Cullen's Cuban Black Beans & Rice
1 lb dry black beans
6 c to 8 cups water
1 bay leaf
6 garlic cloves (4 whole, 2
1 minced)
4 tb oil
2 onions; chopped
1 green bell pepper; chopped
1/4 c wine vinegar
1/4 ts thyme
1 salt/pepper
1 rice; steamed
Instructions
Inspect and wash beans. Put beans in a pot, cover with 3 times their
volume of water. Bring to a boil, boil for two minutes. Remove from
heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Drain beans and discard the
soaking liquid. Put the beans in a large pot, cover them with the
water, and add the bay leaf and 2 whole garlic cloves. Cover the pot
and simmer the beans very slowly until they are tender, aout 2 hours.
While the beans are simmering, prepare the sauce. Heat the oil in a
skillet, add the onions, and saute until they start to brown. Add the
4 minced garlic cloves and the bell pepper, lower the heat, and
continue to cook until the vegetables are sizzling. Stir in the
vinegar and thyme. Spoon out about 1-1/2 cups of beans and liquid
from the pot into the skillet of onions and garlic. Gently mash the
mixture with a potato masher. Stir the mased bean mixture back into
the bean pot. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon the
beans over steamed rice,or mix them into the rice, and serve as a
side dish.