Today, The Phoody brings a little bit of Havana straight to your kitchen! This recipe is a little more involved, requiring a pressure cooker and your undevided attention. I don’t suggest trying this recipe while babysitting, unless you’re an Abuela Cubana Phoody…in which case you’re a pro.

These beans can be served soupy, puréed for a re-fried style black bean (perfect for our slow-cooked chicken tacos), or spoon them over rice and serve with Carne Ripiada (pictured below, recipe coming soon!), yucca, or fried plantains. You won’t need to fly through Canada or Mexico to get the authentic taste of Havana right at home.

As with all great food, this gets better the longer you let it simmer…and it’s always better the next day!

Prep-time: 10-15 minutes

Cook-time: 3-6 hours

 Ingredients: (taste as you go and add more if you feel it is needed)

• 3-5 cups dry black beans
• 1 large white onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 2 cachucha peppers (optional…very difficult to find in most of the U.S. unless you preorder. If you can find a market in town that readily has these available, it is a highly suggested addition)
• 4 T. minced garlic
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2-3 t. ground cumin
• 3-4 t. beef bullion
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro (optional)
• ~ 2 T. dry cooking wine (Vino Seco)
• ~ 2 t. apple cider vinegar
• Olive oil
• Optional toppers: sour cream, sriracha, oyster crackers, queso fresco…

Cooking instructions:

1. Rinse beans with cold water.

 

Gently rinse the beans

2. Add beans to pressure cooker and add water until about double the depth as the depth of the beans alone (1/4 pot full of beans, 1/2 pot full of water).

3. Seal your pressure cooker according to manufacturers instructions. Turn heat to high and cook until weight lifts for a strong burst of steam. Lower heat until the steam steadily flows, but the weight doesn’t rock (usually medium-low heat). Once pressure is steady, cook for 10-15 minutes. Turn off burner and let pressure cooker sit until cooled and all pressure is released.

 

Cooked to perfection!

4. In a large skillet, sauté onion with olive oil on medium heat until caramelized.

5. Add chopped peppers and cook until soft.

6. Scoop three ladles-full of drained black beans from pot and add to skillet.

 7. Add garlic, cumin, cooking wine, beef bouillon, and apple cider vinegar to skillet. Stir gently.

8. Add to ladles of juice from black beans to the skillet. Stir.

9. Add cilantro to skillet. Stir and cook until cilantro has wilted.

10. Transfer contents of skillet into the pressure cooker with remaining black beans.

11. Add bay leaves and stir pot. Taste add add extra seasoning as needed.

 

Now let it simmer!

12. Simmer for 3-6 hours with lid on top of cooker, unlocked. Add water as needed for desired consistancy. Serve.

 – The Phoody