Cuban Black Beans

We love our black beans around here. Gabe is Cuban and although we have given up many traditional Cuban meat dishes, we still eat this classic.  Gabe’s mother gave me this recipe soon after Gabe and I started dating, and we have made it many, many times since.  The beans have a robust, multi-layered flavor that intensifies as they cook and makes them a perfect main course.  Our children love them and most everyone we have served it to -- young or old -- enjoys it too.  The best is serving it to toddlers and watching as they get that fabulous, purple-black sauce all over their faces and hands as they eat. 

There is very little work to this recipe, but the beans need to cook for a long time.  It is best to cook them when you will be home for a good part of the day, or you can cook them over consecutive days.  When making them, be sure not to skip mashing the beans into the onion-green pepper mixture.  I am convinced that this step enhances the flavor of the beans as they cook.

It is very easy to double this recipe so I usually make a double batch and give some to a friend or freeze half for a night when I don’t have time to cook.  Serve the beans over rice.  White rice is more traditional, but brown rice is delicious, too.

 

Cuban Black Beans

Serves 6
15 minutes preparation time, plus overnight for soaking beans
3 hours cooking time

1 pound dried black beans
8 cups water
2 large green peppers, chopped and divided
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

Cooked rice for serving

Wash the beans and soak them overnight in the water with half of the green pepper. Alternatively, you can do a quick soak:  bring the beans to a boil, let them boil for two minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit for 2 hours. After the beans have soaked, bring them to a boil in the same water in a large stock pot. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until they soften, about 1 hour.

While the beans are simmering, heat the oil in a large sauté pan and sauté the onion and garlic. After a few minutes, add the remaining green pepper and sauté for a few more minutes. When the beans are soft, scoop out approximately one cup of the beans, and pour it into the sauté pan with the garlic, onions, and pepper. Mash these beans thoroughly with the garlic, onions, and pepper. Pour the entire contents of the sauté pan back into the stock pot with the rest of the beans. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf, and sugar. Let them simmer uncovered for about another hour.

Add the vinegar and wine. Let the beans cook uncovered for about another hour over a low flame until they are soft. The beans should be fairly liquid, but if you prefer them thicker, there's no harm in letting them simmer longer. Adjust the seasoning to taste. If you're using the additional olive oil, add it just before serving.

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Comments

[Stock Pots]

If your children loved it, I must try it too. I really wanted to try something new that my kids would love. I would need to buy the ingredients and follow your procedures. Thanks for sharing your recipes!

[michelle]

Hi Margy,
I really like your site. I found it through: This week for dinner (not sure how, but I did). I'm looking forward to trying your recipe - I've been in search for something similar to the black beans and rice I ate at a place called Johnny Longboats while on vacation in Florida. The place wasn't gourmet, but man, those beans were good and I haven't been able to replicate them yet - however, I see promise in your recipe. M