My Cuban Black Beans Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, soak beans in water to cover overnight.
• Rinse beans, and transfer to a large stock pot. Add onion, bell peppers, bay leaves, paprika, cumin, oregano, and chile peppers, along with water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Test beans for tenderness, and when tender add garlic and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Steps:

• Cut 1 green pepper into 1-inch squares. Smash and peel 4 of the garlic cloves. Put the green pepper and garlic into a large pot with the beans, ham hock, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon salt. Add 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender, an hour or more.
• Meanwhile, make a sofrito. Cut the remaining ½ green pepper into ¼-inch dice. Peel and finely chop the remaining garlic. Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and onion and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño (leave out the seeds if you don't want it too spicy), oregano, cumin, black pepper and 2 teaspoons salt and stir for another minute. Pour in the vinegar and scrape any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. This is your sofrito.
• When the beans are cooked, discard the bay leaf. Remove and set aside the ham hock and let it cool. Transfer 1 cup of beans to small bowl, mash them into a paste with the back of a fork and return to the pot. Add the sofrito, then the sugar. Pull the meat from the ham hock, leaving behind any white sinew or gristle. Chop the ham into ½-inch pieces and return it to the bean pot.
• Stir the beans well and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so, skimming any foam from the top. Taste for salt and serve with white rice.

Steps:

• Soak the beans with the baking soda in 10 cups of water for about 3 hours. Rinse and drain.
• Add the beans to a Dutch oven and add 10 cups fresh water, along with the olive oil, cumin, oregano, sugar, vinegar, cilantro stems, bay leaves and onion. Simmer until the beans are soft, about 2 hours. Add 2 teaspoons of salt (or more to taste) and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add carrots and cumin and cook until fragrant, 1 minute; season with salt and pepper.
• Add black beans, 8 cups water, bay leaf, and cilantro stems and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender and liquid is slightly thickened, adding more water to cover if needed, about 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf and cilantro stems before serving.

Steps:

• Rinse and sort beans; soak according to package directions. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. , Place beans in a large saucepan; add 6 cups water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute peppers and onions in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomato puree, sherry, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Drain beans; discard bay leaf. Stir beans into tomato mixture.

Steps:

• Put beans into a pot with 2 cups cold water and bring to a boil.
• Once water is boiling, add oil, sazon packet, adobo, and bay leaf.
• Bring to a low boil for about 1 hour or until water just barely covers the beans. Check beans for tenderness.
• Add in bacon, onion, and green pepper and keep at a low boil for about 1/2 hour or until water is mostly absorbed.
• When water is mostly absorbed, check beans for tenderness. They should be soft when pierced with a fork, and there should still be liquid in the pot. If all the water is absorbed, pour in about a half cup more (just enough to keep it like a thick sauce).
• Once beans are tender and you've got a nice thick sauce in the pot, remove from heat.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.