Frijoles Negros

Black beans are a cornerstone of Cuban cooking. Served with fluffy white rice, they are the perfect accompaniment for meat, fish, or poultry. They can also stand alone as a nourishing entrée or be pureed to make another Cuban classic, black bean soup.

The cooking time will depend both on the dryness of the beans and the altitude. At sea level they may be cooked in an hour, but at high altitudes it may take two to three hours. For that reason, many high-altitude bean cooks prefer to