Ingredients for 8
servings
Ingredients for the back beans
1/2 pound of black beans
1 medium onion
1 green bell pepper
6 sweet peppers (ají dulce or cubanelle pepper)
1 ham hock (optional)
Preparation of the beans
Rinse and pick the
beans.
In a pot with 2 ½
quarts of water, put the beans, onion, bell pepper, sweet peppers and ham hock.
Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours.
Drain the beans and
reserve 4 cups of the liquid. Discard vegetables and bones.
Ingredients for the dish
2 cups of rice
2 tablespoons of olive
oil
1/4 pound of slab bacon,
diced
1 1/4 cup finely
chopped onion
1 cup of green bell pepper,
seeded, deveined, minced
1 teaspoon of ground
cumin
1 teaspoon of dried
oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon of white
vinegar
1 tablespoon of dry
sherry
2 teaspoons of salt
Preparation
Put the rice in a
colander and let the water run until it runs clear. Drain.
Heat the oil in a
heavy pan and add the bacon. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
Add the onion, pepper,
cumin, oregano and bay leaf and sauté until the onion wilts, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice and stir.
Add the black beans and the reserved liquid.
Add the vinegar,
sherry and salt. Cook uncovered until the liquid has been almost completely
absorbed and small craters have formed on the surface.
Stir with a fork and
reduce the heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and
let stand, uncovered, at least 10 minutes before serving.
(*) With Maricel Presilla's recipe.