WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Beans and rice in some configuration is a familiar dish the world over, but Cuban black beans and rice is unique in that the rice is cooked in the inky concentrated liquid left over from cooking the beans, which renders the rice just as flavorful. For our own superlative version, we also wanted to enhance the flavors of the bell peppers and onions in the traditional sofrito. So we reserved a portion of the sofrito ingredients and simmered them with our beans to infuse them with pepper- and-onion flavor. Then, instead of dumping that flavorful bean-cooking liquid, we used it again to cook our rice and beans together. Lightly browning the remaining peppers, onions, and garlic with rendered salt pork added complex flavor, and baking the dish in the oven eliminated the crusty bottom that can form when it’s cooked on the stove. It is important to use lean salt pork. If you can’t find it, substitute six slices of bacon, decreasing the cooking time in step 4 to 8 minutes. If you are pressed for time, you can “quick-brine” your beans. In step 1, combine the salt, water, and beans in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans and proceed with the recipe
SERVES: 6 to 8
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours (plus 8 hours soaking time)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 large green bell peppers, halved, stemmed, and seeded
- 1 large onion, halved crosswise and peeled, root end left intact
- 1 garlic head, 5 cloves minced, rest of head halved crosswise with skin left intact
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces lean salt pork, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- Lime wedges
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Soak the beans: Dissolve 1½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in a large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Cook the beans: Bring beans, 2 cups water, broth, 1 bell pepper half, 1 onion half (with root end), halved garlic head, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt to simmer in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until beans are just soft, 30 to 35 minutes. Using tongs, discard bell pepper, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Drain beans in colander set over large bowl, reserving 2½ cups bean cooking liquid. (If you don’t have enough bean cooking liquid, add water to equal 2½ cups.) Do not clean pot.
- Prepare the rice: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place rice in large fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear, about 1½ minutes. Shake strainer vigorously to remove all excess water; set rice aside. Cut remaining bell peppers and remaining onion half into 2-inch pieces and pulse in food processor until broken into rough ¼-inch pieces, about 8 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; set vegetables aside.
- Cook the vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon oil and salt pork in now-empty pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and rendered, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil, chopped bell peppers and onion, cumin, and oregano. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and stir to coat, about 30 seconds.
- COMBINE AND BAKE: Stir in beans, reserved bean cooking liquid, vinegar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Cover and transfer pot to oven. Cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Fluff with fork and let rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- SERVE: Serve, passing scallions and lime wedges separately.
