Serve up these deeply flavored Cuban-style beans with a pile of perfectly cooked white rice. Add a salad or some veggies and you’ve got the Dinosaur vegetarian platter.

　　

Ingredients

feeds 4 to 6

　　

The Beans

2 cups black beans

　　8 cups water

　　1/2 large onion, diced

　　1/2 green pepper, diced

　　2 large cloves garlic, chopped

　　1 bay leaf

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

　　Black pepper

　　

The Sofrito

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1 cup chopped onion

　　1 cup chopped green pepper

　　Pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper

　　3 large cloves garlic, chopped

　　

The Finish

2 teaspoons ground cumin

　　1 tablespoon dried oregano

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 tablespoon brown sugar

　　4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

　　Tabasco sauce

　　1/4 cup dry sherry

　　

The Accoutrement

Perfect Rice (page 117)

　　

Step 1

Sort through the beans and pull out any little stones or shriveled beans. Rinse the good beans and toss them into a large saucepan. Add 2 cups of the water, the onions, peppers, garlic, bay leaf, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, cracking the lid a bit, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, adding the remaining water, 1 cup at a time, as it is absorbed by the beans. When they’re done, the beans will give off a luscious black “gravy.”

　　

Step 2

Grab a small saucepan for the sofrito (see note), and place it over medium heat. Add the oil. Toss in the onions and peppers, seasoning them with a pinch of salt and pepper. Once they’re soft, add the garlic and cook another minute.

　　

Step 3

Dump the sofrito into the cooked beans. Pull out the bay leaf and finish the dish by stirring in the cumin, oregano, salt, brown sugar, vinegar, Tabasco, and sherry. Serve with a batch of Perfect Rice.

　　Cooks' Note

　　In many Spanish-speaking countries a sofrito is used as a base for many sauces. It’s usually made up of various chopped vegetables fried in oil.

　　Dinosaur Bar-B-QueTen Speed Press