Cuban-inspired rice and beans

Name: Cuban-inspired rice and beans
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: a pinch of dried oregano and/or pimenton dulce/picante; chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, oregano or coriander, to garnish; ½ tsp ground cumin; 1 green pepper, finely chopped (the same size as the onion); 400 ml beef, chicken or vegetable stock; 1 x 400 g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbsp vinegar; 75 g smoked bacon, pancetta, or chorizo cubes; 1 red onion, finely chopped; vegetable oil, for frying; 1 bay leaf; ½ tsp tomato purée; 60–90 g brown or white rice; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Solo

By Signe Johansen

Published 2018

About

Here’s a dish, variously known as arroz congri or tnoros y cristianos, that really is more than the sum of its parts: smoky bacon and wholesome black beans are married with warming spices and given a lift from sprightly green pepper. Nourishing and delicious comfort food at its finest.

Ingredients

vegetable oil, for frying
75 g smoked bacon, pancetta, or chorizo cubes
1 red onion, f

Americas
Cuba
Main course
Side dish
Caribbean

Method

Heat a little oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, add the bacon, pancetta or chorizo and fry until it starts to crisp up. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Add the onion and green pepper to the same pan and fry for 5 minutes, or until soft, then turn down the heat to low-medium, add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the cumin and fry for a few seconds