baking dish. Rub peppers with oil, then transfer to top rack of oven and broil for 5-10 minutes, until skins are very charred and blistered. Remove from oven and carefully fold the foil around the peppers to form a closed packet. Set aside and let peppers steam for 10 minutes before opening packet. Once peppers are cool enough to handle, peel the skins away from the flesh of the peppers with your fingers. Discard the skins and set the peeled roasted peppers aside.
• Make the Mole Sauce: While the peppers are steaming, combine the hot coffee, boiling water, dried cherries, and chopped walnuts in a heat-proof bowl and set aside for 10 minutes to soften the fruit and nuts. After 10 minutes, transfer this mixture to a blender and add the peeled roasted peppers, A1 sauce, chili powder, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Puree the mixture until very smooth, taking care to first remove the center stopper of the blender lid and cover the opening with a towel (this allows steam from the hot liquid to escape while blending).
• Cook the Beans: Transfer the mole sauce to a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the chocolate until dissolved, then add the black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes, gently stirring every so often to make sure the beans on the bottom are not sticking or becoming overdone. The beans are done when the sauce has thickened to a gravy-like consistency that coats the beans nicely. You can serve the beans immediately, though they will keep for several days in the fridge. As the batch is quite large, you can also choose to freeze half of the beans for a later use. To prepare frozen beans, first thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently.