Ybor City Black Beans and Yellow Rice

Ybor City was founded in 1885 by a group of cigar manufacturers led by Vincente Martinez-Ybor. Its population was primarily Cuban immigrants working in the area’s bustling cigar industry. Ybor City was annexed by the city of Tampa in 1887 and has had a deep impact on the food and culture of the Bay area. The cigar industry flourished until the 1930s when the Great Depression brought a sharp decline in the demand for cigars. Today, Ybor City is home to much of Tampa’s nightlife and has become a popular historical entertainment district for the city.

Soffrito

What sets Cuban black beans apart is the use of soffrito, a Caribbean take on mirepoix with onion, garlic, bell peppers, bay leaves and often some type of pork. In this recipe we use bacon, but you could also use ham hocks or chorizo. The most important part of this recipe is cooking the beans properly. Dried beans can be difficult to cook. When done correctly, they should be soft, but not mushy, with some structure left to the outside of the bean. The best way to get this result is to brine the beans ahead of time and to be mindful of the amount and temperature of the liquid you cook them in.

Seed Anatomy & Brining

Beans have very effective seed coats that prevent the absorption of water. Initially water will only enter through the hilum, a small pore at the curved side of the bean. It takes time for the seed and seed coat to become fully hydrated. Once hydrated, the heat will more easily transfer between the cooking liquid all the way to the center of the bean. Without brining, the water on the outside of the bean will heat the seed coat but the inside remains uncooked. By the time the water and heat have reached the inside of the bean, the outside is over cooked and mushy. A salt brine is more effective because the sodium displaces magnesium from the cell wall pectins and allows water transfer to happen more quickly.

Cooking Liquid

When cooking beans, the volume and temperature of the cooking liquid is an important factor. For most vegetables, a large volume of rapidly boiling water provides the best results. However with beans, it is more important to cook them at a low volume and heat. Because they are long cooked, a large volume dilutes the color, flavor, and nutrients. A rapidly boiling liquid will cause damage to the skin of the beans over time. For these reasons, it is ideal to cook beans in just enough liquid for them to soak up and cook in and at a gentle simmer (180-190F).

Let us know how it comes out in the comments below!

Recipe

Cuban Black Beans

Ingredients - Yields 6-8 servings

14 wt oz black beans dried
1 ½ quart water
10 each garlic cloves
1 each green bell pepper (large)
2 each bay leaves
4 slices bacon
1 each Spanish yellow onion (large)
3 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp white wine vinegar

Method:

Brine the beans between 8 and 24 hours before you cook them. Rinse the beans in cold water. Dissolve 3 tablespoons of salt in 3 quarts of cold water. Brine the beans covered at room temperature until ready to cook.
Drain the beans and place in a stock pot with 1 ½ quart of water. Rough chop ½ of the bell pepper and 4 cloves of garlic, and add to the water along with bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer until the beans are soft (1 -1 ½ hours).
While the beans cook, make the sofrito. Cut bacon into ¼ inch strips and heat over low in a sauté pan. Allow the bacon to cook until there is a few tablespoons of fat rendered in the pan. Cut the onion and remaining bell pepper into a small dice. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon from the sauté pan, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Add the bacon to the simmering beans.
Sauté the onions and bell pepper in the rendered bacon fat. Cook until soft, then fine chop the remaining 6 cloves of garlic and add to the vegetables. Cook until the garlic softens (2-3 minutes).

Yellow Rice

Ingredients - Yields 6 servings

16 wt oz white rice
1 packet sazon w achiote
2 each bay leaves
½ each yellow onion
½ each green bell pepper
4 each garlic cloves
1 can peas