Memorable Quotes:

"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Frijoles Negros (Black Beans)


From “Memories of a Cuban Kitchen” by Mary Urrutia Randelman

Ingredients:
1 pound dried black beans rinsed in cold water, picked over, and soaked overnight in cold water to cover by 1 ½ inches. (Remove any beans that float to the top)
1 bay leaf
1 medium-sized green bell pepper, seeded and cut into quarters

For the Sofrito:
2/3-cup pure Spanish olive oil
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper seeded and finely chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded aji cacbucba (Rocatillo pepper, or green chile)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


Directions:
1.     The next day after soaking the beans, check that the water is still covering the beans by 1 ½ to 2 inches, and add more water if needed. Pour into a large saucepan, add the bay leaf and green pepper, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered, until the beans are tender and they have almost cracked open, about 2 hours. Check the beans while they are cooking and if they need more liquid, add some hot water.
2.     To prepare the sofrito, in a skillet heat the oil over low heat until it is fragrant, then add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion is transparent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cumin, vinegar, and Rocatillo pepper and mix well.
3.     Add the Sofrito to the beans, mi well and cook over low heat, covered, until the beans crack open, 30 to 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Makes 8 servings

Note: Recommend Black Beans are by "Faraon"

2 comments:

  1. Hello there!
    I have really enjoyed reading through this blog. You truly have some very neat recipes there for "simple" but quality dishes - I really like it and as a former chef i can fully appreciate all of this. I think I could help to get this blog more deserved exposure if you are interested?
    I am searching for passionate writers to join our community of bloggers - glipho.com
    Please check us out and drop me a line at hubert@glipho.com for any questions.
    Best!
    Hubert

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    1. Thanks for dropping by Hubert. I have never been a chef although I did attend a culinary school a few years ago. Many of these recipes are family recipes (not necessarily original)that I learned from my mother. Not really looking for exposure but rather a place to file my favorite recipes in a manner that I can access them while visiting family. Thanks again for your nice comments. GB

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