Black Beans
Ingredients
14 wt oz black beans dried
1 ½ quart water
10 garlic cloves
1 large green bell pepper
2 bay leaves
4 slices bacon
1 Large Spanish yellow onion
3 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp white wine vinegar
Ybor City Yellow Rice and Black Beans
Ingredients
Yields 6-8 servings
Yellow Rice
16 wt oz white rice
1 packet sazon w achiote
2 bay leaves
½ yellow onion
½ green bell pepper
4 garlic cloves
1 can peas
Method
Brine the beans between 8 and 24 hours before you plan to cook them. Rinse the beans in cold water. Dissolve 3 TBL of salt in 3 quarts of cold water. Brine the beans covered at room temp 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 the 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).
Method
Rinse rice until water runs clear.
Add to stock pot with 8 cups cold water, sazon, bay leaves and fine chopped onion, pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium high then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Do not stir.
Add peas and stir once. Cover and continue to cook until liquid has evaporated and rice is tender (15–20 minutes).
