Cuban Black Beans — Soul of the Island
"The holy trinity of Cuban cooking: garlic, cumin, and time."
No soaking needed (though it speeds things up). Place beans in large pot with water, halved pepper, and bay leaf.
Bring to boil, then reduce to steady simmer. Cook 1.5-2 hours until beans are very tender.
Salt toughens bean skins during cooking. Add salt only after beans are tender.
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onion and diced pepper until very soft (10-12 min).
Add garlic, cumin, oregano. Cook 2 minutes until incredibly fragrant.
Scoop out 1 cup of beans with liquid. Mash and add to sofrito. This thickens everything.
Add sofrito mixture back to pot of beans. Add vinegar and sugar.
Simmer 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaf and pepper halves. Season with salt.
Serve over white rice. The beans should be thick and glossy, not soupy.
Like most bean dishes, these improve overnight. Make ahead for deeper flavor.
Pressure cook unsoaked beans 35-40 min. Natural release. Then add sofrito.
Cook beans and rice together for the classic "Moors and Christians" combo dish.