(left) ended up absorbing too much water and blowing out
long before their skins had properly softened, while the
salted beans remained fully intact.
The problem? Magnesium and calcium, two ions found in
bean skins that act kind of like buttresses, supporting the
skins’ cell structure and keeping them firm. If you soak
beans in salted water overnight, though, some of the sodium
ions end up playing musical chairs with the calcium and
magnesium, leaving you with skins that soften at the same
rate as the beans’ interiors.
The thing that does affect the cooking rate of beans is the
pH level. Acidic environments tend to cause beans to seize
up—which is why, for example, Boston baked beans,
cooked in acidic molasses and tomato, can take as long as
overnight to soften properly. Brining the beans in saltwater
mitigates this effect to some degree, but the only way to be
sure that your beans will cook properly in acidic stews (like,
say, chili) is to soften them separately and add them to the
pot later on.
So, where does the old anti-salting myth come from?
Probably the same place most culinary myths come from:
grandmothers, aunts, and chefs. Never trusted ’em, never
will.
The Flavorings
The chili-standard duo of cumin and coriander was a given,
as were a couple of cloves. Their medicinal, mouth-
numbing quality is a perfect balance for the spicy heat of the
chiles, much as numbing Sichuan peppers can play off
chiles in the Chinese flavor combination known as ma-la