Central Texas Style Barbecue Cuban-Style Black Beans & Rice (Congri)
The owners of Central Texas Style Barbecue in Pearland tell us they grew up eating this traditional Cuban dish. You'll love it as a side at your next barbecue!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry black beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus a little extra to use on top later
- 1 large onion chopped finely
- 5 pieces bacon chopped up (omit if vegetarian)
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 7 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 2½ cups Uncle Ben’s rice, original converted
Instructions
Beans
- Rinse and clean the beans then place into 8 cups of water in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until tender, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the beans.
Sofrito
- Heat two tablespoons of olive oil and bacon and cook until bacon is crispy. Add the onion, all the bell peppers and garlic, and sauté until soft. Add the bay leaves, tomato paste and cumin. Stir and remove from heat.
- Drain the cooked beans but reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Add three cups of water to the reserved liquid (for a total of 4 cups) and set aside.
- Place beans, sofrito, and uncooked rice in heavy pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine. Add the 4 cups of water to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cooking until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and serve. Drizzle with extra olive oil.
Notes
This recipe is provided courtesy of Central Texas Style Barbecue in Pearland.
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