Cuban Style Black Beans

 

Can we all just admit that there’s something wonderful about Cuban style black beans?  Maybe it’s the way that the dish is filled with so much flavor, yet only requires a few ingredients.  Or maybe it’s the simple fact that it pairs well with just about anything and everything.  But whatever the reason it is undeniably a recipe that everyone should have in their cooking repertoire.  

 

 

Tips, Tricks, & Suggestions

• We are going to be making today’s recipe with dried beans as it makes a better final product.  However, if you are short on time, or just feeling lazy, then you can easily make this recipe with 4 15 oz. canned beans.  Simple add the cans of beans to a pot with a cup of water and add the soffrito.
• Make sure to always inspect your dry beans for small stones or any beans that are shriveled up or just plain don’t look right.
• To soak or not to soak?  Many recipes that use dried beans will require that you soak the beans overnight before cooking with them.  However, I have found that this really only saves you about an hour of cooking time and you lose a lot of the original bean flavor.  That is why in today’s recipe we will not be soaking the beans!
• While it’s not traditional, you can use chicken or vegetable stock instead of water for more flavorful beans.
• I enjoy serving this with either our mojo chicken or our chipotle lime pork chops along with a nice tall glass of mango mojitos.

 

 

Cuban Style Black Beans Recipe

 

Prep time: 10 minutes

 

Cook time: 5 hours

 

Servings: 8

 

Ingredients

 

2 Cups of dried black beans

1 Medium onion, finely diced

1 Green bell pepper, finely diced

4 Cloves of garlic minced

1 Tablespoon of white vinegar

1 Teaspoon of dried oregano

1 Teaspoon of ground cumin

½ Teaspoon of black pepper

¼ Teaspoon of sugar

3 Tablespons of olive oil

Salt to taste

 

Optional garnish:

Chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

 

 

Instructions

 

1. Simmer the beans:  Add the 2 cups of black beans along with 6 cups of water to a large pot.  Place the pot over high heat until it comes to a boil, then cover the pot and low the heat to a simmer.  Let the beans simmer undisturbed for 2 to 3 hours, or until they become soft enough that you could mash one in your hand.

 

2. Make the soffrito: After the beans have become soft get out either a large pan or large skillet and add the 3 tablespoons of oil to it.  Place the pan over high heat and toss in the onion, bell pepper, and garlic sauteeing everything for 5 minutes.  Once you have done this simply add the soffrito to the black beans, and stir it in until everything is incorporated.

 

3. Finish the dish:  Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir until everything is incorporated.  Let the pot come back to a boil, then cover it with a lid and turn down the heat so that it simmers.  Let everything simmer for another hour or two.  After the hour or two, taste the beans and add salt to taste.

 

4. Serve the Cuban style black beans in a small bowl along with some freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice, enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Inspiration from other blogs

From Skinny Taste

From Coco and Ash