Moros E Cristianos (Cuban Black Beans)
 
 
This is a recipe sized for a party - scale to your needs!
Author:
Serves: 30
Ingredients
  • 5 cups dried black beans
  • 12 ounces salt pork, cut in quarters
  • 1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound bacon, chopped
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 green bell peppers, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
  • 1 tablespoons chicken demi glace
  • 1 cup mixed minced cilantro
  • Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. The night before you wish to cook the beans, add the beans to a very large stockpot and cover with at least 4 inches of water. Let stand until the next day.
  2. When you're ready to cook the beans, drain beans and place in a large saucepan along with the salt pork, Liquid Smoke, and bay leaves. Cover with water a couple of inches above the beans and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, skimming off any foam, until the beans are tender, adding water if necessary, 1½ to 2 hours. Remove the salt pork and set aside. Discard bay leaves and add the salt. Drain the beans, retaining 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
  3. While the beans are cooking, cook the bacon over medium high heat until very crisp. Remove from pan and set aside; drain off all but 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the onions and peppers to the Dutch oven and cook in the bacon fat until the pepper is soft, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic, the cooked beans, tomatoes, and chicken demi glace. Finely chop the meat portion of the salt pork and add it to the beans; discard the fat. Add half of the bean cooking liquid and cook over medium-high heat for15 minutes; if the mixture dries out, add a bit more liquid. Stir in the cilantro, garnish with chopped parsley if desired, and serve with cumin scented yellow rice.
Recipe by Cooking With MicheleĀ® at https://cookingwithmichele.com/2016/06/moros-y-cristianos-cuban-black-beans/