Black Beans

When we have Cuban Pork we always serve Black Beans and Yellow Rice.  Black beans are a “staple” in most Latin American cultures but I had never eaten them (or even knew there was such a thing) again, until I met my husband.  At that time I didn’t think I liked beans, but I loved these the first time I had them at his mom’s house.  She had a good recipe but had mentioned she’d like to have a “real Cuban” recipe. 

Shortly after my husband and I got married I was teaching at a Christian school and our Art/Spanish teacher was a very sweet lady whose parents were from Cuba.  I can’t remember the exact reason now, I think my husband and I had gone out of town, and the evening we returned she brought dinner to us.  I have no idea what the meat was, but she brought the most wonderful Black Beans I’d ever had!  Of course, the next day I asked her for the recipe…the highest compliment you can pay a Southern lady.  She was happy to share it with me.  I couldn’t wait to call my mother-in-law and share this “Real Cuban” Black Bean recipe with her!  

Here’s the Recipe:

**The best way to make these is to use dried beans and soak overnight…but I do most often use canned** 

• 1 cup soaked dried beans (or 1 can black beans)
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic (or 1/2 tsp minced from jar)
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 ham bone or ham hock

If using dried bean soak 1 cup beans in 2 cups water overnight

Chop onion and slice pepper 

**This looks like a lot of onion but it cooks down considerably**

Slice pepper into thick slices – removing seeds and ribs

Combine all ingredients into large pot or crock pot and cook

For stove top: Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1-2 hrs or until tender

For crock pot:  Cook on high 3-4 hrs or low 6 or more

**It’s hard to overcook them in the crock pot**

White rice is often served with Black Beans…we just like yellow rice

Adding these to Nachos is a GREAT way to use the leftovers!

Black Beans

2014-01-22 12:52:34

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

2 hr

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

2 hr

Ingredients

1. 1 cup soaked dried beans (or 1 can black beans)
2. 1 small green pepper
3. 1 small chopped onion
4. 1 clove garlic (or 1/2 tsp minced from jar)
5. 2 tablespoons Olive oil
6. 1 bay leaf
7. 3/4 tsp oregano
8. 1/2 tsp ground cumin
9. 1/2 tsp salt
10. dash of pepper
11. 1 ham bone or ham hock

Instructions

1. If using dried bean soak 1 cup beans in 2 cups water overnight
2. Chop onion and slice pepper
3. Slice pepper into thick slices - removing seeds and ribs
4. Combine all ingredients into large pot or crock pot and cook
5. For stove top: Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1-2 hrs or until tender
6. For crock pot: Cook on high 3-4 hrs or low 6 or more

Notes

1. The best way to make these is to use dried beans and soak overnight...but most often I use canned
2. For 5 of us, I usually make about 3-4 cans of beans and triple the recipe -except the ham bone. We all love these and that gives us leftovers
3. This recipe calls for A LOT of onions, don't worry, they cook down. Go ahead and add them all
4. In the crock pot I leave them on low for several hours, it's almost impossible to overcook them this way

By Gladys Nepper

O Taste and See https://otasteandseeblog.com/