How to Make Black Bean Sauce

You can probably purchase black bean sauce in your local Asian supermarket, but if you want the best and freshest black bean sauce, make it yourself. It requires only a few ingredients, takes only minutes to put together, and the result is a delicious sauce for vegetables, fish or poultry. Adjust the spices to suit your tastes, from a mildly tangy to smokin' hot.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cans of black beans, undrained
• 2 tbs. peanut oil
• 2 tbs. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated orange rind
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger root, grated
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tbs. rice vinegar or sherry
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions

1. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat and add the peanut oil. When the peanut oil is hot, add the peanut oil, garlic and the beans.

2. Stir fry the mixture quickly for about 10 seconds.

3. Add the soy sauce, grated orange rind, grated ginger root, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes and rice vinegar and cook the mixture until the sauce thickens, about a minute.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want your black bean sauce to be spicier, add a small amount of finely chopped ancho chilies.

• If you want a bit of meat flavor in your black bean sauce, add 2 or 3 strips of bacon. Fry it until it's crispy and crumble it into the sauce. You can use the bacon fat to cook the black bean sauce instead of peanut oil, if desired.