Black Beans recipe- a la Cubana
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 12:08 pm
Hi Friends...per popular demand (at least Art and Amor), I'm pleased to share with you my recipe for Cuban-style black beans. This is a dish with many slight variations, but this one is time-tested and was given to me by a woman whose grandparents were Spanish immigrants to Cuba in the mid 1800's. The family ultimately settled in Tampa and opened the Columbia restaurant in Ybor City in 1905...and they're still going strong!!!!
FRIJOLES NEGROS
Ingredients:
1 lb. black beans, dried
2 qts water
2 medium yellow onions, chopped fine (do not use sweet onions)
1 bay leaf
2 large green peppers, cut in strips (remove seeds and inner pulp)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
OPTIONAL: jigger of dry white wine and/or several
tablespoons of white vinegar (recommend both)
White rice, cooked (see separate recipe below)
Chopped onions for garnish (optional)
Extra olive oil/vinegar for garnish (optional)
Process:
Before washing beans, spread on flat surface and pick out broken beans and foreign particles. Wash beans thoroughly and soak overnight in 2 qts of water. Next day, pour beans and water into a 4-qt soup kettle and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat.
(NOTE: if unable to plan ahead, it's OK to NOT soak the beans; simply cook longer until beans are tender)
Meanwhile, in a skillet, sautee onions and green pepper in olive oil until light golden (be careful to not burn the ingredients). Add crushed oregano, bay leaf, cumin and garlic. Stir for a short while being careful to not burn the ingredients. Add mixture to beans, stirring well. Add salt and pepper and cook SLOWLY, over low heat, COVERED, until beans are tender. This is approximately 1 1/2 hours if beans were pre-soaked, probably an additional hour or so if not pre-soaked. this can differ from batch to batch, simply cook until beans are tender but not completely broken up.
At end of cooking process, add the optional white wine and/or vinegar, stir a couple of times, place lid on kettle and turn off the flame. Allow to sit at least 30 minutes prior to serving...this allows the flavors to meld very nicely.
WHITE RICE CUBAN STYLE:
2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
3 1/2 cups water
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil (any good oil is OK, but peanut is the best.)
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice (I prefer lime)
Process: Heat oil in a shallow saucepan (about 3 inches deep and 10 inches in diameter). Fry garlic in hot oil until golden. BE CAREFUL TO NOT BURN THE GARLIC, THIS WILL IMPART A BITTER TASTE TO THE RICE. Discard the garlic. Add the rice and stir until rice is coated with hot oil. Add water, salt and juice. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and steam for 18 minutes. Fluff the rice with a large two-tined fork and serve immediately.
Serve black beans over the white rice and garnish with any combination of the following: raw onions, olive oil, white vinegar. (not too much vinegar, but to taste, of course)
Beans can also be eaten as a soup, with no rice. I would suggest using a little more water, not much more, so that soup is slightly thinner than that
used over the rice. Soup can be garnished with chopped hard-boiled eggs as well as the other garnishes mentioned above.
Cooking is done when beans are tender and the surrounding liquid is deep purple/black and not watery. If beans appear to be too thick, gradually add small amounts of boiling water during cooking process (I usually keep a tea kettle with boiling water in case needed) If beans appear too runny as cooking time approaches end leave kettle top slightly open allowing steam to escape and mixture will thicken.
DO NOT ALLOW BEANS TO BURN AT BOTTOM OF KETTLE. KEEP FLAME LOW AND USE HEAVY KETTLE IF POSSIBLE.
ENJOY !!!!
Tony Carreno...aka "El Tampeno".
FRIJOLES NEGROS
Ingredients:
1 lb. black beans, dried
2 qts water
2 medium yellow onions, chopped fine (do not use sweet onions)
1 bay leaf
2 large green peppers, cut in strips (remove seeds and inner pulp)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
OPTIONAL: jigger of dry white wine and/or several
tablespoons of white vinegar (recommend both)
White rice, cooked (see separate recipe below)
Chopped onions for garnish (optional)
Extra olive oil/vinegar for garnish (optional)
Process:
Before washing beans, spread on flat surface and pick out broken beans and foreign particles. Wash beans thoroughly and soak overnight in 2 qts of water. Next day, pour beans and water into a 4-qt soup kettle and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat.
(NOTE: if unable to plan ahead, it's OK to NOT soak the beans; simply cook longer until beans are tender)
Meanwhile, in a skillet, sautee onions and green pepper in olive oil until light golden (be careful to not burn the ingredients). Add crushed oregano, bay leaf, cumin and garlic. Stir for a short while being careful to not burn the ingredients. Add mixture to beans, stirring well. Add salt and pepper and cook SLOWLY, over low heat, COVERED, until beans are tender. This is approximately 1 1/2 hours if beans were pre-soaked, probably an additional hour or so if not pre-soaked. this can differ from batch to batch, simply cook until beans are tender but not completely broken up.
At end of cooking process, add the optional white wine and/or vinegar, stir a couple of times, place lid on kettle and turn off the flame. Allow to sit at least 30 minutes prior to serving...this allows the flavors to meld very nicely.
WHITE RICE CUBAN STYLE:
2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
3 1/2 cups water
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil (any good oil is OK, but peanut is the best.)
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice (I prefer lime)
Process: Heat oil in a shallow saucepan (about 3 inches deep and 10 inches in diameter). Fry garlic in hot oil until golden. BE CAREFUL TO NOT BURN THE GARLIC, THIS WILL IMPART A BITTER TASTE TO THE RICE. Discard the garlic. Add the rice and stir until rice is coated with hot oil. Add water, salt and juice. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and steam for 18 minutes. Fluff the rice with a large two-tined fork and serve immediately.
Serve black beans over the white rice and garnish with any combination of the following: raw onions, olive oil, white vinegar. (not too much vinegar, but to taste, of course)
Beans can also be eaten as a soup, with no rice. I would suggest using a little more water, not much more, so that soup is slightly thinner than that
used over the rice. Soup can be garnished with chopped hard-boiled eggs as well as the other garnishes mentioned above.
Cooking is done when beans are tender and the surrounding liquid is deep purple/black and not watery. If beans appear to be too thick, gradually add small amounts of boiling water during cooking process (I usually keep a tea kettle with boiling water in case needed) If beans appear too runny as cooking time approaches end leave kettle top slightly open allowing steam to escape and mixture will thicken.
DO NOT ALLOW BEANS TO BURN AT BOTTOM OF KETTLE. KEEP FLAME LOW AND USE HEAVY KETTLE IF POSSIBLE.
ENJOY !!!!
Tony Carreno...aka "El Tampeno".