Recipes » Vegetables » Cuban Rice & beans with Ham Hock

Ingredients

• Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
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• 1 pound bag dried black beans
• 4 quarts water
• 1 smoked ham hock
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 12 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped
• 12 small sweet chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped (or your choice combo of hot peppers)
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon oregano, crushed
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
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• Cumin Scented Rice:
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 3 cups uncooked basmati rice
• 2 small limes, juiced
• 4 ½-5 cups cold water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Cilantro

Preparation

Soak beans for 4 hours. Drain and place in 4 quarts of water in a soup pot. Add ham hock to the beans. Bring rapidly to a boil.

Reduce heat to moderate and simmer beans until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Drain, remove hock, put beans and 3 ½-4 cups liquid back in pot.

Sauté pan, heat 1/2 cup olive oil.
Add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté over low heat.
Add the chopped chiles and salt and pepper.
Add the bay leaves and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 1 cup of drained black beans to the onion mixture in the sauté pan, and mash thoroughly with rest of ingredients in the skillet.

Stir in sugar and the ½ tsp. oregano.

Add the bean and onion mixture to the bean pot. Cover, and simmer for 1 hour, at moderate heat.

Add red wine, vinegar, 4 teaspoons oregano and cumin.

Uncover and cook until sauce thickens.

Rice:
Heat butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. When butter is melted, add cumin seeds , sauté for 1 minute.

Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes.

Turn the heat to high and add the lime juice, water and salt.
Mix well.
Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat and cook covered on low for 15 minutes until water evaporates.