Frijol Bayo with Four Chiles, Avocado Leaf & Pasilla Rajas

Sort and rinse the beans: Spread 1 lb dried bayo beans on a sheet pan and pick out any stones or shriveled beans. Rinse in a colander. Optional overnight soak: cover with cold water by 2 inches and refrigerate.

Toast avocado leaves & cook the beans: Hold 3 dried avocado leaves with tongs over a low flame, or press on a dry skillet over medium, just until they release a sharp anise-like aroma — 15–20 seconds per side. Don't blacken. Place the bayo beans in a heavy pot with 8 cups water, the quartered onion (1 of 2 large white onions), 4 smashed garlic cloves, 2 epazote sprigs (or 2 tsp dried), the toasted avocado leaves, and 1 tsp of the kosher salt. Bring to a boil, drop to a bare simmer, partially covered. Cook until tender, 90–120 min unsoaked (60–75 min if soaked). Top up with hot water as needed.

Toast the pepitas: In a dry skillet over medium, toast 0.5 cup raw pepitas, shaking frequently, until they puff and smell nutty — about 3 minutes. Tip into a bowl and reserve.

Toast the dried chiles: Stem and seed 3 ancho, 3 guajillo, 2 pasilla, and 5 chiles de árbol (use 7 for more heat). In the same dry skillet over medium, toast each chile 20–30 seconds per side, pressing flat with a spatula, until fragrant and pliable. Do NOT blacken — burnt chiles taste acridly bitter.

Hydrate the chiles: Transfer toasted chiles to a bowl, cover with 2 cups very hot water, weight down with a plate to keep submerged.

Char the corn tortilla: Tear 1 corn tortilla into rough pieces. In the same dry skillet over medium-high, char until blackened in spots and crisp, flipping once — about 90 seconds total. The char is the point.

Blend the chile paste: Drain the chiles, reserving 1 cup of soaking liquid. In a blender, combine the drained chiles, charred tortilla, 2 chipotles in adobo plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce, the 4 remaining peeled garlic cloves, toasted pepitas, 1 tbsp wild mushroom powder, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tsp Mexican oregano, 0.5 tsp ground cumin, and the reserved 1 cup soaking liquid. Blend on high until completely smooth, 2 minutes. The pepitas, tortilla, and powders will thicken it noticeably. Sieve if you want silkier texture.

Char the fresh pasilla into rajas: Char 1 fresh pasilla or poblano whole over an open flame or under a broiler, turning, until skin is blackened all over — about 8 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic, steam 5 min. Peel, seed, slice into thin strips (rajas). Set aside for garnish.

Sweat the onion: Heat 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a wide skillet over medium until shimmering. Add the diced onion (the second of 2 large white onions). Cook, stirring, until softened and just starting to color, 5–6 minutes.

Bloom paprika & fry the tomato paste: Add 1 tbsp smoked paprika to the onions and stir 30 seconds to bloom in the oil. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and stir into the mixture, frying until it darkens to a deep brick-red and smells caramelized rather than tinny — about 3 minutes. This step is non-negotiable; raw tomato paste tastes metallic.

Fry the chile paste: Pour the chile paste into the pan with the onion-paprika-tomato base. Let it sputter and darken — this 'frying the paste' step concentrates flavor and tames raw chile sharpness. Stir frequently, scraping the bottom. Add 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari in the last minute.

Combine and simmer: Tip the chile mixture into the bean pot along with all bean cooking liquid. Stir gently. Add 1 tsp MSG and the remaining 0.5 tsp kosher salt. Simmer uncovered until flavors marry and the broth reduces to a glossy, brick-red consistency. Taste at the end and adjust salt cautiously — the MSG and soy will have made it taste saltier than it actually is.

Garnish and serve: Ladle into bowls. Top with the reserved pasilla rajas, 0.5 cup chopped fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Warm corn tortillas alongside.