Eleanor's Black Beans

My cousin is looking for good mexican sides - I haven't posted this recipe yet - but I am telling you that these are the best beans you will have in your life. I got the recipe from my super gourmet faux Mother In Law (faux b/c she is my sister in laws Mother - but we claim each other as blood!)

Eleanor’s Black Beans
2 cans black beans
2 slices thick cut bacon, hopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 ½ T ground cumin
2 t sherry wine vinegar

1/2 - 1 can of chicken stock
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Heat oil in saucepan. Add bacon and cook over med heat until starting to brown. Add onion, celery and pepper. Reduce heat and continue cooking about 10 minutes. Add beans, cumin, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and simmer 20 minutes. Add chicken stock if too thick. The chicken stock cooks down and gets absorbed by the beans - so I start with 1/2 a can and go from there.

*I eliminated the jalapeno b/c my kids were eating with us - and I didn't have sherry wine vinegar, so I used rice wine vinegar. I have also used red wine vinegar too.