Cuban Black Beans
I won’t lie, this recipe takes time. But we are in the middle of a global pandemic and I’m stuck inside so time is what I have. I also have a lot of beans in the cupboard and I’ve always wanted to try making my own black beans. My friends Julio and Rita made the real deal for a salsa party we co-hosted before life went sideways but they have a pressure cooker, I do not. So, it was old school for me. I followed the instructions on the back of the Dan-D-Pak bean bag and part of the recipe but I added the spice combo that Julio told me he used.
Ingredients
- 400 g black beans (cooked), or canned if you want
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 cup sweet red peppers, rough chopped
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 allspice balls
- 2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Method
- If you are cooking the beans from dry, in a large pot add the beans, 9 cups of hot water and 1 tsp of salt.
- Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 3 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, cover, and let the beans soak for at least 4 hours.
- Drain, rinse, and put the beans back in the pot.
- Cover the beans with 6 cups of fresh hot water (should be 1″ above the beans) and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and 2 tsp of salt.
- Bring to a gentle boil with the lid half tilted.
- Boil until tender. This will take a couple of hours. Add more water as you go to keep the beans covered.
- Once the beans are tender, turn the heat off and let the beans cool while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large pot saute the onions and garlic in 2 Tbsp of olive oil until the onions are translucent.
- Add the oregano and continue sauteing for a few more minutes.
- Add the beans and their liquid to the pot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and give it a good stir.
- Bring the beans to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Continue simmering for at least another hour.
- Turn the heat off and add the lemon juice.
Makes about 4 cups of beans and the are muy buenos frijoles.