Moros Recipes

Steps:

• Cooking the Beans
• Rinse and pick over the beans. Place in a medium heavy-bottomed pot with 2 1/2 quarts water, the onion, bell pepper, ajíes or cubanelle pepper, and the ham hock, if using, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender but still retain their shape, about 2 hours. Drain, reserving 4 cups of the cooking liquid. Discard the vegetables and ham hock; you should have 2 cups cooked beans.
• Finishing the Dish
• Place the rice in a medium bowl, cover with cold tap water, and swirl the rice, then drain, holding the rice in place with one hand. Repeat the process as many times as necessary until the water runs clear. Drain well in a sieve or strainer. Heat the oil in the heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, green pepper, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the rice and stir to coat thoroughly. Add the beans and the reserved bean cooking liquid, then add the vinegar, sherry, and salt. Mix well and taste for seasoning; add a dash more of sherry, vinegar, and/or spices if needed. The cooking liquid should be flavorful. Cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid is absorbed and small craters have formed on the surface of the rice. Fluff the rice slightly with a kitchen fork, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, and cook, tightly covered, for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let stand, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Place the beans and 7 1/2 cups of the water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, or until tender and creamy in centers. Crush the beans in their liquid with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon.
• Place the rice in a large bowl (not a colander) and rinse under cold running water for 5 minutes. Drain. Pour the remaining 3 cups of water into a medium saucepan, add the butter and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, salt and pepper and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Mix the rice with the beans and heat through, if necessary, to serve warm.

Steps:

• Mash the garlic and render the bacon fat
• Put the garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over the cloves, let it sit for a few minutes, and mince it into a paste with a knife. Set aside.
• Place the bacon and olive oil in a large pot and set it over medium-high heat. Sauté the bacon until it renders its fat and turns a golden brown color, about 6 minutes. Move the bacon around as it's cooking to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Sauté the vegetables and rice
• Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic paste to the bacon and sauté until the vegetables are limp and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, the bay leaf, cumin, oregano, and rice and stir for 1 minute until well mixed and all the rice is coated in oil.
• Add the beans, simmer, and serve
• Add the beans and their liquid, along with the water and vinegar, to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed by the rice. Allow the covered pot to sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes and vinegar. Add cumin, salt, thyme, pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Cook for 3 minutes.
• Add black beans, then stir in white rice. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes; do not lift the cover during the cook time.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook black beans in water with bay leaves, oregano and salt until done, approximately 1 hour. Strain and keep the liquid. Heat lard in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat and cook bacon until it begins to render fat. Add chorizo, ham, onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, then add cumin. Next add cooked beans, rice, and reserved bean liquid. Cover with a banana leaf and place in oven. Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until rice is done and all the liquid is incorporated.;

Steps:

• Rinse the beans and pick them over for any small stones. Put the beans and 8 cups water in a medium-size pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, partly cover and cook until tender, about 1 to 2 hours. (Time will vary depending on the bean.)
• Meanwhile, make the sofrito: Put the oil in a medium-size pot (large enough to hold the rice as well) over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are limp. Stir in the oregano, dill and bay leaves and remove from heat.
• Drain the beans, reserving the broth and being careful to not break the beans. In a large measuring cup, add the vinegar and wine, 1 cup of the reserved bean broth and enough water for all the liquid to measure 2 1/4 cups.
• Put the sofrito back on medium heat, add the rice and stir to combine. Cook the rice for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the seasoned bean broth/water mixture and the salt. Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 17 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and return cover to pot for 10 minutes.
• Remove bay leaves and put rice mixture into a mixing bowl. Gently mix in the beans, being careful not to break them. Season well with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot.