Havana Beans Recipes

QUICK CUBAN STYLE BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Chop onion, garlic, scallions, red pepper, and cilantro in a mini chopper of food processor.
• Add oil to a medium-sized pot on medium heat.
• Add vegetables to the pot and saute until soft, about 3 minutes.
• Add beans, water, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and cover, simmer about 15 minutes stirring occasionally (adjust water as needed).
• Taste for salt and serve.

HAVANA BEANS

Steps:

• Spray a heavy pan with cooking spray.
• Cook the onion, garlic, and pepper for about 3 minutes or until starting to get soft.
• Add the tomatoes and pepper.
• Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
• Add the beans, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Serve with rice.

CUBAN BLACK BEANS

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.