Aaron'S Amazing Simple Beans

• 1 pound dried red kidney beans, rinsed
• 2 quarts water
• 1 Moroccan-style preserved lemon, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small red chile pepper, halved lengthwise
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon anise seed

1. Place kidney beans into a large container and cover with about 1 quart water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
2. Combine beans, 1 quart water, preserved lemon, sugar, black pepper, red chile pepper, bay leaf, garlic powder, and anise seed in a stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover stockpot, and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Remove lemon, bay leaf, and red chile pepper from bean mixture. Mash about 10% of the beans against the sides of the stockpot using the back of a spoon. Cover stockpot and simmer for 45 minutes more.
4. Remove cover from stockpot and simmer beans until beans are thickened and water is evaporated, about 15 minutes more.

kidney beans, water, lemon, white sugar, freshly ground black pepper, red chile pepper, bay leaf, garlic, anise seed

Taken from www.allrecipes.com/recipe/241265/aarons-amazing-simple-beans/ (may not work)