Black Beans & Rice with (or without) Ham, Cuban Style

It's been a while since I made it, but it was awesome and I wanted to post the recipe because, well, I'm a "sharer." I adapted this one quite a bit from a couple sources... and I think one of them cited Martha Stewart. In fairness, mine's probably a lot more assertive than Martha's. What can I say, garlic is good!

 

Black Beans & Rice with(or without) Ham, Cuban Style

 

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

1 tablespoon safflower oil (olive works too)

1 medium red onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped

38 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained (generally 2 cans)

15 ounces chicken stock (scant 2 cups)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Ground pepper

1 1/2 lbs bacon ends, browned, chopped and rinsed ****

 

1. Prepare rice according to package instructions.

 

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 6 to 8 minutes.

 

3. Add beans, bacon ends, broth, vinegar, and oregano. Cook, mashing some beans with the back of a spoon, until thickened, 15 to 30 minutes. I prefer my final product less soupy, as well as tender black beans without them being complete goo. Feel free to stop at the consistancy you prefer. The great thing about the bacon ends in their tenacity - they keep their texture well. You can go for a couple hours on lower heat if you prefer, and the marriage of flavors is amazing without resulting in ham-glue-like pieces that once tasted of bacon.

 

4. Add pepper. I don't normally add salt because the beans are generally packaged in it and this upsets me, and also the bacon ends add salt as well. I recommend a good rinsing on those. Seriously.

 

5. Serve over rice (I stir mine in so I can do the dishes while the flavors marry and cool to a mouth-appropriate temperature). Cilantro may be used to garnish if you're into that kind of thing.

 

**** This ingredient is, believe it or not, completely optional. You can include everything but this and have an amazing dish on your hands. I still say no salt because of the black beans, but that's me.