Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

I was asked about a Cuban Black Bean recipe and thought I would post here for all.
My wife makes the most killer Cuban Black Beans ever.

1 bag of Goya (or any brand if not available) black beans
1 Midsize Spanish Onion - diced
1 Bell Pepper - diced
2 Bay Leaves
3 Garlic Cloves - minced
2 Tablespoons of Cumin
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of Oregano
1/2 Cup oil (Mazola)
4 Tablespoons Tomato Sauce
Salt to taste
Optional but totally recommended: 1/4 cup of White Spanish Cooking Wine

Wash beans and rinse. Put in pressure cooker with water, half way up. Cook for 20 minutes on medium flame.

In a separate small pot or pan, saute all ingredients, except Bay Leaves. Add to beans and add Bay Leaves also.

Cook for another 20 minutes or more (low flame) depending on consistency - not too watery and not too dry.

Serve as soup or over white rice.

Enjoy!

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Thanks Carlos, been looking for a good one for some time, keep forgetting to ask Marcelino for his recipe at the pig roasts.


Couple things I'd like to ask to ensure that we are on the same page...

Terminology can vary from region to region, so when you say Spanish onion, do you mean a slightly milder, sweeter yellow-ish onion (not quite a Vidalia) or do you just mean the typical "hotter" yellow onion found in the supermarket?

Mazola - do you mean the traditional corn oil of that name, or one of the more modern releases under that marque (vegetable oil, canola, etc)?

Thanks.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

To add to Adam's questions. When you say to cook for another 20mins after adding bay leaves and onion/pepper mixture, is that back in the pressure cooker? With the top off? I"m assuming top off if you're looking to develop the consistency by evaporating the liquid.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Hey Carlos, tell your wife thank you, and thank you for posting this Cuban black bean recipe:tu

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

I can personally attest that these beans are amazing!
Thanks for the recipe Clara!:tu

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Top on again, as when you first started.

IMPORTANT that I forgot to mention on original post.

DO NOT ADD SALT until the very end or it will affect the hardness of the beans.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Spanish onion is the large common onion for us in supermarkets.

The oil is a vegetable oil and we normally use Mazola but any vegetable oil should do. Wesson as an example would be no different.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Thanks Carlos, and please tell Carla thanks (and that it's her fault I have to go buy a pressure cooker now).

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

+1 :dr Yummy!!

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Ooops.... Clara not Carla.

Sorry about that.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Adam,
You won't regret having it.
Will eventually give you her pork chunk recipe that she makes in it.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

:dr:dr:dr

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

:tpd: :dr :dr

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

ONE LAST THING.

Lower the heat a bit for the second 20 minute period on the recipe.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Love black beans and rice like this. It was a staple in school. It's been to long I need to make this again.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

So...

I tired Clara's recipe this afternoon, but had to adapt it for a saucepan . Mongo like.

PS: I just ordered a 6qt stainless pressure cooker. Damn you Carlos. Damn you bro. Thank you, but damn you.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Wow, this recipe looks amazing... can't wait to try it out!

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Carlos,

On the two cool downs, do you let the pressure cooker naturally drop in pressure after removing from the heat or drop it rapidly by using cold water?

Or does it even matter?

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Made a pressure cooker full of these last night (substituted a different white wine and used about half the amount of oil)

EXCELLENT!

Thanks Clara. Thanks Carlos.

Why didn't you tell me to buy a pressure cooker sooner?

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

I had these beans and will tell you that they are the best I have ever had. :dr I will be getting a pressure cooker on the way home today and a thank you to both Clara and Carlos for the recipe.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Interesting question.
Not sure.
Will ask her.

Also, on second period of cooking down, leave pot open and reduce heat.
Cook that approximate time or until liquid consistency to thickness you like.
The less watery, the better.

Here is a Cuban's best kept secret......if you think they taste good on day one, go right ahead and enjoy it.
We prefer to wait until day two and three to really judge them.

We just had them last night from when she made them on the 24th. Man they were way better than on that first day.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

I used the rapid cool down (running water) yesterday, I figured do that and stop them from cooking for the extra 5-10 minutes of cooking that occurs otherwise as I could always throw the lid back on and cook them for a bit longer if necessary,

Just had them again tonight - excellent again.

But, you do have me confused on the lid on/off for the second part of the cook now....

I went with lid on, with the weight barely venting and ended up with a really watery end result, and since you mentioned "Serve as soup or over white rice" I figured, "ok, different style - rather than a heavy broth, these beans are in a light broth and you just use a slotted spoon or something for the "over rice" part.

Killer soupy beans. :tu

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Adam,
It is so tough for me to describe the consistency she looks for.
However, that is up to taste I guess.
Some like runny beans, some like a thicker consistency.
In the end, the flavor will be the same, as long as the beans are cooked through.
When I see thicker, I mean that if you pas a fork through the mixture, and pick up beans with it, the liquid will run through the fork but will have some slight body to it, as opposed to just being colored water through a fork. You don't want it thick like oatmeal at all but you don't want water with dye. Hope that makes some sense.

For the cool down, to release the pressure and be able to open the lid, she puts it in the sink with cold water, until you see the pressure cap release all the way. If you have time, you can also just let it sit on the stove but the water is the best way to go. The second cooking period entails cooking them with the lid open, with no more pressure from the lid.

She also mentioned that sometimes, the beans may not cook right during the first cooking period when the lid is on. You should always test them to see if any are broken and if soft to touch. If so, you are OK. If hard, you need to put the lid back on and give them more time.

Enjoy.

Re: Clara's Cuban Black Beans
 

Thanks for clarifying Carlos.

Your description of the consistency makes perfect sense, in fact, that's about what I would aim for in the past when cooking the beans in a pot/saucepan. My experience with a pressure cooker is zip, so I'm still figuring this thing out.

The funny thing is, as a soup, I kind of like them this way with rice added. I'd have to refine and tweak a few things once I better understand the cooker, but all in all, they're still quite good, and like you said, the flavor is all about the same.