Black Bean and Jalapeño Soup

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups black beans, sorted and rinsed
2 tablespoons bacon fat or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped or to taste
1 tablespoon dried crushed red chile, seeds included
1 large ham hock
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground epazote, optional, (see note)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
6 to 8 cups water
3 tablespoons tequila, optional
sour cream or crème fraiche to garnish

Preparation:

Cover the beans with water and soak them overnight.

Sauté onion and garlic in bacon fat until soft. Combine all
ingredients, except tequila and sour cream, in large pot and bring to
a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until beans are
soft. Remove ham hock and shred meat.

Divide soup in half. Purée half of it and add back to the remaining
soup. Add shredded meat and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened
to desired consistency.

Remove from heat, stir in tequila, garnish with sour cream or crème
fraiche, and serve.

Note: Epazote is a pungent, wild herb whose strong flavor is, like
that of fresh coriander, an acquired taste. It has flat, pointed
leaves and is available dried (and infrequently fresh) in Latin
markets. Also called Mexican tea and wormseed, epazote is popular in
many bean dishes because it's a carminative, which means it reduces
gas. It's also used as a tea.